christen Books

For all intents & purposes, this book meets the requirements of a good study skill book for teens. The various topics covered are relevant & the eight chapters are organized, as follows:

1. Introduction
2. Active Learning
3. The Writing Process
4. Introducing PREPsteps
5. Taking & Making Notes
6. Time Management
7. Test Taking Strategy
8. Goal Setting

However, I am intrigued by the authors' arrangement of the chapters, particularly Chapter 6 & Chapter 8 pertaining to time management & goal setting respectively.

In any kind of endeavours, goals & priorities must always take precedence. In the case of learning & studying for the student, goal setting & priority (as opposed to time) management must come first.

Goals set the purpose & direction in life, & priorities set everything (i.e. all the tasks toward goal achievement) in motion. Without setting goals & managing priorities, everything one does become random activities.

For example, in the introductory Chapter 1, the authors write in the first paragraph, "All kids - & that includes you - can become smart learners. But you won't get there by wishing...." If `goals setting & priority management' has been set as the introductory chapters, the contents of this particular chapter would make more sense for the teen reader, because smart learners are always goal-oriented!

Again in Chapter 2: Active Reading & Chapter 3: The Writing Process, one very important element is missing. Active readers/writers always set a purpose (or goal) for reading/writing. With a purpose or goal in mind, the brain can search for/produce important information relevant to the purpose or goal during the reading/writing process. In fact, goal setting is paramount in setting all the four communication skills in motion: reading the textbooks, listening in class, speaking during discussions, & writing essays or reports.

With a focus on goals (or the end in mind) & priorities (or first things first), (to paraphrase Sean Covey's & his 'Seven Habits for Highly Effective Teens'), Chapter 4: PREPsteps would become much more meaningful for the teen reader.

Therefore, it would have been more appropriate for the authors to set Chapter 8 (goals) and Chapter 6 (priorities) as lead chapters accordingly in the book.

Nevertheless, the authors give good instructions as well as appropriate examples for the above chapters.

In Chapter 5: Taking & Making Notes, the authors outline three note-taking/making methods. The first one, which the authors call it the `i' note method, using the symbolic alphabet `i' as a platform. Correspondingly, on a sheet of note-paper, the top half of the dot denotes an area for `topic' & the bottom half denotes an area for `main idea', & the stem denotes an area for `details'. `Summary' is located below the stem, with `vocabulary (new words or terms) as well as study questions are to be arranged on the left side of `i'. This is a refreshing approach to note-taking/making, which I have not come across before. Kudos to the authors!

The second method, which the authors call `mapping', & judging by their description & instructions, is actually mind-mapping, a technique created by Tony Buzan. I don't quite understand why the authors don't call an apple `an apple' & also why they don't have the professional courtesy to credit Tony Buzan.

The third method, which the authors call `Split-Summary-System' (or Triple S), is actually a replica of the famous Cornell Method, believed to have been developed by Prof. Walter Pauk of Cornell University. Again, the authors did not call an apple `an apple' & also did not credit Prof Walter Pauk.

In most instances, I firmly believe that authors, whether they are experts or otherwise, often ride on the shoulders of giants. They should therefore always acknowledge where credit is due.

Even in Chapter 4: PREPsteps, the steps & instructions given by the author, are actually a deliberate variation of the famous SQ3R Method, originally developed by a psychologist/teacher from Ohio State University, Francis Robinson, in the 1940s. I know most authors want to coin something they can claim to be their proprietary methods, but they should not refrain from giving some due credit to the early pioneers.

The lack of a bibliography at the end of the book says something about the authors' unwillingness to credit other authors.

I note that `Memory Management' is not considered as a topical chapter, but the authors put a lot of emphasis on the subject of organizing information at three levels for fast recall & the formulation of different type of questions, especially higher-order, to aid fast recall. These are reflected in the authors' detailed treatment of these aspects in the various chapters, particularly Chapter 2, 4 (The Process of Gathering, Recording, Organising, Retrieving & Using Information)) & 5. Kudos to the authors!

I also note that `Lesson Revision/Rehearsal' should have been one topical chapter in this book. This is a very important topic for students. It plays a very vital role in academic success. The lack of this in study planning often results in cramming when the test/exam is near. This leads to unnecessary test/exam anxiety buildup. In the case of this book, this aspect is only perfunctorily covered by the author in `Homework' under Chapter 7.

As a matter of fact, a topical chapter on Stress Management would have completed this book very well for teens.

In the last chapter, which should have been the preceding chapter, I concur with the authors' view that goal setting goes hand in hand with decision making. They recommend the simple PRACTAS decision making method, with a working example.

On the whole, despite the shortcomings as I have just illustrated in the foregoing, I rate it a score of 4 (although I am inclined to rate it 3.5) for this book.

For the teen reader, it is still a good study skill book. There are many useful checklists e.g. Study Skills Questionnaire, & working examples in the book, in spite of the fact that this book has only about 100 odd pages.

My mother read this book to me as a child and I liked it so much I clung to it like gold, but somehow it got lost through the years. I was surprised and excited when I found it online and would love to share this book with my husband and children. I thought I was the only child who read this book.

My boys loved this book when they were little. A fire in the house destroyed this among many others and I have been looking for 15 years to get another copy.

This was my favorite story next to Scuffy the Tugboat. Unfortunately all of my books went to my older sister's kids, and they did not take very good care of them, so they are all lost now. I have my first child coming in July (Ian Gabriel) and I'm looking for a copy of this book (and from the reviews, it looks like I'm not alone). Maybe the publisher will decide to reprint it.

I have been looking for this book for 20 years in antique shops in the Midwest to no avail. I even thought that maybe this book actually did not exist and was only in my imagination. I am happy to see that it does exist and that other people enjoyed it also. I can just see that pancake with that big smirk on his face!

My son's favorite book from an infant until he could read. We have been searching for it for many years. At bedtime he could pick 3 books for reading every night and somehow The Runaway Pancake was always on the top of the pile EVERY night. He knew the story so well he would say it right along with me reading it to him long before age three. We lost this badly worn book in one of our moves and have been looking for that pancake since. We won't be happy until he returns to our family.

A Time For Trolls is a wonderful collection of Norwegian fairy tales. The tales are a little more graphic than similar American counterparts; not necessarily for very young children, but not as dark as The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales. The stories often start by following a trio of brothers. The youngest is usually a good-for-nothing called Askelad (literally, "Ash Boy") who does nothing but sit around and poke at the ashes in the hearth. However, he is wise and kind and determined, and he always ends up with the fortune and the girl. The translation from Norwegian is beautiful and lyrical, with a rhythmic quality reminiscent of oral tradition. A must-read for any fairytale or fantasy enthusiast, and a great look into the history of Norwegian culture!