Nonfiction Books

This is probably the best book I have read on classroom management--EVER! Not only is it well-written, it is timeless, useable, accessible and friendly. The author readily includes her own classroom successes and failures, which helps me to identify with her journey. She also give practical, ready to implement steps and routines. Is classroom managment difficult? YES! Is is do-able--YES YES YES if you follow the guidelines given here by Ms. Charney. Combine this with a Responsive Classroom workshop, or at least books from the RC library, and you are on your way to loving your job again!

I am very happy with the price as well as the fast shipping. My University campus book store wanted twice the amount of money for this book; worst of all, it was used. Amazon had it for half the money; best of all, it was brand new. :) I am a happy camper...

For my professional goal I joined a study group in which we all purchased this book. The manner of speaking and presenting rules and consequences teach children that they can choose how to act. It reinforces responsibility, kindness and cooperative learning. I am now teaching sixth grade three years later. The strategies produce active learning and a desire to make the right decision. Combine this book with "The First Six Weeks" and you will be all set for the school year!

A terrific book that should be in every teachers' and parents' library. Clear directions, plenty of space for notes. Good bibliography.

This book is fantastic. It offers plenty of wonderful tips and situations for constructing a healthy behavior management plan within your classroom. A definite must have.

I loved this book, and am actually using it as a teen girls Bible study this fall. Everything discussed in the book is pertains to young women today. I also liked how every truth for a lie was backed up by multiple scriptures from both the Old and New Testament. Highly recommended!

This book gives a lot of insight for young women seeking to do what's right and following what the Bible says about how to combat the lies this generation faces in so many different facets. I highly recommend this book for Bible studies, for personal reading, etc. GREAT BOOK!!!!

This is one of the best books I've read!! It's amazing! This book chapter by chapter shows us teens how to stand against all those lies satan throws at us.. what to do with them! Nancy and Dannah write well, with their own stories and others included, which makes it more interesting. Some of the lies they talk about are lies about God, guys, technology and how we use it, and friends. Many more included! An amazing book focused on teens.

We have used this book for an inter-generational, inter-denominational study and it has been awesome. The Biblical truths providing the foundation of this study have the power to transform lives. Highly recommend this [...].

This was a great book! Lies Young Women Believe was very personable book and I love how Gresh and DeMoss write in a very uncondeming way. As an 18 year old, I don't like "self-help" books and this definitly was not one of them! If you are looking for a easy read with helpful advice, this is the book for you.

Paula Denton's book has proved immensely helpful for me in my work coaching teachers to reflect on and enhance their teaching practice. Her suggestions for refining teacher language are practical and immediately accessible for both experienced and "rookie" teachers. I highly recommend this book to teachers who want to improve their communication, interaction, classroom management and relationships with students and colleagues.

I bought this book three weeks ago and I find it one of the most useful books I own. It is written well and packed with practical ways to create a positive learning environment.

As a classroom teacher in inner city schools for 8 years, I have found myself immersed in school cultures which were disrespectful and authoritarian toward parents and students. This book presents a different approach to the teacher's role as a catalyst for learning. Well-grounded in pedagogical theory, it is pragmatic in its descriptions of how language that encourages motivation and responsibility might sound. For example, one area the book addresses well is the delivery of reinforcement. I have always felt that nonspecific praise such as "good job" didn't really help students understand what it was about their academic or behavioral improvement that merited recognition. It made me uncomfortable that feedback in this form made students dependent on my approval and tethered them to my judgment alone. This book helped me understand how I can clearly communicate evidence of growth to the student so that he or she can perceive that success. In "The Power of Our Words," Denton helps teachers envision how they can communicate with students in ways which promote personal and intellectual engagement. She offers supportive suggestions to help teachers figure out how they might change their own style of language. Finally, the book inspires the hope that as we hone the clarity of our messages in classroom speech, we will be more efficacious in helping students become autonomous, reflective, and motivated learners. I believe that is a major key to closing the achievement gap.

This book covers everything a parent would want to talk and teach a child with AD/HD. It covers even meds., coping skills, ect.. at a child's level. My son loves it! It makes him feel normal.

Fantastic book for kids with ADHD/ ADD. It has really helped in our household and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is easy enough for kids to read and has loads of great chapters - Eating right, Ways to succeed at school, How to make and keep friends etc etc.

It talks about ADHD in a non-confronting way and has been an enormous help. My daughter carries it with her and quotes from it all the time. She has become a little more settled since reading this book and I think she is starting to understand a bit more about why she behaves the way she does.

This book is wonderful for parents to read with their child who is diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. My daughter loves it because it is something she can read by herself and understand about ADD, I think it's an invaluable tool for a parent because it helps me understand about ADD as well. The book has great worksheets throughout that are very helpful for parents to evaluate and see how their children feel and assess themselves. I think this is a great book, especially if you would like to read along with your child or if you have an independent reader who loves to learn.

I have an interest in all information and ways of informing people about ADHD and The Survival Guide for kids with ADD or ADHD, is not only informative, it is also practical and fun. I support any author who suggests positive ways for parents to interact with their children with or without ADHD. This is a must have for any parent of a child with ADHD.

I am the author of:

One Boy's Struggle: A Memoir: Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD

Bryan

I have told everyone I know who has an ADHD kid about this book. My DD was recently diagnosed and it was a confusing time. The book clarified everything and normalized the issue for her. It was written simply and clearly and the age range given is perfect. A great resource for kids who are just diagnosed.

I never received the item from amazon. Had to purchase from a high school book store.

A great dictionary that's been revised and updated. I learned Spanish many years ago in High School; and want to update my knowledge. This book helps very much in my review of the language. Highly recommended!

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.

My grand-daughter really likes to listen to the CD and has begun to sing along. I think that's great. Book illustrations are fun, too.

My daughter is still an infant so we haven't used the book yet. The c.d. is great. Fun to listen to while playing.

I received my item within less than a week from ordering, and in perfect condition. I appreciate this excellent customerservice.

This is a quality production and I am enjoying learning the rhymes and teaching them to my 6 month old daughter. This is definitely a product for someone who already has a good understanding of French. It comes with a book with the French and there are translations and explanations (when appropriate) in the back. I did not give it 5 stars because I think it is a little difficult to use. The tracks are divided up into broad categories (By the River, In the Market) and there are several rhymes in each one which makes finding a particular rhyme more troublesome. It is difficult to listen to straight from beginning to end because the background music is repetitive. Also, there are many rhymes for older children, not just for babies so I am sorting through to find the ones that are appropriate for an infant. Overall, however, I am enjoying this product and would recommend it to a motivated francophile.

This book is primarily about rhyming, not necessarily about French language. I am surprised to see people discussing it as a way of learning to "speak" French -- as in, saying something useful or meaningful. The book's cover makes that claim, too. Shoppers should be wary of expecting too much from this book as an instructional tool.

This is an attractive, fun package. If you go through it you might pick up a smattering of French words, a few numbers and so on. But it is not organized with any kind of instructional strategy, and the contents are rather inconsistent.

What it mostly does is to lead you through a lot rhymes with cute or interesting sounds. Sure, some pages contain poems in genuine French. But many of the rhymes include nonsense words (as the authors admit) which do not mean anything in any language (like "Bourre et bourre et ratatam").

The book claims that many of these rhymes are used by French kids for picking sides in playground games, or the like. If so, that means that a lot of these pieces are the equivalent of "one potato, two potato" or "Eeny meeny miney moe" on an American playground. I can't imagine teaching the phrase "eeny meeny miney moe" to a French child as a first introduction to English.

One of the rhymes, according to the guide in the back of the book, supposedly teaches the pronunciation of the "U" sound in French. The only "teaching" involved is the child listening to the CD. If you want the child to be able to speak those words, you may have to teach them how to form the French U sound. The book doesn't do it.

Another poem playfully replaces "sept oies" with "c'est toi." Due to the use of liasons in spoken French, those phrases are homonyms. The whole rhyme builds up to that double-entendre, which is based on a uniquely French bit of phonics. So if the book were really trying to teach French, this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. But it doesn't even mention it, so non-French speakers will miss out on the pun entirely.

In another case, the authors claim that a rhyme supposedly demonstrates different ways of using the "R" sound in French. It does nothing of the kind. Over and over, I felt like the authors were attempting to claim more educational value for the material than it really has, while failing to use teaching opportunities that *were* available.

What value the material DOES have is that it is mostly fun, catchy little rhymes that kids will relate to, especially with the help of the cute illustrations in the book. I believe that the CD by itself would not be very successful at all, unlike some other products. And for parents who do not speak French, or have a French dictionary nearby, good luck. Some -- but not all -- of the material is translated into English in the back.

The accents sound authentic, and the recordings introduce each rhyme with a slow rendition first, then move up to "normal" speed, and repeat it yet another time. I think this is a good approach. The recordings mix an adult voice and some kids -- some other reviews mistakenly say it's all kids.

The child I'm using this with had already learned a few fundamentals in reading and speaking French, and that background definitely helped. So, as other reviewers have suggested, this book may ironically actually be more useful as something other than a "first" book, contrary to the suggestion of its title.

So: Fun, yes, but your child will still need to learn a lot more "real" French somewhere else.