We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States

Amazon.com

Sooner or later, just about every American kid is required to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. And until now, it was one of the more boring, meaningless assignments. But artist and political cartoonist David Catrow (Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon) has changed all that with his witty, clear-as-a-Liberty-Bell picture book. For him, the Constitution is "a kind of how-to book, showing us ways to have happiness, safety, and comfort." With laugh-out-loud cartoony illustrations, and the actual words of the Preamble as the only text, Catrow depicts a camping trip taken by a diverse, bumbling group of friends, demonstrating the rights and responsibilities the Constitution places on all Americans, young and old. In one especially winning picture, the kids' long-nosed, long-eared pooch provides "for the common defense," keeping lackadaisical guard over the camp as the three human friends yuk it up in silhouette inside the tent. Readers will never yawn at mention of the Constitution again! (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

A long time ago some smart guys wrote the Preamble to the Constitution. You have probably read it before, but do you know what it means? And did it ever make you laugh? Now it will! Perfect for inspiring discussion in classrooms and around kitchen tables, this fun-filled and cheerfully illustrated look at the Preamble provides an accessible introduction to America's founding ideals for citizens of all ages.
Includes a glossary of terms and a foreword by the artist.

Customer Reviews:

Nice!.......2006-01-05

I haven't read this book in a long time, but I plan on picking it up on my next visit to the library!
I love the illustrations, so funny! The kids on the cover, too!
If you like this book, I suggest The Kennedy White House, 1961-1963!

FREEDOM RULES OR RULES FOR FREEDOM.......2005-09-17

As a librarian, I recommend this book for everyone from 5 to 105. All right, this is actually a picture book that depicts some wonderful insights into our freedom and basic tenets of this great nation from a child's viewpoint. The hilarious illustrations by David Catrow will delight readers of all ages and will be fun for those who are not even studying the Constitution. For those students who are studying the Constitution, this book would be a great visual aid to memorizing the Preamble. I have not met a teenager who didn't enjoy a quick read in a great children's picture book. Teachers: Why not reduce your stressed out students and let them begin their studies with this light-hearted look into some very serious words? Buy a couple of copies and circulate them through the class. Everyone will love them. For the younger reader, ESL or special ed student there is one page explaining the basic meaning of these words and another page and a half explaining why anyone bothered to write the Constitution of the United States. It's ALL GREAT!

Super discussion starter!.......2003-05-18

This fun book helped me to reach my fifth grade class in a way their social studies text never would have! Catrow finds a way to take the elegant (and sometimes difficult to translate into kid-talk) language of the Preamble and not only make it simeple to understand, but really helps put the kids right in there.

He makes it clear that this is a document for all Americans, not only including kids, but maybe especially for kids.

His buddy 'Bubbs', is pictured throughout so even the less than interested can be drawn in by finding the dog...

So glad I found this!

Disappointed.......2003-04-03

My husband who is off fighting for the Constitution sent this book to our daughter. If he had not sent it, I would want a refund. My daughter and I sat down to read the book together. She thought the drawings did not match the words and thought the author still did not like the Preamble. (HE makes mention in the begining that he was forced to think about the Constitution). There was no inspiration from this book and she hasn't picked it up again. The pictures are not exciting to children and only vaguely connect to the words. She loves the Freedom Rock version of the Preamble and and really enjoys Lynn Chaney's "America A Patriotic Primer", so I understand why he made the purchase, however it is not inspiring or uplifting or interesting.

What It All Means............2002-08-07

As David Catrow tells us in his introduction, "...For me, the Constitution is a kind of how-to book, showing us ways to have happiness, safety, and comfort...", and he uses his immeasurable talents as an artist and cartoonist to teach an inspirational and unforgettable lesson that is sure to open interesting discussions at home and school. Following a glossary of what the actual words in the Preamble of the Constitution mean, (e.g. "IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION: To come together and make things better for everyone who lives in our country. INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY: To make sure we can all have a nice life and get along with one another. TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY: For kids, parents, other grown-ups, and all the people born in our country after we are."), Mr Catrow details the meaning of these important ideals, phrase by phrase, using his marvelously bold and busy cartoon illustrations. Each two page spread is a clever feast for the eyes, rich in engaging details, manic energy, and droll humor. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, We The Kids is a witty and memorable treasure, and one of the real winners of 2002 that shouldn't be missed.

The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts (My Body Science)

Average customer rating:

Farts demystified
Funny
The story of my gas
Worst Book Ever Printed
I Really Like The Theory Represented In This Book, BUT..........

The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts (My Body Science)
Shinta Cho
Manufacturer: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1929132158

Customer Reviews:

Farts demystified.......2007-09-29

Apart from being a fun tutorial for a toddler, this is a great bathroom
read! It demystifies and destigmatizes the very natural fact that: We
pass gas! It offers an engaging explanation of why and how, and how
much gas we pass, and why it smells the way it does. This book will
leave you, your toddler, and your bathroom guests smiling and
smarter about something we just don't talk about much.

Funny.......2007-02-08

This is a great book for kids and adults too. It is funny and really makes it easy to talk about body functions. I gave this to my sister at her baby shower. It was a hit!

The story of my gas.......2006-11-09

This cleverly written book caused me to think for days about such things as farts and burps....I asked my son on the subject and he just attacked me and ran away...anywho i thought that the author picked a good topic to write about and it really helped me learn what the noise was that comes out of my behind actually is

Worst Book Ever Printed.......2006-11-09

I just got this book for my 4 year old daughter yesterday. The illustrations look as though a child has done them (the cover does not accurately represent the rest of the drawings inside). The story itself does not feel informative or coherant. The one part of the book that disturbed me so bad was an adult man and a little boy in what looks like a tub and the illustrator actually put a small penis on the little boy-it is talking about how farts make bubbles in this scene. The idea of this book had the potential of being funny and informative, as it is written now with it's crude drawings and less than fantastic story line, I do not recommend this book to anyone and it is the only book (children/adult or otherwise) that I have read that should be completely destroyed so no one else has to be subjected to its idiocies.

I Really Like The Theory Represented In This Book, BUT.................2006-03-28

No pun intended, BUT I have a problem with the word fart.
As I teacher, we were told that was a word not to be used. I said Bort............. The book explains this subject well and when I found it at the bookstore today, everyone around me had a laugh. However, we all agreed that we'd have trouble reading it to our children and as I teacher, I would. I bought it for a gag gift for my older son.
I thought it was cleverly written about a bodily function that happens to the best of us. As a matter of fact, it happened to me in the store today!!!! LOL

Average customer rating:

The wrong message
Read this book
Life As We Knew It
Well....
Great look at that thoughts of a young person in criss

Life As We Knew It
Susan Beth Pfeffer
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152058265

Amazon.com

It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

Veteran author Susan Beth Pfeffer, who penned the young adult classic The Year Without Michael over twenty years ago, makes a stunning comeback with this haunting book that documents one adolescent's journey from self-absorbed child to selfless young woman. Teen readers won't soon forget this intimate story of survival and its subtle message about the treasuring the things that matter most—-family, friendship, and hope.--Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

Customer Reviews:

The wrong message.......2007-09-27

What should you do if a sudden natural disaster - an asteroid hitting the moon - causes tsunamis to drown both coasts, destroying our electrical and communications grid, and provoking new volcanic eruptions that obscure the sun? Should you band together with others to distribute available food and fuel to the needy and find alternative ways to grow food? Not in this book, at least. Here the heroine mom thinks to clean out the food stores before anyone else realizes the extent of the disaster. She retreats to her home with her wood stove and denies food from her well-stocked pantry to anyone other than her immediate family. While she thinks the country's president, who has been evacuated from the flooded Washington D.C. to his "Texas ranch" (wink, wink), is an "evil jerk," she hunkers down in her home waiting to be bailed out by the government that he heads; failing that, she will starve, or die of disease. If this happens to you, make sure to be entirely selfish while you're waiting for government handouts (while simultaneously despising the hand that feeds you). What sort of message is this for teens, or anyone else?

Read this book.......2007-08-25

I am an adult who sometimes reads good young adult fiction. But only when it is outstanding do I reread the same book. I have read this book twice even though I only have had it since June.

Parts of this reminded me of Anne Frank's diary. The last section reminded me of what Anne would have written had she been able to keep writing in her diary until later on. But the ending of "Life as We Knew It" is a more hopeful one.

It is the story of an ordinary family and how they showed extraordinary courage.

It is a story about growing from self centeredness to maturity, from girl to young woman, and a story of becoming strong and how being compassionate is a way of being strong: perhaps the best way.

The story had a reality to it: I could almost believe that it was truly happening.

Then I thought about how there may be families in various parts of the world who are struggling for survival: due to war, or drought, or disasters, and realized: that it IS happening. And that we need to show kindness and reach out to each other.

And like other readers, yes I went to the supermarket and stocked up on canned food. (:

I look forward to the sequel, "The Dead & the Gone", and hope that it continues the story beyond the time frame of "Life as We Knew It" because there are some questions:
Was the flow of food temporary, and are people still going to starve?
Will normal life really return in May, as the President promised?
If the volcanoes were continuing, how can there be any hope for life on earth: won't people still not be able to grow food, or are they using the Texas oil reserves to grow food in greenhouses? Are there areas, such as near the equator,but inland, where the normal climate is hot enough that agriculture can continue? I hope though that this sequel will have different things to say than "Life as we Knew It", or else there will be no point in HAVING a sequel: there are so many series, such as "The Shadow Children" series by Haddix, where the first book was great, yet then she stretched it out to more and more books that did not have the same power or freshness.

In "Life as We Knew It", the author has built a world that I CARED about and wanted to hear more about.

If you are interested in what if books about the future, or even just in books about courage and survival, read this.

Life As We Knew It.......2007-08-15

I am so glad that I read this book. It was a real eye opener, about what life could really be like. It makes me realize how many things I have... the option to go to school, to walk down to the store and buy a Snickers bar, and even being able to leave my house and get some fresh air. Not to mention the internet and TV and the radio... all good things that I can't really imagine living without. But this book lets me see what a sad life it would be without these simple luxuries.

I cried almost nonstop towards the end- although some of it might have been PMS. Still, this book was fantastic. I probably wouldn't read it again, but it was definitely something I'd recommend to others.

Well...........2007-08-14

What do you say about reading possibly one of the most depressing books of all time? I was very intrigued to read this, but at so many points it was very hard to turn the pages. Of course, I was amazed at what Miranda and her family proved themselves to be capable of, following what could have possibly been "the end" -- of everything. There is a point in the story where Miranda (bear in mind she is like 16) is completely on her own, forced to do everything in her power -- including forgoing sleep and food -- to keep her family alive through the night (and for several days afterward). As you read, you begin to rejoice in the small miracles that occur, such as their very heartwarming Christmas celebration, a long awaited phone call or letter, the treat of eating a "real" dinner, or the return of their beloved cat, Horton. I think that it is very true that people surprise themselves with how they find ways to adapt and triumph over adversity -- and in this case, worldwide catastrophe.

Great look at that thoughts of a young person in criss.......2007-08-08

Life As We Knew It I believe was intended to be a book for young readers. However, the point of view of a girl keeping a diary to record her thoughts, hopes and fears has great meaning for all of us. This book I think should be required reading for students and adults alike. The way the author keeps you hooked by keeping the reader guessing on what will happen next is very rewarding. Instead of keeping the reader updated with what is going on in the rest of the world like in most disaster (end of the world) books the author keeps you focused emotional on one family and their stuggle to stay alive.
The ending is open but gives us hope that everything might just turn out ok.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Classic Board Books)

Average customer rating:

Fantastic book for new readers
A Classic!
Love it more than my son
A big hit with my 2 year old!!
Good for a 14 month old

We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Classic Board Books)
Michael Rosen
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0689815816

Amazon.com

"We're going on a bear hunt. / We're going to catch a big one. / What a beautiful day! / We're not scared." So begins Michael Rosen's award-winning read-aloud romp We're Going on a Bear Hunt. In this lovely boxed gift edition illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, a small paperback version of the book is packaged with the softest, most fabulous little brown bear we've ever seen. Reenacting "Splash splosh! Splash splosh! Splash splosh!" across the river is much more fun with an actual bear on hand. (Ages 4 and older)

Book Description

Now the very youngest readers can join in the fun with this Classic Board Book™ edition of We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Full of delightful comedy and high drama, this tale of a brave family's joyous romp through sweeping landscapes is sure to win new fans.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic book for new readers.......2007-09-24

Absolutely wonderful book! I guess it's based on a song (that I have not heard), which explains the lyrical flow of the story. Regardless, it is such a fun book to read out loud. The first time I read it to my three boys (2, 4, 5), they begged me to read it again, and again. The next morning, my oldest hopped into bed with me and said, "Mommy I can read this book." Then he "read" the story to me - actually he had memorized the chants. But he was so excited about being able to "read," that it prompted him to jump into his schooling and really focus on learning to read!! This has become a favorite at our house, and we read it at least twice a week. All three of my boys take turns "reading" it too :)

A Classic!.......2007-08-29

A classic book for even the youngest children. Babies will enjoy the many sounds ("swish, swish", etc.) the reader has to make in reading this book. Older children enjoy the anticipation of finding the bear.

Love it more than my son.......2007-08-24

This was an instant hit with my 4 year old...well...a...I kinda had more fun than him the first time. He loves it, this is just plain fun to read. A Must Must Must have for your kids library.

A big hit with my 2 year old!!.......2007-07-18

Just for a little background info on me, I have a BA in English as well as psychology. I worked as a children's library assistant for my first four years out of college. I'm also a mommy to a precious 2 year old daughter, Claire. Claire loves her books, and she adores this one, and has learned to chant diffrent parts of this book with me. It's one that both of us really enjoy!

Good for a 14 month old.......2007-04-28

My 14 month old loves this book. She helps read it by appropriately inserting the "uh oh"s and "oh, no!"s. It's definately also a book she will appreciate more and more as she grows older.

Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children

Average customer rating:

a book about improving school lunch policies
Many good features to Choose From
Must read for any parent
Inspirational
Lunch Lessons will open your eyes...

Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children
Ann Cooper , and Lisa Holmes
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060783699
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

Remember how simple school lunches used to be? You'd have something from every major food group, run around the playground for a while, and you looked and felt fine. But today it's not so simple. Schools are actually feeding the American crisis of childhood obesity and malnutrition. Most cafeterias serve a veritable buffet of processed, fried, and sugary foods, and although many schools have attempted to improve, they are still not measuring up: 78 percent of the school lunch programs in America do not meet the USDA's nutritional guidelines.

Chef Ann Cooper has emerged as one of the nation's most influential and most respected advocates for changing how our kids eat. In fact, she is something of a renegade lunch lady, minus the hairnet and scooper of mashed potatoes. Ann has worked to transform cafeterias into culinary classrooms. In Lunch Lessons, she and Lisa Holmes spell out how parents and school employees can help instill healthy habits in children.

They explain the basics of good childhood nutrition and suggest dozens of tasty, home-tested recipes for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. The pages are also packed with recommendations on how to eliminate potential hazards from the home, bring gardening and composting into daily life, and how to support businesses that provide local, organic food.

Yet learning about nutrition and changing the way you run your home will not cure the plague of obesity and poor health for this generation of children. Only parental activism can spark widespread change. With inspirational examples and analysis, Lunch Lessons is more than just a recipe book—it gives readers the tools to transform the way children everywhere interact with food.

Customer Reviews:

a book about improving school lunch policies.......2007-05-16

The photograph on the cover of this book is a bit misleading. The topic of "Lunch Lessons" has a lot more to do with improving American school hot lunch programs than it is about packing healthy brown bag lunches for your own child. It does include a list of recipes at the back of the book. Many sound great, like the "Three Cheese-Vegetable Strata" and the "High Protein Squares" (a homemade replacement for power bars). They also look very time-consuming. Although I haven't tried any of the recipes, it seems to me that making your own pizza dough for the "Pizza Wheels" might take a bit longer than anyone wants to spend making lunch. Actually, I think the recipes are really in here to inspire the people who make hot lunches in school cafeterias.

Like other reviewers I am interested improving school nutrition policies. I head a health committee at my daughter's school dedicated to improving nutrition and fitness for the students and their families. As such this book should be a perfect fit. Unfortunately for me, my daughter attends a private school and almost all of the information in this book, including the reference list in the back, is only helpful if your child attends a public school. (I've actually found more useful information on government web sites than I have in this book!) That doesn't mean it's been completly useless. There are a few great tidbits to be found here and there. I found the recommendation about "laptop lunches" really great. I don't think I would have found out about the company and their fabulous lunch boxes had it not been for this book. (The cover photograph shows a "laptop" lunchbox.)

In the end I think I would recommend this book to anyone interested in taking on the enormous problem of unhealthy school lunches in public schools. If you're looking for new ideas for your child's lunchbox there are probobly better books out there. If like me you're trying to improve the health policies at a private school there probably won't be many ideas in "Lunch Lessons" that you can use exactly as described.

Many good features to Choose From.......2007-01-06

I read this book because I am involved with several committees dealing with healthy eating and fitness issues for school children in our area, and because I'm very interested in this topic. "Lunch Lessons" proved to be very informative and provided lots of ideas on changes that parents, teachers and policy makers can be making with their own children and/or with programs at school. It gave a nice overview on the history of the School Lunch program and how it has changed over the years. There are interesting summaries of innovative programs that are going on in different parts of the country, helpful resource guides and a policy guide. And it has some GREAT recipes that I intend to try at home and possibly use in some cooking demonstrations I will help organize for children. Because I am a registered dietitian, I did take issue with some of the information, especially in the chapter on Basic Childhood Nutrition, such as the absorption of calcium from plant sources, the quality of research on relating food dyes and additives to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and whether we should be changing recommendations on feedint infants under 1 year of age. Other parts of the chapter were, however, well done. Also, I do not feel all readers will "buy in" to the ideas for organic foods, switching to local food vendors, composting, etc. But pulling out any of the ideas on promoting a greater variety of minimally-processed foods, well prepared, in moderate portions, and eaten at a leisurely pace will benefit many. The distressing rise of obesity and health problems among our youth mandates change; and these experienced authors offer good ideas for action.

Must read for any parent.......2006-11-15

Lunch Lessons begins by stating everything that is wrong with the American diet. It clearly explains what children should be eating and explains why children need to stay away from additives, high fructose corn syrup, fast food, trans fat, etc. Did you know that children born in 2000 and after who are following the current trend of the fast food, prepared food nation, are facing a shorter life span than their parents? I didn't but it makes since with obesity and diabetes on the rise in the young.

There is a chapter devoted to outlining the caloric needs of a growing child, which food groups are actually necessary for correct development and a helpful chart explaining portion sizes and the number of servings to eat per day based upon the childs age. The book is filled with tools to help anyone learn to change their eating habits and lifestyle (because it is a huge lifestyle change) and I'd bet even those without children would find it a very useful reference and jumping off point for dietary change.

The middle section of the book is about several school systems who bravely changed the menu by eliminating pre-packaged processed food and brought in whole foods from local farmers. The stories, especially the comments from the children, are inspiring and hopeful. What surprised me the most were the positive social experience these children enjoyed while tending to a garden and preparing their healthy meals.

The recipe section is filled with lunch options I've never before considered. I tend to get stuck in a rut with whole grain bread, natural PB&J, turkey cold-cuts, turkey hot dogs, etc. I'm not sure if my kids will go for some of the more radical options like couscous (especially my meat loving son) but I'm going to give it a shot. I never thought of packing home baked mac & cheese or chicken pot pie but those are two faves I'm betting will get them more excited about lunch.

This is a book that will remain in personal collection and one I'm betting I'm going to be picking up on a weekly basis as I prepare my meals.

Inspirational.......2006-11-10

For any parents and education or health professionals who are working to improve the health of our nation's children, this book is a must-read. In addition to a wealth of valuable information about strategies to improve school lunch programs (and what's in the lunchbox!), the book also reminds us why we must continue our efforts to make schools healthy havens for our kids. I do think that what they outline reflects a high ideal that may not be attainable, but hey, why not shoot for the stars?

Lunch Lessons will open your eyes..........2006-09-08

I commend Ann Cooper and Lisa Holmes on their approach to raising awareness to our Nation's archaic method of feeding children. Ann Cooper does not only preach about the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) needing major reform, she is out there in the trenches taking action. This book brings attention to benchmark school systems and provides ideas to help foster change. This is a great read for parents who want to know what is going on in the changing landscape for School Nutrition; Extremely beneficial for school food service providers in hopes to get them on the "bus" to reform; A must read for School Administrators that hold the "purse strings" which dictate our childrens diets; and for anyone else that is concerned with the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and lack of "real food" that is promoted to children.

Chet Thompson,
Certified Chef de Cuisine
Culinary Concept Developer

Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do (Understanding Children's Worlds)

Average customer rating:

Good data but needs more specific examples
This book is the foundation of modern bullying prevention!

Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do (Understanding Children's Worlds)
Dan Olweus
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0631192417

Book Description

Bullying at School is the definitive book on bully/victim problems in school and on effective ways of counteracting and preventing such problems. On the basis of the author's large-scale studies and other research, it is known that bullying is a serious problem in all societies that have been studied so far, and that more than 15 percent of the school population in primary and secondary/junior high schools are involved, either as bullies or victims. The facts about bullying, its causes and consequences, are presented in clear and straightforward language. The book is a milestone in the study of bullying at school in that it offers a scientifically evaluated intervention program. The results of this extensive research are remarkable:- a reduction of bully/victim problems by 50 percent or more- a considerable drop in antisocial behavior such as vandalism, theft, drunkenness, and truancy- clear improvements in the "social climate" of the classroom and student satisfaction with school life.The book gives practical advice to school principals, teachers, and parents on how to implement a "whole school approach to bullying," and contains a valuable guide to help teachers and parents recognize if a child is being victimized or bullies others. Bullying at School is essential reading for all who are involved with children and young people.

Customer Reviews:

Good data but needs more specific examples.......2002-01-30

I was elected to my local board of education and we recently received a credible complaint from a parent that harassment of her son was being overlooked by school administrators. Accordingly, I felt obliged to read up on the issue of bullying. This book sets forth both the problem and the recommended solutions. Prof. Olweus is Norwegian and his studies primarily involve Scandinavian schools. Accordingly, questions came to my mind such as "Is Norway a more homogenious society than the United States? If so, are there any differences in both the problem and the solutions in a more ethnically heterogeneous society?" I don't know the answers but, the reader should keep these issues in mind when reading this book.

Prof. Olweus describes the problem and he sets forth well organized solutions to the problem which require involvement of teachers, administrators and parents, and further require communication with all students, even those who are neither bullies nor victims. The one problem I have with the book is that there are very few case histories and specific examples given. The book proposes solutions but does not provide a case history in which the specific solution was successfully applied to the problem at hand. Reliable data and sound recommendations are important but a few specific examples of how these recommendations worked would be helpful. For example, Olweus recommends that parents of a bully apply sanctions if the bullying behavior does not improve. He states, "The consequence should be associated with some degree of discomfort or unpleasantness, but corporal punishment must not be used." OK, fine; but what are specific examples of "discomfor or unpleasantness?" Where are the case histories giving examples? Without these, the book does not provide as fulfilling reading as it otherwise might. This book is well worth reading and I recommend it with the reservations expressed above.

This book is the foundation of modern bullying prevention!.......1999-11-08

This clear, brief, and practical book is based on extensive research and outlines an intervention to prevent bullying. Dr. Olweus's work has become the standard approach to bullying prevention, reflected in such programs as the University of Colorado "Blueprints for Violence Prevention" project ... As a counselor and trainer specializing in bullying prevention, I find this book indispensable, and recommend it highly.

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know?

Average customer rating:

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know?
Helpful Data
Not parent or teacher friendly - even if you're a gifted parent & teacher
Leading research on socio-emotional development of gifted
Must-read for every gifted parent, teacher, & professional!

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know?

Manufacturer: Prufrock Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 1882664779

Book Description

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know? offers an examination of the essential topics teachers, parents, and researchers need to know about the social and emotional development of gifted children.

Instigated by a task force convened by the National Association for Gifted Children and written by leading scholars in the field of gifted education, the book includes chapters on peer pressure and social acceptance, resilience, delinquency, and underachievement. The book also summarizes several decades worth of research on special populations, including minority, learning-disabled, and gay and lesbian gifted students.

Concise, comprehensive, meticulously researched, and wide-ranging in its coverage, The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know? is essential reading for those who wish to enable gifted students to develop their strengths and to position them to make the contributions of which they are capable.

For additional guidance on this special topic refer to On the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Children.

Educational Resource

Customer Reviews:

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know?.......2007-08-09

It's a good book, but rather dry in its presentation. However, being primarily a bringing together and summarizing of published research in this topic, it is an invaluable reference for anyone wanting to really know what are the substantiated findings with respect to gifted children's social and emotional development. I bought it to better understand my daughter, and I am glad I did. But if someone is looking for straightforward parenting tips in dealing with these kids, then some other book may be more to the point. Overall, for me, it is an excellent book with some useful info not commonly found elsewhere.

Helpful Data.......2007-07-23

This book contains a wealth of information about numerous studies done on various facets of gifted education. For those who are data driven (and that certainly is the world we are living in these days) they will find a glut of statistics - many usable and even more of them quotable - to back up theories about what is effective for gifted students. For those trying to come up to speed on gifted education, this offers a crash course in the available research, but as with most books of this nature, it's pretty dry.

Not parent or teacher friendly - even if you're a gifted parent & teacher.......2007-01-26

I was hoping for a research based plain-speaking guide to helping my own highly gifted son. What I found in this book was a dense theory/research based textbook. As a fairly gifted adult and a high school English teacher, I was able to wade through the verbage, but it was no pleasant task. If you're looking for a textbook, this one is fine, but if you want some real-world advice, keep looking.

Leading research on socio-emotional development of gifted.......2003-10-18

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children. What Do We Know? Edited by Maureen Niehart, Sally M. Reis, Nancy M. Robinson, Sidney M. Moon, A Publication of the National Association of Gifted Children, Washington, D.C.: Prufrock Press, Inc., 2002
This publication of the National Association for Gifted Children compiles 24 chapters written by leading researchers of the social-emotional development of gifted children. Chapters explore subjects including perfectionism, underachievement, depression, delinquency, risk and resilience, peer pressure and social acceptance among gifted students. It also addresses specific populations within the community of gifted youth. Categories include the special concerns of girls, of boys, students with learning disabilities or AD/HD, the creatively gifted, and gifted children who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Chapters review and present research relevant to each topic. Authors carefully distinguish fact from fiction regarding the social-emotional and psychological characteristics of gifted children. They stress, for example, that there is little research to suggest that gifted students are psychologically or emotionally vulnerable because of their gifts. However, gifted students may be at risk because of the frequent disparity between their cognitive abilities and their educational program. This book is a comprehensive resource, appropriate for both parents and educators.

Must-read for every gifted parent, teacher, & professional!.......2002-12-21

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children assembles terrific team of well-respected professionals in gifted, and compiles a great set of essays on the social and emotional aspects of growing up gifted in today's world, complete with the research references to back up thier facts. Authors including Neihart, Rogers, Gross, Silverman, Reis, Robinson, and more... the contributors read like a who's who of gifted education today.

Everyone who works with, plays with, and parents gifted children should read this book. Topics include acceleration, the exceptionally gifted, Dabrowski's overexcitabilties, perfectionism, underacheivment, depression (does it really occur more, or less, in the gifted population?). Special populations are not overlooked, including female, male, gay, lesbian and bi-sexual, african-american, gifted / learning disabled and gifted / ADHD students. The book concludes with topics of parenting, counseling, and career counseling for gifted students.

With all the research-based information, the Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children is still readable and enjoyable. And it's FULL of research-proven techniques and strategies for dealing with the social and emotional aspects of growing up as a gifted child.

Customer Reviews:

The Constitution.......2004-12-17

The book Shh!We're Writing y the Constitution by Jean Fritz.They all had to meet and they all showed up at different times. Benjamen Franklin was carried by some prisoners. This is a good book and you will learn alot from it. Theme is a good story element for this story because you learn alot about life. If you like books about the constitution than you will like this book.

The story of the Constitution Convention for young readers.......2004-11-18

The point of Jean Fritz's "Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" is that contrary to popular opinion, America had to be dragged kicking and screaming into becoming a new nation. While it is true that Americans were happy to be independent of Great Britain, the colonies that were now states had become used to being sovereign and many of them wanted to keep it that way. Illustrated by Tomie de Paola,, this engaging juvenile history tells how fifty-five delegates gathered in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to attempt to draw up a plan for the future of the United States. The result was the writing of the Constitution, despite the fact that initially no one agreed to either what should be in it or even if a constitution should be drawn up in the first place.

Fritz makes it clear that there were Founding Fathers, such as Patrick Henry who refused to attend the convention, who did not want a strong federal government, as well as those like Alexander Hamilton who dismissed the current confederation as "nothing but a monster with thirteen heads." The "Shh!" in the title has to do with the agreement of the delegates to keep the proceedings a secret. One of the great things about this book is that young students who already know about George Washington and Benjamin Franklin will learn about other Founding Fathers who were important in framing the Constitution, such as Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, William Paterson of New Jersey, Luther Martin of Maryland, and Edmund Randolph of Virginia. Again, not all of these men would sign their names to the finished document, but they were important during the debate. They will also learn why James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution," and how Hamilton and another stronger Federalist, John Jay, played important roles, along with Madison, is getting the public to support the Constitution.

In telling the story of how the Constitution came to be written Fritz focuses on why certain points were adopted. So students will not only get to hear about the shouting matches and emotional outbursts, but also the political divisions and complex issues of the convention from which emerged the basis of the American government. Even at the end of the story students will be surprised to learn that the vote to adopt the Constitution was closer in Massachusetts (187 to 168) and Virginia (89-79) than it was in South Carolina (149-73) and that North Carolina voted against ratification and Rhode Island did not even bother to hold a convention (i.e., political divisions were just as strong back then as they are today). In addition to reprinting the Constitution of the United States based on the engrossed parchment sent by the Federal Convention to Congress on September 18, 1787, the back of the book also has four pages of informative notes on details from the Annapolis Convention, the debates over how the president should be addressed and how slaves should be counted, and what became the "Federalist Papers."

"Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" is an informative book that is well presented by Fritz, who served on the National Education Advisory Committeee to the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, which is a pretty good credential. This is one in a series of interesting biographies of the American Revoluiton such as "And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?", "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?", and "Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?" There is little question that the title of Fritz's books fit a definite pattern.

Good Author Bad Book.......2004-05-28

I dont hate the author and her books are good but this one SUCK!!! This book is a review of the 5th grade test study history with the boring Social studies book this book is much more boring. If you like this author DONT BUY THIS BOOK buy other books she made like Paul Revere but Dont buy this Boooooorrrrriiiinnngggg book!!!!

Are you a nervous reck over the constitution?? I was!.......2001-12-14

Hi! I am a twelve year old girl from California and i was verry nervous about the constitutioin test.This book helped me a lot on the test. I was so woried and nervous, but once i read this book, along with If You Were There When They Wrote THe Constitution,I knew i had studied to my full capability! I was so overloaded with information i didn't even need for the test! But all of that studying paid off because ,with the help from this book, I got***********100%*********************! My family was so proud of me. well i didn't just write this review to brag i wrote it to tell you that this book was a great investement for me! also if you are anything like me you will still think you need to study more so you should also buy if you were there when they wrote the constitition.Good Luck!

It has great illustrations........1998-12-10

It is important for a book about a Constitution to be very good. It has good illustrations and it has a lot of interesting and cool facts. It is a good book overall.

We're Different, We're the Same (Pictureback(R))

Average customer rating:

Great Book for All Kids
Excellent!
Great teaching tool.
Cute book
Kids enjoy it

We're Different, We're the Same (Pictureback(R))
Bobbi Kates
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679832270
Release Date: 1992-10-13

Book Description

Illustrated in full color. The colorful characters from Sesame Street teach

young children about racial harmony. Muppets, monsters, and humans compare

noses, hair, and skin and realize how different we all are. But as they look

further, they also discover how much we are alike.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for All Kids.......2007-09-27

This is a wonderful book for all kids. I read it with the children in my life and have them point out which one is their nose, eyes, mouth, skin, etc. and point out that we are all different and the same and isn't it great?!

Excellent!.......2007-04-28

This book is absolutely great for young children. It stresses the importance of how even though we are all different, we are all basically the same. It teaches children to accept everyone no matter how they look, what race they are, etc. This should be on the bookshelf of every child. It is also great for those with multi-racial families.

Great teaching tool........2007-04-01

This book is so sweet and my 3 year old loves it. I love the fact that it teaches that deep down we are the same but at the same time being different is a good thing. How boring would our world be if we were all the same?

Cute book.......2007-02-17

It didn't really hold my son's attention. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because a lot of the characters weren't recognizable as Sesame Street characters. Otherwise it does a good job of showing the similarities in all humans (we all have noses that do the same thing, etc.) I only gave it four stars because my son wasn't interested after 2 or 3 reads.

Kids enjoy it.......2006-03-10

My children ages 2 and 3 enjoy this book. They like picking out the pictures they think look like them. The interesting thing is that skin color is not the criteria they use. We are in the process of adopting a child of another race and I bought this book to begin discussion about it. They love the book and the pictures keep them interested.

All the Colors We Are/Todos los Colores de Nuestra Piel: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color

Average customer rating:

Profoundly simple and important.
Simple, honest explanations
Very helpful
It's OKAY...
Terrific book for use in the classroom

All the Colors We Are/Todos los Colores de Nuestra Piel: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color
Katie Kissinger
Manufacturer: Redleaf Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0934140804

Book Description

Magnificent color photographs and simple, engaging language capture the essence of one way we are special and different from one another-our skin color! Answers the "what and why" questions that children love to ask. Includes unique activity ideas.

Customer Reviews:

Profoundly simple and important. .......2007-05-20

Our culture does not know how to talk about race. This book is an amazing way to help children, not to mention adults, talk about race in simple and scientific terms. This book helps adults move through their own fears and talk about race in the matter-of-fact way children experience the world.

Simple, honest explanations.......2006-08-31

My 3-year old began asking lots of questions about the different people we know and their skin color. I looked everywhere for a simple, informative book. He loved the photos and the explanations that the color you are comes from 1) your family 2) the sun and 3)melanin. At the end the books asks where you think your ancestors came from (for instance somewhere very sunny). Any my son immediately replied: "Somewhere dark!" Indeed, he's right and now he understands why we come in different colors and sees this as interesting and wonderful. I read many other books on the subject but most are a celebration of racial differences which is great but did not help address a natural curiousity as to why. I highly recommend this book for those with young children asking questions about why people have different skin colors.

Very helpful.......2004-01-29

We live in a very small town and my 3 year old daughter goes to an in-home babysitter with only three other children, she is also the oldest child there. After routine T.V. time and Christmas shopping at the mall this past holiday season, my daughter began to ask questions. In early January, we bought a new car and the business manager that we did all of the paperwork with had a darker complexion, my daughter asked "mom, what color is he?". This embarrassed my husband and the next day I ordered "all the colors we are". My daughter likes the book because of all the pictures of real kids. She also has begun to point at different skin colors in the book and say "this one is pretty" and similar comments. She doesn't understand the melanin section yet but overall she likes the book and asks us to read it to her over and over.

It's OKAY..........2003-05-02

I personally like the book, but reading this to my kids was a drag. They wouldn't pay attention. They didn't care. And they said it was boring. The pictures are REAL pictures, and not illustrations.

My kids are 6 and 4 years old. Maybe in 2 or 3 years they'll appreciate it. I don't know.

Terrific book for use in the classroom.......2000-11-27

This is a great book for use in the classroom. It allows students to gain a better understanding of the differences among us and that these differences are not always black or white. This book is a good book to use in a literature focused unit on Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.

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