Junior Books

This book provides teachers with the resources and information to help children learn to read effectively. A must for any good teacher's library.

After reading this book, it is easy to see why WL was rapidly becoming a grassroots movement amongst US teachers ntil the textbook publishing companies realized that they were about to loose out on a major market share. (Don't believe it, then why are the states of California and Texas mandating curriculum to teachers? California and Texas represent a lion's share of the market. So, if you can't get teachers to buy the garbage you produce, you just manipulate the machinery to have the government shove it down their throats. So what if kids are dissed in the process?) So much of what this book has to offer is nothing more than good sense. Most any teacher that has spent more than 20 minutes in a classroom with students would agree.

John Barell's WHY ARE SCHOOL BUSES ALWAYS YELLOW? TEACHING FOR INQUIRY, PRE K-5 surveys methods for challenging young learners, inviting them to develop inquiry and critical thinking skills in all children. Chapters outline the inquiry process and discuss its importance in classroom management, surveying successes through real classroom examples perfect for teacher applications.

"Why Are School Buses Always Yellow" by John Barell, Professor Emeritus, Montclair State University encapsulates years of theory into workable practice. I probably would have saved thousands in college tuition loans if this resource had blessed me decades ago! (virtual "Wish I'd had a V-8" moment)!

Barell gently reiterates that questions signal higher-order thought processing which is the goal of effective classroom interaction and innovation. He reminds us that student questions are the attainment of the highest thinking skills.

Too many books declare WHAT an important concept inquiry teaching is. But, what teachers continue to ask for is actual implementation: HOW TO DO inquiry-oriented teaching. It's about time that a book came along that speaks to "HOW" to reach and develop inquisitive questioning.

Barell's visits to classrooms and discussions with both teachers and students form a dynamic role-play model. You will no doubt relate to the student responses and learn from modeling Barell's effective inquiry teaching practices. I also appreciate the structure of the chapters, Barell allows space for reflection, an often overlooked phase of learning.

Granny Newlen always admonished us kids to "Learn, discuss, then get up and move." She used such a phrase to get us up off the couch for a learning-walk where we would tell her what we had learned at school that day.

Start your own "learning walk" and buy this book. :)

A very nice book, complete with sheet music for Wiggles Christmas songs like "Go, Santa, Go" and "Let's Clap Hands for Santa Claus", it includes activity ideas and instructions for making stockings and other Christmas projects. Excellent for parents to use with younger children, or for kids maybe 6 and older to use by themselves.

When I bought the Wiggly Wiggly Christmas DVD last year for my boys, I was pleasantly surprised to hear songs about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas. My 2 year old asked for a Wiggles Book for Christmas so I ordered this one. It just came and it's wonderful! The first few pages tell about the birth of Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas, why we have Christmas trees, etc. Then it goes on to give lyrics and sheet music for Christmas songs. Each song is followed by a craft activity for parents to do with their children. And the crafts will be easy enough to do with my 2 & 3 year old boys and probably would entertain older children too. I highly recommend this!

This book entertains, points out the importance of reading, and makes you laugh out loud.

An excellent book for teaching the importance of reading and gaining an awareness of simlarities in plot. Poor Winnie learns that she may the next 'stuffed chicken for dinner' as a result of not wanting to read a famous tale. The story takes the reader on a rollercoaster of 'what-ifs' and creates wonderful moments for predicting text. I will be using this story for numerous lessons in my classroom, from developing a sense of story to partner predictions. Excellent illustrations, too!

An important note: This is the large print edition of the same book, by the same title - "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors". The Large print edition is ideal for very young readers (who like a large workbook size format) or for anyone who prefers the ease of reading large print.

"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" is the best book ever written on opening chess traps. After having purchased and read several other books on opening traps finally I found a book that provides an explanation of what is going on from the beginning of the trap until it ends. It is much like a book of well analyzed short games with important tactical themes.

"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" is not a book on how to "trick" your opponent by using cheap tricks. This is a book that provides solid analysis of both common and less common openings along with the typical tactical mistakes that occur in these openings. In other words, you will improve both tactics and opening knowledge at the same time. What stands out about "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" that rewards it with a five star rating?

1. Openings are arranged in order making it easy to find the openings you are interested in. However, I might suggest just going through it from cover to cover.
2. There really aren't just 64 traps. This is not a "one trap per page" book (which I have found in three other trap books). There are often numerous traps branching off the main trap being covered making this book contain effectively hundreds of traps.
3. There isn't just a focus on the "springing of the trap". There is detailed analysis from the start of the opening, pointing out why other moves may be stronger or weaker along the way.
4. This book has so many diagrams (with the coordinates around the boards for the beginner) a strong player doesn't even need a board.
5. There are a good variety of openings covered along with all of the most important tactical themes. It is made clear that the author doesn't repeat the exact same traps covered his previous books (unlike some authors who reorganize the same material from previously written books to create more books). Actually, some of the same "themes/patterns" are covered again, reinforcing the material covered in the author's previous - but presented in totally different positions (e.g. Legal's mate, Noah's Arc Trap and the Classic Bishop Sacrifice).
6. There are problems within the traps for the reader to solve - "what's the best move?'. This makes the book challenging and more fun, while forcing you to think. This helps point out for chess teachers wanting to use the book, where they should challenge students along the way.
7. The writing style is clear and easily understood.
8. The book refers the reader when covering the opening and some tactical patterns to specific locations in the author's other books where more detail can be found.

Who is this book for? Actually all ages of players (ages 8 up to and including adults) who are beyond havening learned the basic rules and intermediate players. It would make a great text book for a chess teacher to use in their classroom to allow efficient teaching by covering openings and tactics at the same time.

In General about Trap Books: Books on chess traps should be an excellent way to learn tactics and openings at the same time. This is because you see all of the moves leading up to the actual tactic being employed (unlike books that give a diagram and the tactic starts from there). You can learn important ideas in specific openings also knowing how to avoid traps as well as well as executing them.
"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors": Has 64 short games with often numerous traps within a single game (unlike numerous other trap books that will create separate traps and use up space for nothing). They are arranged by type of opening (openings can be looked up quickly in the table of contents). The analysis is very accurate (I have computer checked the analysis and wow! Perfect in every respect, unlike some of the other traps and tactic books I have seen that contain faulty analysis). There are a nice variety of openings containing your most common type of traps and tactics. There is an analysis of moves leading up to the trap (unlike numerous trap books I have seen that have most if not all of the analysis when the trap is reached) and where the player went wrong along with the improvement is pointed out. This book fits in well as part of a series by the author with material being consistant (however, you don't need the author's other books to get full use of this book as this does just find as a stand-alone book).
Who this book is for: Written is easy to understand language, it is at about a fourth or fifth grade reading level. If you are an adult, don't let the easy language snub this book - it is perfect for adults! Once you know the very basics of chess (know how the pieces move, and have just been introduced to the ideas behind the openings) this book becomes very useful. However, it contains analysis that an advanced beginner or intermediate player will very extremely useful.

Winning Ways truly captures the personality and fundamental points of each profiled trainer. (George Morris' chapter is particularly dead on! Hee!) Each of these people are successful A circuit professionals, with Finals-winning students to speak for the quality of their intruction - it's a veritable "who's who" list. This book is an invaluable guide for intermediate and advanced hunter seat equitation riders. Those that have not yet progressed to jumping can use poles on the ground in the tracks provided.

Hint hint - I'd love to see a new, updated volume with chapters from the newest faces on the circuit.

This is a great book for young jump or nonjump riders like me! This way you can get advice from the pro's, but you don't have to pay a fortune!! For me, George morris's and Jimmy William's sections have been very helpful, not only on my flat work, but in my jumping, as well. I am only half way through the book and I think it is one of the best informative books for a young rider!!! I would encourage anyone to read this book!!!!!

Great game for younger children, same idea as adult Wizard on the cards only go to 8 and there are only 2 each wizard and jester. Very timely mailing

Very highly recommended for players ages 8 and older, the "Wizard Junior Card Game" will provide hours and hours of good clean fun based on the popular Wizard Card Game for adults. Young players will acquire basic card game skills with fewer cards and colors instead of suits. Each round uses more cards as the excitement builds. Each player must try to predict the exact number of tricks necessary for them to win in each round, making bids and winning points for each trick. But too many or too few tricks and they could lose points! Complete in and off itself, the "Wizard Junior Card Game' includes 40 cards with 2 Wizards and 2 jesters (32 cards in four different colors and 4 quick rules cards); a custom score pad; instructions; and 20 bidding sheets.

This book is a little older but the fundamentals it presents are timeless. Lots of nice projects and helpful information.

This book helps you teach your children about woodworking. Inside are some 30 projects. There are no plans in this book, but instead the book teaches the actual techniques needed in real woodworking. As such, the book suggests a project, describes how to make the item, and then shows some of the various items created by actual children. All of these projects rely on hand-powered tools that are safe for children to work with.

This is a great book! At first I checked it out from the library, but it is so good that I just had to have a copy for myself. I was glad to see that the many photos in this book show both boys and girls doing the projects, as I have both a son and a daughter.

I recommend this book absolutely!

As a teacher, I have reviewed many vocabulary texts and have never found one as effective as Word Wealth Junior. Students who have used this text have consistently scored much higher on standardized tests than those who used the typical vocabulary workbook.

When I was in junior high (over 20 yrs ago) my school used this book to build vocabulary. I still remembered the title and was attempting to buy it for my college-bound niece. It helped me score in the 99th percentile for verbal on every standardized exam I ever took. Do a chapter a week and your vocabulary is guaranteed to improve!

This is the best concise resource for teaching a second language I've seen. It gives pertinent real - life instructional examples of teacher problem- solving using current, sound methodology for instruction and assessment. Stephen Cary helps teachers bridge from printed example to application in our own classes, elementary and secondary. His reflections add depth to the chosen examples. The book reads like a story, told with heart and sense.

This is one of a few books on teaching I read over and over again. I have found this so incredibly useful in bridging the language acquisition gap for my English learners. The reflections on the case studies are just as useful for their insights and information on what to expect when you use the strategy. Knowing that my colleagues have little free time, I recommend this book as a resource for teaching that has become invaluable. It's good for the busy teacher as well because each chapter stands alone.