Easy to bring with you workbook for some on-the-go math activities. (ideally those 7-12 years old) The activity book contains a variety of math games ranging from easy to more difficult. Play alone or with a friend. Colorful illustrations. Sturdy backboard and large size make this activity book user friendly.
✏️Don’t forget to take a pencil!
Kane Miller EDC Publishing provided this book to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
“Picture-Perfect STEM is a powerful tool for guiding instruction. You’ll love how effective this book is, and your students will love learning about STEM.”
These are books to help elementary teachers integrate science and literature.
The lessons include fiction and nonfiction book pairs, background reading, materials lists, student pages, and assessments for each lesson. Also includes the connections to science standards and the Common Core State Standards for both English language arts and mathematics.
Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons Grade 3-5 is a large book that starts with a lot of instructional research type material that I didn’t find of any value to me. Following that are the lessons (there are 10-15 depending on the book grade level) that use the 5E model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate). The lessons use featured picture books and additional materials that need to be referenced or purchased elsewhere.
The book is designed to be used within a curriculum. The lessons aren’t sequential and they are adaptable so you can use them to fit your teaching style and student needs very easily. I like that.
Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons Kindergarten, Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons Grade 1, and Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons Grade 3-5 all follow the same format.
Bottom line: I think these books are on the pricey side for what I can gleam from them. The part of the book that actually had the lessons was good. Not for you if you are watching your budget or if you want a stand alone curriculum.
Emily Morgan, author of the Picture-Perfect STEM books, provided a copy of these books to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
A new Bible atlas with 85 full-page color maps with biblical events marked on enhanced satellite imagery, accompanied by geographical and historical commentary.
Hardcover: 148 pages
Available at Bible Places dot com. Purchase includes hardcover atlas and immediate download of all maps in jpg format. Plus 70 free digital aerial photographs. Free shipping in the U.S. Additional supplementary resources come with the purchase of the book. The additional online resources include instructional videos, commentaries, and study questions. Also available on Amazon.
A terrific resource for personal study. The majority of the maps take up a full page and the photography is excellent. The Satellite Bible Atlas is a perfect refernce for visual learners. I enjoyed seeing the locations and routes mentioned in Scripture. Affordable. Great gift idea.
Available to purchase mid October
Bill Schlegel provided a copy of his book, Satellite Bible Atlas, to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
“What every beginner needs to know to get up and playing as soon as possible, plus somewhere to go after that. Learn how to tune your uke and to strum some simple chords from our favorite Chord Families: C, G, F, D and A. Plenty of familiar song examples, as well as referrals to classic songs on You Tube. Once you’ve exhausted all the play-along songbooks and web sites that are available, this book will lead you into the realm of Comprehension. There is fingerpicking (including Travis-picking), Twelve Bar blues, cool chords around the neck, some useful scales and an explanation of the Minor Keys. There’s no need to read music, and there is just enough music theory to help make you a better player, including the demystification of the Circle of Fifths.”
spiral bound, 100 pages
Ukulele From Scratch is a handy resource. The information is presented in a conversational style and in user friendly segments. It isn’t a stand alone curriculum but the material is valuable for beginner players. I love clearly explained music theory!
One downside for me is that the book uses only tablature. I like having tabs with standard music notation and wish the author had put that into this book. I think it helps the learning process to see the musical relationship between the notes that make up the music.
This book and others are available at the Skeptical Guitarist website (and Amazon).
Bruce Emery (see above image ) provided this book to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
“Anatomy and art combine in this incredibly detailed manga drawing guide that offers an in-depth look at the human body.”
Tuttle Publishing
Paperback, 176 pages
over 1,500 illustrations
There are four How to Create Manga drawing books in this series from Tuttle Publishing. Drawing the Human Body, Drawing Clothes and Accessories, Drawing Facial Expressions, and Drawing Action Scenes and Characters.
All the books have lots of illustrations with text offering plenty of tips and helpful suggestions. These drawing guides are suitable for artists ages 6 up. They contain common manga themes so I would venture to say they are appropriate for most people. I however tend to steer away from the super hero content so there is a lot in the books that I do not have any interest in. The books contain only people, there are no animals. A talented 2nd grade artist and myself reviewed these titles. It is our first look at manga so we don’t have a comparison; as a drawing guide it is neatly presented. Drawing the Human Body and Drawing Clothes and Accessories were our favorites and we will be drawing up some cute manga people and scenes.
Tuttle Publishing provided the How To Create Manga books to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
“Whether you are an intermediate player looking for your first guide to understanding the fretboard or a seasoned pro in need of a complete reference to complex harmonies, there’s no more detailed and comprehensive a book than Brad Bordessa’s Ukulele Chord Shapes ebook.”
The method of this book is what I was excited to review!
“Ukulele Chord Shapes presents chords in a different light than other books: as movable shapes. In this way you can reduce mental clutter and make learning chords 12 times more efficient. Each shape in the book shows a highlighted root that easily allows you to move a single chord shape into all twelve keys.”
Understandable and comprehensive, this book would be of value to any ukulele player. I would highly recommend for use as part of a self teaching curriculum. It is available as an ebook or as a print copy. Check out Brad Bordessa’s website, Live Ukulele. ‘Ukulele Chord Shapes is one of three ukulele books he has published.
Brad Bordessa provided an ‘Ukulele Chord Shapes ebook to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
Where Is Our Library? is a companion to Lost in the Library and our second picture book in partnership with the New York Public Library. Curious Patience and steadfast Fortitude wait every morning to greet visitors of the New York Public Library―and slip away every night to read in the Children’s Center. But one day, Patience and Fortitude find the Children’s Center empty! The two lions set out into the city to locate their missing books and encounter some literary landmarks along the way.
For grades 1-2. We (myself and 1st grade reviewer) thought the story started out interesting but that it lost interest in the middle probably because we are not familiar with the NY landmarks they referenced. The story ended with Patience & Fortitude finding their new children’s center but it was a failed adventure for us. The illustrations in the book were good. I can appreciate the history of the New York City Library and it’s lions. And of the New York landmarks that the story mentions.
Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group provided this book to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
When young Anna inherits a dilapidated once-grand hotel from her Great Aunt Mathilde, she’s determined to restore it to its former glory. But this is no ordinary hotel – all of her staff and guests are animals! Anna soon rises to the challenge. Whether it’s a flamingo, a penguin or a hippo knocking at the door, Anna is ready to welcome them all – with the help of her trusty sidekicks T Bear the doorman, Squeak the friendly mouse elevator, and Lemmy the lemur receptionist … As she soon finds out, though, running an animal hotel is no easy task. Can Anna make Hotel Flamingo a success once more?
Paperback, 192 pages, age range 6-9 years
One in a four book series
Hotel Flamingo has lots of illustrations to go with the story. There are several personable characters with a clever plot. The short chapters make it just the right length for young readers. Great for the imagination of kids of all ages.
Kane Miller EDC Publishing provided this book to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
Daniel Ward provided these books to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
Read the traditional nursery rhyme Itsy Bitsy Spider first, then enjoy a fun new rhyme. Can you make up a rhyme of your own?
Paperback, 24 pages, Reading Level: Gr. K-1, Tadpoles Series – “Engaging illustrations highlight simple stories that repeat words and phrases to help build reading skills.”
This easy reader book teaches rhyme. The original version is followed by another version of the same style. Good illustrations. I like this one!
Natural resources on Earth are at risk of running out. Using too many natural resources, such as water, trees, and fossil fuels, is putting pressure on our supplies and damaging the environment. Discover the facts about how resources are used around the world, which resources are renewable and non-renewable, and what the future of natural resource management looks like.
Paperback, 32 pages, Reading Level: Gr. 5, Eco Facts Series – “vividly illustrated guides to the environmental challenges affecting our planet. Each book explores real-life examples of environmental threats, disasters, and solutions. Young readers will discover fascinating facts and statistics and learn some simple ways they can make a difference.”
This book has plenty of illustrations and photos on every page and the text is neatly organized and interesting. It’s helpful that it includes a table of contents, glossary and index. Crabtree Publishing’s website says there is a free downloadable teacher’s guide for this book but I don’t see it listed with the other teacher support materials accessible from their home page.
Crabtree Publishing Company provided these books to help facilitate the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
Notes From Dawn 