Children's Books > by Author Surname (First Letter)

Advantages: Really easy to use with great results
Disadvantages: No obvious ones

This has got to be one of the easiest, most fun and most painless ways to help children to learn to read. My daughters primary school uses these books and all the children can read by the time they reach year 2. I would recommend them to any parent who wants to help their children to read the easy way. I got my from Ebay and was lucky to get a bargain, but to be honest I don't think the full market price is too bad considering the system works, ...
...English has so many odd pronounciations and these books help with them such by giving each sound an action and picture to go with it. e.g to say the sound 't' you imagine you are watching a game of tennis and say 't' as you look from side to side. ... Read review

Advantages: A useful memory tool
Disadvantages: Main concept is repeated through the book

...in dual coloured bands e.g Mind Maps and school stuff (chapter three) is coloured purple and has two shades of purple a dark and a light shade. This makes it very easy to find the chapter you want and reinforces the books message (more about that later). The book begins with a dedication to ‘kids everywhere: to their amazing minds and their boundless creativity.’ A contents page follows showing the five chapters which are as follows: Chapter One: ...
...to do with mind maps Chapter Three: Mind maps and school stuff Chapter Four: How to ace exams Chapter Five: Fun stuff There is final section of writing called Mind Maps Forever and then a useful Resources page and comprehensive index. Impression of text and layout The front cover has a bold title which is made up of Capital Letters which have a different colour for each letter. This has the immediate effect of standing out and getting your ... Read review

Advantages: BSL, nice pictures, bright colours
Disadvantages: Instructions a bit confusing. Book is unwieldy.

This is a bright and attractive book, with appealing drawings of pleasantly multi-cultural children doing the various signs. However, I'm afraid I found it difficult to understand the pictures and therefore to be sure I was doing the signs properly. The pictures show the children with their hands as they are at the beginning of the sign, and have little arrows showing movement and brief description (an example would be: "hands move together and forward"). ...
...would some hints on why that particular sign means that word, given there's usually a reason. A prime example is the sign for "milk", which is actually a movement like milking a cow, but it doesn't explain it in those terms. A bit frustrating! Also, the signs are jumbled up, so you don't get the signs "mum" and "dad" together, for example. Our son quite likes looking at the pictures, but the very large and unwieldy book and the slightly stylised ... Read review

Advantages: Encourages listening and thinking skills
Disadvantages: Might make your brain hurt!

...after reading an article in the Times about keeping children’s brains active throughout the long summer holidays. We often play games and quizzes at family meal times (when I went on holiday I packed in my suitcase… type of game) so I though this book may give us some food for thought, so to speak. A thunk, explains the author Ian Gilbert, is a simple looking question about an everyday thing which makes you stop and reflect and then look at things ...
...question harder, everyday situations. The concept of thunks came from America where Matthew Lipman, a professor of philosophy, realised his students could tell him in detail what the great philosophers thought, but were unable to formulate ideas for themselves. About 10 years ago he developed a course of what became known as Philosophy for Children which was abbreviated to P4C. By questioning why they feel something to be true, or not, students ... Read review

Advantages: Bright, Colourful, Entertaining, Educational
Disadvantages: Having to read it over and over again

If like me you spent your childhood being dragged around the many castles of our great shores by your parents and are now downing the same thing with your children, then this book for you children is a must have. It is another one of Usborne great flap books showing the inner workings of castles. Since my five year old visited Warwick castle at Easter this book has been reread so many times I'm surprised it's not falling apart; which goes to show ...
...entertaining and educational. It is full of entertainng scenes and over 50 revealing flaps which help to show you what really went on all those years ago. This is a hard back book which has 15 hardboard pages which helps towards is overall durability. It takes you from the very first castles made primarily of wood to castles today or whats left of them. During the journey through this book you learn how knights prepare for jousting tournaments, ... Read review