The Box Seat Dream Review

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(More customer reviews)Once I started reading the " The Box Seat Dream " I couldn't put the book down. The book goes through the life of a young boy, Jimmy, who dreams of one day playing for the New York Yankees. Through Jimmy's dreams, you see how Jimmy sets out to accomplish his goal.
While reading the book it felt as if the story was true to life and that you're not reading a book but living the story.
I think everyone should read this book, especially children. It shows us that dreams don't have to be just dreams.
It is a very inspirational story for all ages.

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Imagine a young athlete receiving a gift that mysteriously transports him to the greatest sports arena of the second millennium, visiting glorious time periods long before he was born. Experiencing events and seeing individuals he had only heard about through his parents, grandparents, and the media.A gift, that to everyone else in the world is nothing more than sports memorabilia, but to Jimmy McNeil, it is the conduit to his future, only, if he can first unlock the secret of Box Seat A1-33.The Box Seat Dream is a fictional novel written for the middle reader as well as the entire family.The story is about a twelve-year-old Little Leaguer growing up in Yonkers, New York, during the mid -1970s.Jimmy McNeil through a chance of fate obtains an original 1923 Yankee Stadium seat, the one and only seat that survived the historic renovation of modern sports most decorated coliseum. The mystique that surrounds the box seat is enhanced through Jimmy's magical dream visitations to Yankee Stadium.With each visitation, Jimmy and the reader learn life lessons as well as develop new skills in America's most participative amateur sport.The dream sequences take the reader through different Yankee eras touching down at appropriate times for Jimmy's benefit.Box Seat Al-33, along with Yankee "greats" such as Lou Gehrig coach Jimmy through the skills of hitting, fielding, and sportsmanship.There are nail biting Little League games that give the reader the sense they are really at the ballpark emotionally cheering for Jimmy and his teammates, as they battle toward the league championship.However, Jimmy's most crucial lessons are learning how to battle the challenges of life off the ball field.

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Great Explorations Review

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(More customer reviews)I received this as a gift, and it is the best book I've found for projects for my preschool son. We have made relief prints from real fish, butterflies and flowers from coffee filters, snowy day paintings, potato prints, and lots more. This is what I pull out when I'm going to babysit for friends!

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This wonderful new book offers parents creative ideas to help their children learn and grow through play--from Playspace at the Boston Children's Museum, the biggest and most popular children's museum in the world. The 100 inexpensive activities include games for boys and girls up to age five. Illustrations National publicity.

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Teaching Kids to Read For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very good book. I am a teacher and a parent and of the many books I have read about teaching children to read this is the one I recommend most to parents. The author includes all the important things to teach a beginning reader and presents it in a way that is easy for any parent to read. She also emphasises that reading should be fun which is especially important in these early years. A good buy.

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You're thinking of teaching a child to read. What a great idea! Now all you need is exactly the right blueprint. This easy-to-follow book is written with two people in mind; you, and the child you're thinking of teaching. Mother and children's reading specialist Tracey Wood gives you all the down-to-earth, honest information you need to give a child a happy, solid start with reading.
Teaching Kids to Read For Dummies is for parents of young children who want to give their kids a head start by teaching them to read before they enter school or to supplement their children's school instruction, as well as teachers and caregivers of young children. Filled with hands-on activities that progress a child from sounds to words to sentences to books, this friendly guide shows you how to:
Prepare a child to read
Sharpen his listening skills
Correct her errors graciously
Choose the right books
Have kids read out loud
Find help if you need it

Whether the child you want to teach is two or twelve; fast paced or steady; an absolute beginner or someone who's begun but could use a little help, this empathetic book shows you how to adapt the simple, fun activities to your child's individual needs. You'll see how to make activities age appropriate, how to add more challenge or support, and how to make gender allowances if that's relevant.
Plus, you'll discover how to:
Lay the foundation for good reading skills
Tell the difference between a reading delay and a reading problem
Help your child build words from letters and sounds, advance to short and long vowel words, and conquer syllables and silent letters
Select entertaining workbooks, recycle them, and make up your own reading activities
Get your child ready for sentences
Keep your child reading — with others or on his own

Complete with lists of word families, phonics rules, and reading resources, Teaching Kids to Read For Dummies will help you make learning fun for your child as he or she develops this critical skill!

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Creative Coping Skills for Children: Emotional Support Through Arts and Crafts Activities Review

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(More customer reviews)This book hits the perfect balance between activities parents can use for their own kids with activities professional counselors and therapists can use with their child clients. One section reminded me The Womans Comfort Book, only for children. "A Pirate's Survival Guide" really impressed me with its ability to provide children living with addiction, poverty and chaos a mental framework in which to better deal with those challenges. My favorite section was the pages and pages of boxed ideas for unstructured time that could be photocopied, cut apart and rolled up/folded to be chosen at random by a child needing something to do. The ideas were so appealing, I felt like getting up and doing them myself as they were exactly the kind of fun I would have loved when I was little, though I wouldn't have thought myself of doing them. There are plenty of ideas to help children w/ anxiety, grief, coping skills, goal setting, and transition times. In short, any parent or chld therapist will find this book to be a resource they can turn to often.

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Everyone has different needs when it comes to coping with life's stressors, and children are no different. Some need quiet and soothing activities to calm them down, whereas others require more physical activity or intense sensory input to relax their minds and bodies. This resource comprises a collection of fun, flexible, tried-and-tested activities and make-it-yourself workbooks for parents and professionals to help a child in need of extra emotional support find the coping skills that fit them best. Each activity lists the materials required and includes clear directions for how to do it. There is something for every child: whether they are dynamic and creative or more cerebral and literal. Projects of this title include making wish fairies, dream catchers, and mandalas; managing unstructured time with activities such as creating comics, dioramas and tongue twisters; and, simple ideas for instant soothing, such as taking deep breaths, blowing bubbles, making silly faces, and playing music. "Creative Coping Skills for Children" also includes specific interventions for anxious or grieving children such as making worry dolls and memory shrines. This book is full of fun, easy, creative project ideas for parents of children aged 3-12, teachers, counselors, play therapists, social workers, and all professionals working with children.

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Summer Bridge Activities: 6th to 7th Grade Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a great way to avoid your child feeling as though they have fallen behind or forgotten everything at the beginning of a new school year. My son has attention deficit disorder, and needed something over the summer to keep his skills and knowledge fresh. Other workbooks we have tried over summer breaks have been too overwhelming for him, but this seems to be a perfect fit. He is actually excited about working on this book over this summer. The only negative thing I would say is in comparison to "Summer Bridge" books for younger children, which to me are organized a little more logically. In those books, the child works through each page sequentially (Day 1 has a couple pages on each of the topics of math, spelling, etc.), while this book has you skip around a little more between each subject area. I really feel my son will be better equipped when the new school year starts, and not have so much catching up to do.

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Help children maintain skills while away from school with this award-winning series and original summer learning program! Daily activities in reading, writing, mathematics, and language arts with bonus activities in science and geography. Also included are full-color flash cards, incentive contract calendars, a certificate of completion, and the Summer Bridge Kids who guide children though their daily exercises.

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Learn Spanish Together: An Activity Kit for Kids and Grown-Ups (Living Language Complete Courses Cassette Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This booklet and tape provide an interesting way to learn some Spanish with your child. The booklet and tape are divided into 16 activities focusing on different sets of words, for example, clothes, colors, verbs, numbers, body parts, foods, and more. The tape describes the 6-12 words to be learned for each activity using a lively English-Spanish banter between two people. My 4 year old loves to listen to a short segment of the tape in the car and then practice the words. The booklet provides activities mostly geared toward older children (6+ years old). As an adult I am also learning Spanish from the tape and booklet.

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What a great way to learn Spanish with your children! Developed by the experts at Living Language, this book and cassette program includes 16 language games that kids, parents, grandparents, and teachers will love. Engaging songs, rhymes, and activities teach basic Spanish words and phrases. No previous knowledge of Spanish is required.EACH KIT INCLUDES: Activity book with 16 games and activities 60-minute cassette with words, phrases, songs, rhymes, and more! 240 play & learn stickers Teacher's Guide with suggested classroom activities 30 Foreign Language Achievement Certificates

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The Big Messy Art Book: But Easy to Clean Up Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is my kids' favorite! Everything is either very LARGE and exciting, or SILLY and exciting, or ADVENTUROUS and exciting, or extremely INTERESTING and exciting. Don't buy this if you want your child to sit in a corner with crayons for the rest of her/his life and never look beyond the expected. This is for the kids that will challenge their imaginations and explore art from a new view, building who they will be as adults.

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Adventurous art beyond your wildest imagination!

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The Book with a Hole Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book for my six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, and expected them to love it. They absolutely do! The author must understand that children enjoy playing with the cardboard box a toy comes in more than the toy itself. This book is clever and so entertaining in a simple way. My children use their imagination to "see" things in the hole in the center of the book, or to complete the picture. They love to stick their faces through the center of the book to become a king or queen, or to use the book as a stage for a finger puppet play. We've only owned the book for a few days and it's already received a lot of use. We will definitely be looking for other titles by this clever author.

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The Book with a Hole blasts a hole through the middle of the book itself. Sometimes the hole is an eye the reader can look through; sometimes it is a mouth and the reader's fingers make the teeth! The next minute it is a plate (with food drawn by the reader on a sheet of paper behind the book), an obstacle to jump across, or a saucepan. It's crazy! It's a Book with a Hole! Packed full of Hervé Tullet's zany drawings and inventive ideas, this is bound to enchant children of all ages.Praise for The Book with a Hole« "Deliciously interactive and profoundly immersive, this book provides rich imaginative play from cover to cover. Most apps have a long way to go before they will be as artful and engaging as this interactive wonder." –Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Tullet's simple innovation allows readers to become active participants in the experience of reading." –Publishers Weekly

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Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat Review

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(More customer reviews)I thoroughly enjoyed this book and now know more about the male anatomy than I ever imagined. I read it with great interest and could not turn the pages fast enough. The book has many interesting points and suggestions regarding the design of bicycle seats. It also explains how to measure your pelvic width to find a seat that helps to avoid pain and numbness and clearly explains why some current seat designs might cause problems while riding. The points make a lot of clear sense and have helped me to make my next saddle purchase.

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Every cyclist is eventually confronted by the desire for a more comfortable bicycle seat that helps avoid sexual problems and other groin-related injuries.The difficulty is telling the facts from the marketing hype when shopping for a new seat. In the first book of its kind, Joshua Cohen details exactly what to look for when selecting a bicycle seat. His cycling experience and extensive research in ergonomic bicycle seat design allows him to clearly explain:- The history of seat design - Common problems that seats cause for cyclists - Human anatomy that cyclists need to know when choosing seats - The facts about the relationship of bicycle seats and erectile dysfunction - How various aspects of seat design impact comfort and health- A new seat design that addresses the key risksWith a background in biomechanics, product design and physical therapy, Joshua Cohen writes from his knowledge of recent bicycle seat research and findings from a new university testing procedure. He recognizes that no seat is perfect for everyone. His objective is to teach each cyclist how to evaluate any seat objectively to decide if it will provide both comfort and safety.The book includes 27 photos, illustrations and tables as well as 35 scientific references. The forward is by Ed Pavelka, former editor of Bicycling magazine, the first cycling publication to explore the potential sexual risks that result from sitting on a bicycle seat.

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Ready for Adolescence: Family Nights Tool Chest Review

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(More customer reviews)Our family loves these activities! What a great way to bring faith based learning activities into our home and to teach our kids about Christian values.

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Twelve family night activities

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Preschooler's Busy Book: 365 Creative Games & Activities To Occupy 3-6 Year Olds Review

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(More customer reviews)I have gotten a lot of use out of the author's book for toddlers, and feared this book might contain too much overlap, but I figured it was worth a few dollars to find out and I was pleasantly surprised. This edition dives into math, reading readiness and more challenging crafts. Kudos to the author, who could have been lazy but wasn't!
The book is nicely organized and the author writes with humor and affection. A chapter of introduction helps you plan, supply and mentally prepare for those long days when you are running out of ideas, and subsequent chapters organized projects into the following sections: Rainy Day Play; Kids in the Kitchen; Outdoor Adventures; Out and About; Reading, Writing, 'Rithmetic and More; Music, Dance and Drama; Arts and Crafts; and Birthdays and Holidays. Most activities are simple to set up, generally using two to four common household items. Appendices list recipes for basic paints, doughs, glues and clay; activities for a Crazy Can (a random drawing setup implementing activities that aren't messy and need little supervision); gifts children can make; best books for young children; and resources. The index lists projects (but not materials, which would be helpful in later editions).
The book subtitle, 365 Creative Games and Activities to Keep Your 3- to 6-Year-Old Busy, says it all. I found quite a few good ideas in this well-organized, friendly guide.

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365 FUN, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES TO STIMULATE YOUR PRESCHOOLER EVERY DAY OF THE YEARThis book contains 365 activities (one for each day of the year) for three- to six-year-olds using things found around the home. It shows parents and day-care providers how to: Save money by making your own paints, playdough, craft clays, glue, paste, and other arts and crafts supplies. Prevent boredom during even the longest stretches of indoor weather with ideas for indoor play, kitchen activities, and arts and crafts projects. Stimulate a child's natural curiosity with fun reading, math, and science activities. Encourage a child's physical, mental, and emotional growth with ideas for music, dance, drama, and outdoor play. Celebrate holidays and other occasions with special projects and activities. Keep children occupied during long trips or cross-town errands.The Preschooler's Busy Book is written with warmth and sprinkled with humor and insight. It should be required reading for anyone raising or teaching preschool-age children.

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The Saved Seat A Story of Hope for Every Fractured Family Review

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(More customer reviews)I was blessed to have the opportunity to review an early preview copy of this book. Having read other books by Bob Steinkamp, and knowing the author personally, I was looking forward to a good read with a good message. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I read the entire book in two sittings - I couldn't put it down! Although I'm certainly not an unbiased reviewer, I would encourage anyone to read this book. You'll cry, you'll laugh, and your heart will be warmed by this beautiful story of redemption and restoration.

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Squish, Sort, Paint, and Build: Over 200 Easy Learning Center Activities Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book for teachers who are using or thinking about using centers. It is divided by center (art, blocks, music, etc.) and each section explains what skills will be learned in that particular center, how to set the centers up and what materials are needed. Each exciting activity is labeled with the approximate age of children who should use the center along with the skills the child will build. Many of the materials needed are objects generally found in the classroom, but are used in ways you probably haven't thought of. This is a fantastic book for preschool teachers!

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A nice big collection of 200 ready-to-use learning center activities.

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The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections Review

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(More customer reviews)I thought this was a sweet book, and a pleasant read. Amanda Soule is a wonderful writer. I was a little disappointed that there were no new ideas presented here though. I felt like I was reading the same Waldorf family book I've read several times before. People say "everything has been done before", but I feel that authors can still incorporate new ideas or put their own twist on things. I did not see this here.
I was also disappointed with the craft projects. Aside from the fact that many were the same projects found all over the internet and in many other craft books, I found that most of them were projects geared towards adults with small touches added by children. I was expecting more projects actually for children, or where children played a much bigger role.
I think this would be a perfect book for someone who is new to Waldorf and Montessori philosophy and was looking for ways to incorporate these philosophies into their family life, or for someone who is looking for a simple, pleasant read paired with beautiful pictures. If you've been involved in simple family living for quite some time and are looking for something new, I would look elsewhere.

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When you learn to awaken your family's creativity, wonderful things will happen: you'll make meaningful connections with your children in large and small ways; your children will more often engage in their own creative discoveries; and your family will embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together. With just the simple tools around you—your imagination, basic art supplies, household objects, and natural materials—you can transform your family life, and have so much more fun!Amanda Soule has charmed many with her tales of creativity and parenting on her blog, SouleMama. Here she shares ideas and projects with the same warm tone and down-to-earth voice. Perfect for all families, the wide range of projects presented here offers ideas for imaginative play, art and crafts, nature explorations, and family celebrations.This book embraces a whole new way of living that will engage your children's imagination, celebrate their achievements, and help you to express love and gratitude for each other as a family.

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Mama's Little Book of Tricks Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a gold mine of info on how to entertain your kids!! My only regret is that I did not find it sooner. The car games are fun and most of the activities just use your brain and some random items that are probably laying around your countertops (if your house looks like mine). I found Mama's Tricks at our school book fair and I love the hip prose and the cute illustrations. I'm a children's portraiture photographer and I'm thinking about giving out some copies to clients as a promotion. The more tricks a Mama's got the more enjoyable the Mama-ing process will be!!! Hey and who wouldn't love meatloaf cupcakes! Fun, nutritious and tricky . . . see p. 38. I also wrote some more about it on my blog [...]

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When the kids are having a meltdown, savvy parents will keep their cool with this fun compendium of silly games, unexpected stunts, and wow-inducing facts designed to entertain little ones aged 27. This book features more than 100 clever ideas for simple and inexpensive activities that are appropriate for restaurants (Impressions with Straws), the supermarket (Go Fish), and long plane rides (Crush a Bottle Without Even Touching It!). Whether they're making raisins dance or whistling with an acorn, kids will beamazed (and distracted) by their Mama . . . thanks to her Little Book of Tricks.

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Challenging Projects for Creative Minds: 20 Self-Directed Enrichment Projects That Develop and Showcase Student Ability for Grades 6 & Up Review

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(More customer reviews)A terrific help as I try to meet the differing needs of my students. Practical projects, well thought out, help me help my students become more self directed.

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Super Granny: Great Stuff to Do with Your Grandkids Review

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(More customer reviews)Sally Olds has given us a real gift here: Interesting things to do with different ages of children-some activities you may have done, some you never dreamed of, and some that will make you marvel at the creativity of some folks. What I liked especially are the breadth of things to do, the clear descriptions, and the $ signs. By the way, anyone, not just grannies, looking for ideas of things to do with kids will love this book. A bonus is the author's ability to relate 'great stuff to do' to particular stages in child development.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even if I do only a few new things with my two grandchildren. But when I invite now ten year old Gabrielle to join me in a political rally some day, I will know I have to thank Sally Olds for that.

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Here's the ultimate resource for today's super grannies, with super-powers to captivate their grandkids! It's got 75 cool and creative projects, all grouped by age from infancy to adolescence (2–18). And there's something for even the most computer-savvy kid, along with more traditional forms of entertainment, including treasure hunts, dress-up, and crafts. Many of the ideas encourage reading and writing-but always with fun in mind, such as creating a blog or a family cookbook. Handy icons help Grandma pinpoint those projects that suit her pocketbook, energy level, and interests; there's even one for long-distance grandmothers seeking to connect with their grandkids. A copious listing at the end suggests informative Web sites to check out.

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