Nonfiction Books

Recently I bought Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Animals for my five year old daughter who loves art, but wanted more formal training. This book is *perfect*! Everything about it is tailored for children who can draw some shapes and it progresses from simple animals to the lovely, elaborate dragon at the end. My daughter is learning how to draw better shapes (and animals) without getting frustrated. The step-by-step simple instructions capture a child's attention and makes them more focused on the process than the end result. Overall, a really wonderful book!

I had this book as a kid and loved it - no written instructions, just step by step pictures that are easy to follow. My 11-yr old and 7-yr old both like it. The final pictures are full of character and are really fun. This may not be a book for a kid who's really serious about drawing, but it's great fun for the average artist, adults included.

I bought this book for my 4 yr old son. He has learnt to draw many animals from this book. He is able to follow directions and draw all by himself. He has been doing a pretty good job too. This is a good book if you or your child need step by step instructions to draw animals.

I bought this book for my 4 1/2 year old but really for myself since I'm a horrible artist! This book allowed us to draw the animals together and he was able to follow the steps easily. If you can write the letter "D", "C" and stright and squiggly lines you can duplicate any animal is this book. Pretty cool since my son used to not like art of any sort but now he is in this drawing phase. I'm going to buy some other of these books in the series.

I love this book. I had this book as a child (in the 80's) and I was so excited to see that I could purchase one for my daughter. My child is in pre-school and has been practicing drawing basic shapes. Ed Emberley's book teaches children (and adults) how to draw animals by piecing together basic shapes such as squares, circles, triangles, etc. The directions are easy to follow, and show you step-by-step how to combine different shapes into a final product. I would recommend this book for any age group, from a child who is just learning to draw to an adult who loves to doodle.

As a copy editor and proofreader in the medical and pharmaceutical advertising and communications industries, this text is necessary for my work, as most of my clients use AMA style as THEIR style. However, I have found that this series of texts changes every few years simply as a money maker for the AMA. Only minute changes seem to be made from edition to edition. (I will say, however, that this edition seems to cover many more topics and issues.) In addition, it never seems to fail that what I am looking for, I can't find. The Index could use quite a bit of work. In addition, this text is quite expensive, in my humble opinion. But, as I said in the title for this brief review, this text is "A Necessary Evil."

A must for any science writer. This book is concise and has helpful information.

This is a great resource for editors/proofreaders/medical writers, especially since the style varies so much from the usual MLA and AP styles. Mine is tagged up and sits on my desk, at the ready, as I proofread and edit.

At long last, the 10th Edition of the AMA Manual of Style is finally available, and I am happy to say it was worth the wait. As an editor who has worked in medical journals, scientific Web sites, and an agency specializing in pharmaceutical advertising, I found the 9th edition to be, at times, a bit dated and not as easy to navigate as I would have hoped. Most of those problems have been resolved in the 10th edition, as well as the inclusion of some new information that I didn't even know I was missing until I found.

The following is a list of changes in the new edition of the style guide that I found particularly helpful and relevant, and will hopefully be a quick go-to guide when you're debating whether to buy the new version or hold fast to the 9th edition.

- The section on Correct and Preferred Usage has moved from Chapter 9 to Chapter 11 and includes a wealth of information that was not in the previous edition. There is more information about the difference between race and ethnicity and when it's relevant to include sexual orientation in a scientific manuscript.

- An extended section on electronic references (3.15, 63-72). This new info is highly relevant considering since 1998 (when the 9th edition was released) there have been a number of innovations with the Internet and a number of authors choose to use the Web as sources of information.

- The section on manuscript preparation is vastly improved and expanded (Ch 4). It includes more information on the different types of tables and figures as well as new guidelines for the use of symbols and footnotes.

- Of particular interest to journal editors, there is more information on authorship requirements, conflicts of interest, sources of funding, and copyright and permissions basics (Ch 5).

- The section on capitalization demonstrates that, not only can the AMA editors laugh at themselves, but that they're also familiar with the lyrics of Coolio (eg, There is no party like a West Coast party because a West Coast party doesn't stop. 10.3, 375). The section on capitalization also includes newer terms like iBook and eBay that are more relevant to modern writing (10.8, 380).

- In terms of grammar, some of the rules that always give editors trouble are more explicitly outlined and in more detail. There's a longer section on the use of that and which (7.2, 318), which I still have to look up occasionally. A final ruling on the health care vs healthcare debate (always 2 words, per AMA, 11.1, 395). And more specific rules on false/parenthetical plurals and sentences with compound subjects (7.8)

- A change in the use of states in references. All will use postal codes now, instead of the former abbreviations (14.5, 451-455).

- An expanded section on international currency (18.5.12, 817-819).

- The section on terminology has been expanded to include information about different specialties, including psychiatry, ophthalmology, and obstetrics (Ch 15). This section also includes a new chart with human viruses that is expanded and easier to navigate (15.14.3, 762-767).

- There is a more comprehensive copyediting section, including information on editing numerical information (21.1, 907; 23.1, 929-933).

- And finally, and most importantly for all newer medical editors and writing, there is a more informative resources guide with professional organizations aimed at scientific writers and editors as well as grammar and editing resources (25, 967-976).

As a whole, I'm very pleased with the new edition of the AMA style guide, and can't wait to incorporate the new changes into my own work.

I've been waiting for this book since becoming a medical editor 3 years ago. It is completely updated for modern-day medical communications and now includes extensive sections with Internet-related information. I use it nearly every day and absolutely love it.

Self-esteem is so important to promoting happy, balanced and empowered children. This is a great start for children since it does a great job explaining to them what their personal power is all about. A companion book for parents that I have found invaluable to parenting my children is:Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying. It goes way beyond bullying as it gives you incredible strategies, stories to share with your kids and tips on buiding their self-esteem and communication skills so your child never becomes a bully or victim. Get them both to round out your bookshelf.

Suggestions and anecdotes in _Stick Up For Yourself_ are helpful for opening discussions with little ones, particularly those who may be socially sensitive or (too) highly adaptable. I don't agree with all its suggestions, but the basic premise is sound -- that to develop personal integrity and firmness of resolve requires thoughtful practice -- and overall, it's a nice resource.

This is an excellent tool for kids...also another must-read for parents isBully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying Can't fall victim with these two.

this is an important work. I've submitted it for consideration by the youth education faculty at my church.

This is an excellent book. My son and I read a little bit of it at bedtime and keep a notebook to jot down our thoughts. It has improved his self-worth and it has helped me relearn social skills that I should be using in my own life.

I am using this book to coincide with our homeschooling classes. This is for our Cooking Course. It is an excellent book with instructions to suit my children's grades of 4th, 3rd, and 1st. Highly recommended.

nice layout, could have used better quality paper and more color print, but all in all a good series of books, great for older kids.

We have had this cookbook for about a year and have used it quite a bit when planning weekly menus. The recipes don't have too many ingredients and they are very kid-friendly. My son is 9 years-old and he loves to make the double chocolate chip cookies. We like everything we have cooked from this book, and it is good when you are trying to increase the number of items a fussy eater will consider eating. It incorporates just enough spices or ingredients to "broaden horizons." Even though this cookbook doesn't have pictures of the finished item, we gave it the highest rating for usefulness!

The information and recipes found in this book are great. The only downside is, without nice colorful pictures, it is hard to gain the attention of a younger audience. My daughter didn't care for it due to the lack of photographs. There were illustrations, but when we're talking about food, you really need photographs.

I purchased this cookbook for our 8 year old grandson. He really loves it, and is quite proud of the meals he has made so far! The recipes are appropriate for his age and the results are very tasty. Nice variety of recipes and easy to read. The book would have been even better if it were spiral bound. I'm sure he will always treasure his very own first cookbook!

My son read this book to me for reading but it can just as easily be read for health or science. He really likes these books while he does not care for the shows much. In this one they take a trip through Ralph's body and learn about the main systems - digestion, circulatory, nervous... Recommended for ages 6-9 years and 3rd grade reading level.

My daughter has been reading Magic School Bus books in school and we bought this one for her this past Christmas. She probably enjoys this one more than any other so far. It is well written and very educational with great illustrations. If your young reader likes science, then this is definitely a great choice!

Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen outdo themselves in "The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body." It is their most ambitious collaboration yet, and it definitely doesn't disappoint.

As is the custom, the third book in this science series (written in 1989) picks up where the second story left off. Ms. Frizzle is showing her students a filmstrip about the human body. "We're going to learn all about ourselves," she says. Then she announces the next field trip - the class is heading to the museum to "see an exhibit about how our bodies get energy from the food we eat." However, anyone who has even an inkling as to the kind of person Ms. Frizzle is should know that things rarely, if ever, go according to plan. A field trip is never just a field trip when you're taking a ride aboard her magic school bus.

The Friz and her students stop at a park for lunch before arriving at the museum. Afterward, everyone goes back to the bus . . . except for Arnold! He's still sitting at a picnic table, daydreaming and eating a bag of Cheesie-Weesies. And before the class realizes what is happening, the bus shrinks to the size of a Cheesie-Weesie . . . where it is promptly downed in one gulp by Arnold!

"I thought we were going to the museum," says one student.

"There's been a slight change of plans," explains Ms. Frizzle. "We're being digested instead."

Why visit an exhibit about the human body when you have a magic school bus and a teacher like Ms. Frizzle who can take you directly to the source?

If "At the Waterworks" was like priming the pump, and "Inside the Earth" was like getting the ball rolling, "Inside the Human Body" is like plowing full-steam ahead. Cole and Degen have firmly established themselves as a literacy force to be reckoned with; this is proven in the confidence of the writing and the boldness of the illustrations. There is so much going on in this story that you almost need a scorecard to keep track of it all. It seems as though Cole and Degen are bound and determined to one-up themselves with every book they come out with.

A list of some things Ms. Frizzle educates her class about would include: blood cells (red and white), blood vessels, digestion, germs, the heart, lungs, molecules, oxygen, plasma, the small intestine, etc. Do you know what villi are? You will after you read this book! Any idea what the cerebral cortex does? Ms. Frizzle will show you! Ever wondered why you sneeze? The answer resides in this story!

"Inside the Human Body" deserves just as much, if not more, a home on a person's bookshelf as does "At the Waterworks" and "Inside the Earth." Cole and Degen loaded their latest adventure to the bursting-point with information. You can see the growth author and illustrator have taken since their inaugural effort with "At the Waterworks." They prove that some things do, indeed, get better with age.

At the end of "Inside the Human Body" is a true-false test to help readers distinguish what things were true in the story and what things were made up. And, of course, Ms. Frizzle drops another clue as to where her next great adventure will take us. I'm pretty sure the class will think of their next field trip as out of this world!

It doesn't seem possible, but Cole and Degen managed to improve upon an already-winning formula. They are both in top form with "Inside the Human Body," a field trip that will take you from the brain to the small intestine and back again. Well, what are you waiting for? Hitch a ride on the magic school bus!

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "Seatbelts, everyone!"

This book is really out of this world. I have been hooked on the magic school bus series. I can't wait to read more books in the series. The inside the human body book is full with very interesting facts and I learned so much from reading it. Arnold doesn't know where the bus is and is trying to find it. He doesn't even know that it is actually inside him. Then Arnold sneezes and finds the bus right next to him. He doesn't understand how he didn't see it before.

Ms. Frizzle is taking her class on a memorable field trip through the human body in this entertaining book featuring the beloved eccentric teacher and her curious class. My only complaint is that the pages are so busy with information that it's impossible to sit and really read the whole book, but perhaps it's best to let a child's curiosity guide you through a number of readings rather than trying to get everything in at one sitting. Concepts are expressed clearly and with humor. Justly popular with young students.

I love the graphics and the paper that this book is printed on. Be aware that most of the cutting is pretty challenging, even for my first graders. If your child doesn't have great fine motor skills, be prepared to help them with the cutting. That being said, it is great for developing those skills that teachers don't have a lot of time to teach these days- like cutting and gluing.

My mom always said, give your kids a pair of scissors and they'll be happy for hours. She was right, but even more so with this book. When my oldest was in pre-K, the teachers encouraged us to have her cut, color, and draw at home to develop fine motor control and hand strength, as pre-writing skills. This book gives your kids something fun to cut, and by the end, they're cutting much more complex configurations, without pain. Highly recommended!

The only thing not to like about this book is why, at almost $7, could they not have perforated the pages?! I've bought coloring books at the dollar store with perforated pages. I'd take off a star for this, but the book itself rates 6 stars in my book...

My 3 yr old daughter is almost done with this book now, and we'll be getting more Kumon books - and that great Chicken Socks cutting book, too.

I teach three year olds. I bought this book to help them with their cutting skills and I really like it. I only have to say "Who wants to do a page out of the cutting book ?" and I have a full table and some waiting in line. They really like it.

I really am quiet pleased with this book, I know how hard cutting can be and to help my daughter. My daughter loves this book and the others we have and actually wants to do the work book or to go and do "homework" as she calls it.

The book starts out with very basic cuts and then as the pages progress the cut work gets more challenging. The artwork is cute and I can say that this book has helped my daughter cut with confidence and her cutting has gotten much better. She's only been in pre-kindergarten for 2 weeks and my daughter's teacher says it shows that we've been practicing cutting.

The other Kumon books we have and like are: Lower Case Letters and folding which is also another really neat task for your child to get good at and also has some really cool photos and pictures.
My only complaint is that I wish the pages where perforated for easily removal.

I know this already has great reviews, but I just had to write what an amazing job this book has done for my 5 year old son. I just gave him one page a day to cut, and I can't believe the improvement in his cutting. Even better, I never corrected him, just said what a great job he was doing (this is what the book says to do). I was skeptical that this approach would work, but it has!! Best money I ever spent on a workbook.

I've been able to find the meaning of words I couldn't find in my other Spanish/English Dictionary. Great book, especially the background on the words.

This like all Larousse Dictionaries is great but unfortunately this one for a travel option it a little big. The similar one with only 80,000 entries travels better. Unfortunately, that does not easily found here-- but I suggest searching for the smaller if you plan to travel with it

This dictionary, which our teacher recommended, provides me with all (and more) that I need for my Continuing Education's beginner's Spanish class. Since I am a beginner, I cannot comment on how comprehensive it is, but this dictionary is very clear and very concise. Highly recommended.

I really liked it...i mean a lot.
It was very informatie and I know really not a lot of spanish and i need to learn over the summer for class, and this book is definitely helping. Use this with Cliffsnotes spanish 1 for beginners and a spanish grammar book, and you're gonna be a great spanish speaker

Great dictionary but I didn't expect it to be 6 cm (2.5") thick. Not easy for carrying around. Great value for money though.

The book looks just fine, but be sure to notice that the CD is MS Windows-only. Oops.

I recently purchased this book after thoroughly searching for a good, comprehensive Spanish grammar. I love the way this book is intended for intermediate and advanced learners, meaning that it includes answers to complicated grammar questions that cannot be answered anywhere else. The explanations are really straight forward, things are so EASY to find - you don't have to hunt and peck through page after page to find a really specific topic. It includes everything, and it really addresses complicated questions related to the subjunctive and other more difficult grammatical elements. Yo les recomendaría a todos.

My wife and I retired to Mexico. Neither of us spoke much Spanish so we decided to take lessons. Our instructor mentioned that "The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice" was the best instructional book in Spanish that we could get..but it was not available in Mexico. He had one copy that he shared with the 6 people in our class and I could probably say, with his other classes. My wife and I wondered if Amazon would have this book...and they did. Now, our class has two books to share...and probably soon, a couple more. With Hector's instructions and using the "Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice", my wife and I can converse much better with our neighbors (who speak no English) and fit in to our new invironment. The book clarifies many of the questions that we students ask in our class and clarifies many of the non asked questions people learning a new language fight their way through. I recommend the book...and recommend the service we received from Amazon (Mail does not move quickly in Mexico...so we were very pleasantly surprised when the book arrived almost a week ahead of the time estimated by Amazaon).

Thank you Amazon.com

Carlos y Sharon Garrison, Mazatlan, Mexico

Be careful when reading other reviews. When you see that this book is recommended for people who have already taken "a couple of years of Spanish", they must mean four years in high school PLUS a couple of years in college.
The book looks good and the CD is handy, but if your Spanish isn't already pretty good, this book isn't for you. I can carry very basic conversation in Spanish (in the present tense only) and couldn't even understand the first exercise on the CD.
So just beware that if you only had two years of Spanish in HIGH SCHOOL, this book isn't for you. I must sell mine.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAT79KM0GLQ1D This is a very useful resource for both instructors and students of Spanish. If you're a Spanish Instructor, besides this book, the Ultimate Spanish Reveiw and Practice, here are some other tools that I either use when teaching my own private students or tools that I recommend that they use while studying Spanish at home.

1. The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice w/CD-ROM (Ultimate Review & Reference) No Spanish Instructor should be without this book. Besides 501 Spanish Verbs, I believe that this is the most important tool for learning Spanish. As an instructor, I use this book to get ideas on subjects that I wish to teach. This book also many exercise that students can perform at home.

2. Learning Spanish Like Crazy: Spoken Spanish, Vol. 1 (2 volume set) When my students ask that I recommend a self-study audio course to use at home, I always recommend this one. I like it because it has Spanish speakers from many different Latin American countries, and in some cases you will hear speakers from the same country but from different cities or regions which gives them distinct accents. I like this method because it helps the student become accustomed to hearing different accents. They also cover casual or conversational Spanish in this course which is what most my students seem to be interested in learning.

3. Easy Spanish Phrase Book: Over 770 Basic Phrases for Everyday Use (Dover Easy Phrase) This phrase book is an excellent buy. It has lots of phrases that will help your students quickly begin learning lots of new phrases. Your students will also like the fact that it is a bargain. It was written a long time ago so it does need some updating.

4 1001 Most Useful Spanish Words (Beginners' Guides)This is another phrasebook. It is also an excellent buy with lots of new vocabulary words and phrases. This one is also a bargain. But like it was written a long time ago so it does need some updating.

5. Vox Modern Spanish and English Dictionary
No teacher's teaching-Spanish tool box would be complete without a Spanish-English dictionary. This one is my favorite. No matter which dictionary I choose for my students, there are always words missing, mainly because many times we'll use different vocabulary words depending on the Spanish speaking country that one is from. But let's just say compared to other Spanish-English dictionaries, it is less common that I will not be able to find a Spanish word listed in this dictionary.

Well written and illustrated. Easy for 3-4 year olds to understand.
I like the questions - they give an opportunity for kids to think about who has died.

This book was very matter of fact. As mentioned by others, it can be used by all. If you wish to add religious information to your explanations to your child, then you can emblessish using an example. I found to book to tell of death in a very matter of fact way that young children understand.

Reviewer's book: Overcoming Loss: Activities and Stories for Children Who Have Experienced Grief and Loss

This beautifullly illustrated book has a gentle story about loss and the feelings associated with it for young children.

This book met our needs when Nana died, though it specifically avoids presuming the age or reason of death of your loved one. It is gentle, honest, and brief. I found it perfect for our 6 and 4 year olds. On some pages there are questions that provide nice prompts for discussion (and tears).

Was age appropriate for my 4 yr old. My Father died a week after I ordered this book. It was useful for my daughter.

This is our first year homeschooling, and we had trouble finding a math program that really works. Then we tried this math book, and this is exactly what we need. It has real life links, and great special projects to work on. This math program also has a great accompanying web-site, where my son finds an on-line tutor, and can do all the corresponding tests.