I was amazed when this birthday present for my boys (aged 2 years old) was such a satisfying book to read! They love it and so do I. The words invite a dynamic reading: quiet, loud, fast, slow, while telling the simple story of a visit to the neighboring farm where Wyatt, the children's best friend, lives. The way to Wyatt's house is full of doors sighing shut, leaves crunching underfoot, logs to climb over, beetles scurrying. At Wyatt's house they "jump out of quiet into LOUD!" as the farm animals greet them, each in its own special way.

The book focuses on sounds (my kids call it the "crunch book") while telling the story of a sweet friendship. The poetic text is pleasing to hear but not too hard for young kids to understand. This is the kind of book I imagine will fuel my kids' love of reading.

This charming book, with beautiful illustrations and lyrical text, takes you through a series of animals and where they sleep, ending with "Lucky you! You lay your head on a pillow soft...with someone who loves you to kiss you good night." It is sure to lull your child into sleepiness ready for bed, and you won't get tired of reading it either.

This lively book based on the same-titled hymn follows the adventures of a young boy and his faithful parrot as they explore God's kingdom. Written for kids ages 3-7, the text is lyrical and engrossing and the animals in the illustrations look completely real. The book ends with song lyrics and music.

This is an easy review - the book is simply great! If parents are willing to sit down with their children and read, especially starting before they are two years old, this book will help to spark the imagination of practically any child. The song couldn't make a better subject for a book. The story should help form the foundation for a strong moral and religious background. The illustrations are beautifully done and our twenty-two month old picks out things that we hadn't even noticed. I recommend the book to all parents and encourage them to read it nightly, taking the time to discuss what they see in the pictures. I sincerely hope the author has more projects in the works!

All creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all... This is a great hymn, one of my favorites (especially the arrangement by John Rutter). Reading (singing!) this book to my children has given them an appreciation for the beauty in God's world. The illustrations are the kind that a child is drawn into - the kind they can gaze at and imagine themselves in the scene.
A carefree country girl goes on a ramble as the hymn unfolds. My children (me too!) want to kick off their shoes and share in the child's absorption of the beauty around her.
Great way to children-ize a hymn.

Wait till you see how cute rosie is! My 2 1/2 year old is absolutly in love with the two rosie books. The simple one sentence text makes it easy for her to tell me the story now (we bought the books yesterday). These books are simply charming!

A very cute, sweet, quick read for your child. The illustrations of how Rosie is gentle are very touching. You must have Wild Rosie to go along with this book. They balance each other. My daughter delights in how Rosie can be so gentle and sweet, but also has her naughty moments. A good book to keep in the diaper bag.

"The Rival Queens", is the first work that I have read by Fidelis Morgan whose talents go beyond that of a novelist to being an actress and playwright as well. She also brings to her fiction her writing that documents the true lives of 17th and 18th Century women, and she has also edited the work of others as well. All these accomplishments bring to her writing a great authenticity as she chronicles the mysteries of 18th Century London, the stage, and the players upon it.

It is a fine line between presenting dialogue that is authentic from the 18th Century, and writing so faithfully to every bit of slang then in use so as to make reading a work frustrating to impossible. When I read historical fiction, one of the last burdens I want to have is the constant interruption of language that has become arcane, or footnotes that interrupt the narrative flow. Another failing of some writers is that they take great liberty with the historical figures they place within their fiction. Fidelis Morgan uses Samuel Pepys as a player in her tale, and nothing she portrayed was inconsistent with what I have read of the man.

Her two heroines who are the sleuths are both wonderful, and are a good team while often being the perfect odd couple. This piece has all the drama of hands drenched in blood, blood spouting from public fountains, and bodies that either appear or actually seem to have misplaced some of their parts. The book is fun and entertaining with the author adding enough levity to keep her work from becoming another bloodletting ripper tale. I definitely will be going back to her first work, and I look forward to reading many more.

If you're in the mood for a wildly entertaining historical mystery novel, Fidelis Morgan's latest Countess Ashby de la Zouche/Alpiew adventure should more than satisfy. The book possesses a really interesting and engrossing storyline, colourful characters, and is written with a great deal of wit, elegance, and humour.

While chasing down what they hope will be the latest society scandal involving the only daughter of a rich City alderman, the Countess and Alpiew, (the 'scandal' column reporters for the "London Trumpet"), make the acquittance of Colley Cibber (a playwright and actor currently working at Drury Lane). Always on the lookout for publicity for himself, Cibber invites the Countess and Alpiew to a lecture on the Passions. And because the Countess is (again) trying to evade the bailiffs for nonpayment of the Poor Rate (and because Alpiew is truly interested in attending the lecture) the ladies accept Cribber's invitation with some alacrity. The lecture, however, turns out to be instructional in a manner in that neither the Countess nor Alpiew anticipated as they are treated to a very public and bitter squabble between two of Drury Lane's leading actresses: the even tempered and universally adored Anne Lucas and the fiery tempered Rebecca Montagu.

But it is the morning following the lecture that turns out to be the really momentous one for both the Countess and Alpiew. First, they are greeted with the grim news that Anne Lucas has been murdered. Secondly, the Countess gets arrested by the bailiffs for nonpayment of the Poor Rate. And finally, Rebecca Montagu turns up at the Countess's doorstep, intent on hiring both the Countess and Alpiew to discover who Anne Lucas's murderer is and to protect her from her more ardent fans (the 'phanatiques'). Desperate for the money so that she can spring the Countess, Alpiew accepts the case with some reluctance, for she cannot rid herself of the feeling that Rebecca Montagu is not to be trusted. Soon, with the Countess at her side, the duo begins what could be their most frustrating of cases as the most obvious suspect in Anne Lucas's murder seems to be their client (Rebecca Montagu), who seems to be playing a deep game of her own, and who seems intent on making a may game of them. The more they dig, the more evidence they come up with that seems to imply Rebecca's guilt. What are they to do? And more importantly, what will it say of their reputations as private inquiry agents if they come up with the evidence that will send their own client to jail for murder?

"The Rival Queens" proved to be a rollicking fun read. The action never let up, and the plot unfolded at a brisk and smooth pace that had me fairly devouring the bok until I reached the last page! The storyline was a totally engrossing one, and there were enough cunning plot twists and red herring suspects to keep most mystery buffs happy. Best of all was Fidelis Morgan's prose style, which turned out to be witty, hilarious (I esp liked the bits where the Countess would purposely misremember Cibber's name, and address him by a fishy name instead) and very graceful. I really enjoy mystery novels that allows me to appreciate the history and the culture of the period, and "The Rival Queens" fulfilled this requirement admirably. Here's to future Countess Ashby de la Zouch & Alpiew mystery novels!

Out of expedience, two women on the fringes of society in Restoration England become embroiled in a mystery far more complicated than what it first appears. Lady Anastasia Ashby de la Zouche and her trusted servant Alpiew exist from day to day in that part of London where the demimonde earn their living by taking advantage of opportunity. Just released from debtor's prison, the two women have contracted to uncover shocking stories for a scandal sheet, even if they have to fabricate the details. In the context of researching a story, they are hired by a respectable woman to follow her husband, who the wife suspects of infidelity. Not exactly inconspicuous, the two bumbling sleuths eventually witness the husband's brutal murder, although they cannot get a good look at the perpetrator. When the wife herself is accused of murder for hire, Lady Ashby and Alpiew delve into the dark passages of nighttime London, replete with murderers, thieves and cutpurses, on a mission for truth.

The result is a comedy of errors as the aging Countess Ashby exploits her memorable dalliance with the former King Charles II, now deceased. With the buxom and youthful Alpiew as a partner, the two unlikely detectives uncover more fodder for gossip and accusation than anticipated, from secret experiments to an alchemist's laboratory and suspects in high places. The two women are as engaging as they are foolish and impetuous and render the story with a broad wink at the vagaries of human nature. And, of course, in the nick of time, all is made right and fortunes restored. Snappy dialog and quirky characters make this back alley romp a pleasant experience.

A historical mystery that is a delightful rowdy romp through London in 1699. Not at all the usual 'researched and narrated to the nth degree' slow moving dull historical mystery one finds so often. Countess de la Zouche, bawdy ex-mistress of Charles II, keeps out of debtor's prison by selling naughty gossip tidbits with the aid of her former maid, Alpiew. Their adventures include murder, scandal/mystery involving alchemy, numerous backstreet characters and nobility. Witty and satirical, this book is definitely a fun read.

Countess Ashby and Alpiew are an unlikely team. Alpiew is a former employee of the Countess'. Ashby thinks she ran away with her husband, but in reality, Alpiew was just another of the items he stole when he took off for the New World. They meet again in debtor's prison, each vying for a job with a scandal sheet. They end up combining talents and sharing the salary. In the course of their business, they are asked by a Mrs. Wilson to follow her husband. She suspects that he is cheating on her. They lose track of him the first night and witness his murder on the second. The come to discover that he is also an alchemist who will do anything to get the money to continue his research. But how far did he go, and what has he done?

At times the language of another era is somewhat difficult to follow, but usually all is explained soon after. The characters of the aged former royal favourites and their servants are very entertaining, as are the characters themselves. The mystery can be difficult to solve, but all the clues are there if you only look. I am definitely going to read more of this series.

I used the textbook written by the same author in class, which was one of the most dense, example-less books I've ever read. The prep book is slightly better, explaining things clearly and briefly, but sometimes it does lack in depth. It should review more of the basics, even if they are elementary, such as how to write functions, or the order of accessing multiple functions. It was annoying to have to go online in the middle of a practice test to get the Marine Bio Case Study questions. But what really bothered me was that there were no EXPLANATIONS for the practice test multiple choice questions, only a list of one-line hints for about 10 out of 40 questions. I really can't learn from mistakes if they don't explain why the answers are right/wrong.

Let me start off by saying that I got a 5 on the APCS AB exam in 2001 and we used Litvin's C++ for You++ as well as this review book. It gives good practice part II questions (The radix sort question was almost exactly like the AP question), but the multiple choice questions are too long and more difficult than the actual AP questions. They also didn't match up in quantity - there were more Big-O questions on the AP and fewer in the book, while there were more stack and queue questions in the book and fewer on the AP. The explanations for the sample questions scattered throughout the chapter are good, but the typical student would have been unable to draw the conclusion reached by Litvin by only reading the text before the question. Much better than C++ for You++ as a textbook, but as a review book it fails to prepare a student for the Multiple Choice section of the test.

I took the APCS AB Exam and got a 5. My teacher did NOT know any of AB material. After using this incredible book by the Litvins, in addition to the Barron's Teukolsky review book, I was incredibly prepared. Highlights of this book: the Big-O notation of common algorithms and practice tests. I recommend using the Barron's Teukolsky book to learn the material (if you don't already know it) first, then use this to review the material, using the Barron's Teukolsky book's practice exams, and then using this book's practice exams. The practice tests in this book were HARDER THAN THE AP EXAM for me.

I give my highest recommendation for this outstanding review book.

This had many solid points and I like the fact that it has many example of the constructivist theory in use which makes this book more practical for some one who doesn't want to worry about getting to deep into the theory. The only problem with this book is that the theory that is presented is flawed. They completely down play the role of traditional education and present their theory as the opposite to traditional education. This goes against John Dewey's basic theory and makes the fallacy of selective emphasis. This is a great book if you want to practical experience from schools that this method has been used at but if you want theory, you are better off going to the source, John Dewey.

Constructivism has a myriad of definitions, or so it seems in education today. In this book, the general principals of constructivist leadership are defined and "fleshed out" through the contributing authors. Excellent book for administrators that are trying to find theory based rationale for site based management in school. A book that should be kept on your office bookshelf because you will refer to it often. The listing and comparisons of past educational methods is nicely done and easy to reference.

This book essentially examines the dynamics of a learning community within the theoretical framework of constructivism. While the book is dense in theory, it's clear prose and liberal inclusion of examples and stories make it an accessible and meaningful read. The book's title may be misleading in that an educational leader, in the constructivist sense, is any educator who seeks school improvement through open, democratic processes. In this sense, the book would seem useful to any organizational development specialist who craves a broader theoretical understanding of the nature of OD, and insight into how groups of educators can build learning communities committed to improving the lives of their stakeholders. The book is complex in its scope and depth, but nonetheless answers a fairly simple question: How does constructivism help us see what humane and effective schools should look like? Lambert and her colleagues weave a fairly cohesive and inspiring narrative of social change within the educational context.

According to the writers, constructivism is a theory of learning derived from the fields of philosophy, psychology, and science. Constructivism in simplest terms posits that learning is the process of reforming what we know, believe and value based on the connections between new and already held knowledge, values and beliefs. In other words, people are in a constant state of learning in order to secure or enhance their existence. In the school context, Lambert defines 'Constructivist Leadership' as 'the reciprocal processes that enable participants in an educational community to construct meanings that lead toward a common purpose about schooling.' (p.29) These reciprocal processes entail building trust through social and professional relationships, identifying and reconstructing commonly held assumptions and beliefs, building new shared knowledge, and altering individual and group behaviors to create new ways of doing school. In this way, Lambert and her colleagues argue, we begin to see leadership, community, and schools themselves not as roles or physical entities, but as social processes, which require constant tending and development. In a biological sense, individuals are in a constant state of constructing their understanding of the world. In an ecological sense, interdependent groups of individuals must co-construct their understandings in order to create a desired reality. In this way, Lambert's constructivist view of learning and leadership is in close company with Senge's view of the learning organization, which strives to move from status quo to a shared ideal of something better.

Theoretically, constructivism owes much Lee Vygotsky's work on the relationship between language and learning. Not surprisingly then, this book's core chapters all deal with the role of communication in constructivist leadership. In 'Leading the Conversations', Lambert argues that conversations 'are the visible manifestation of constructivist leadership' (p.83). On page 86, she provides a useful 'Typology of Conversations' model, which shows that four conversation types (dialogic, inquiring, sustaining, and partnering) contribute to, among other things, collaborative sense-making, remembrance and reflection, sharing and building ideas, and respectful listening. In 'The Linguistics of Leadership', Diane Zimmerman deconstructs the processes of paraphrasing, inquiring, and articulating ideas, and argues that when used in balance they help groups uncover 'the unspeakable', make sense of assumptions and beliefs, and find new patterns and paths to improvement. In 'The Role of Narrative and Dialogue in Constructivist Leadership', Joanne Cooper argues that 'stories provide a vision and a desired direction for adults working in schools'' (p.122) Narratives bring to life 'tacit knowledge' and in so doing imbue groups with connectivity, and common purpose and vision. In these chapters, we see strong practical and theoretical themes that are consistent with the change work of Fullan, Senge's work on learning, and the organization work of Schmuck and others.

Constructivism, as an epistemological theory, has a long and broad history in this century. I found this book refreshing for making clear connections between a theory of knowledge and the practices and perspectives relevant to organization development and learning communities.

I think this book would be fun for young children. It tells the story of "a day in the life" of Rosie, a baby mouse, while she sings and dances, plays with her younger brother and makes a mess of her food. Children can recognize themselves in the things Rosie does, like splashing in the bathtub or refusing to nap. This is a cute, fun book.

In contrast to her book called Gentle Rosie, Mary Morgan has written a book for toddlers that lets the "wild" side out. Her story allows little ones to understand that some days might be boisterous and crazy and that's OK. The illustrations are adorable!

Very sweet, simple book about what Daddies do with their children. My 1 year old can relate to all the activities and vocabulary. She loves reading about someone she loves. There seem to be so many more books about Mommies, so I was glad to come accross this one in our library.