The Journey of Adulthood, Fifth Edition
Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
  • I'd give it zero stars if I could
  • HORRABLE
  • Increasing understanding of Aging
The Journey of Adulthood, Fifth Edition
Helen L. Bee , and Barbara R. Bjorklund
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130970417

Book Description

This best-selling book discusses the aspects of “successful aging,” covering growth and development from young adulthood to old age, and the impact that culture, gender, and individual differences have on these processes. Its conversational and positive tone keeps readers interested in the subject matter, as it encourages them to apply the concepts of the book to their own lives. It presents research findings, theories, and models from the fields of developmental psychology, social psychology, health psychology, sociology, and others to discuss topics of prevention, compensation, gains, and losses. For psychologists, sociologists, and gerontologists interested in a valuable resource for information about the aging process.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars I'd give it zero stars if I could.......2005-10-22

I understand that the typical Psychology Book is not exactly a riveting novel, but good god, this was way too much. I have never been more annoyed with a text book- I would never voluntarily have read this garbage! She would have had a much shorter book if we weren't forcefed her life story at every possible chance she could insert it in. This woman is very full of herself...very full. There were a lot of typos, a lot of redundent sentences, and a lot of crap we didn't need! I hope for the rest of the psychology students of the world that this author reads these reviews and vows never to write another text book again. If I ever have a class that requires another text book by her, I will drop without hesitation! And change majors the next morning!

1 out of 5 stars HORRABLE.......2004-04-15

In my 4 years as an undergraduate i have never read such a poorly written book. She has more typo's then I have including multiple references to the NEO-PR (NEO-PI-R). She incorrectly summarizes groundbreaking research (i.e. Ceci, Rosenblum, & Debruyn, 1999). Her feminist agenda flows freely all over this book along with usless stories about her self that dont add to the text. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS BOOK FOR YOUR CLASS. You and your students will regret it.

4 out of 5 stars Increasing understanding of Aging.......2002-04-16

Hellen Bee is able to carry one through the years of adulthood through many avenues. Using scientific studies she interprets the data in meaningful ways. Inclusion of personal accounts and her conversational style make the reading interesting. The book continually ties previous ideas to new concepts giving a nice continuity. I especially enjoyed her occasional insertions of the not-so-scientific spiritual aspects of the adult experience, which I was not expecting in a textbook. My ideas of what it means to grow old were challenged and changed during the reading of this book. Some myths of adulthood are adeptly smashed making the thought of aging not such a frightful one. The only criticism I would include is that occasionally the point being made was not clear to me and a few conclusions seem to have contradictory statements in following chapters. That may be expected in the field of psychology, however.
Making the Grade: Everything Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Appears to be a good book, but there are many errors in it.
  • Making the Grade is a Good Resource and Practice Tool
  • Good supplement
  • Finally, a workbook that won't bore a kid!
  • Great for Parents
Making the Grade: Everything Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know
Kathleen Ermitage
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764124811

Book Description

This brand-new and important workbook gives parents easy-to-apply methods for educating their fifth-grade children, whether as home schoolers with parents taking full control of their child's studies, or as parents cooperating with their child's teachers in standard classroom settings. The book gives parents guiding principles for teaching reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Pages are perforated for multipurpose use, which can include independent learning by children or shared learning when kids and parents work together. Four curriculum sections are designed to guide teaching parents: Promoting literacy—reading, writing, listening, and speaking . . . Math—number patterns, problem solving, and other math-related concepts . . . Science—life, earth, and physical sciences . . . and Social Studies—history, geography, economics, and culture. Each section outlines subject matter for children to learn, preceded by planning and implementation strategies for parents. Parents get advice on ways to enhance the child's learning experience. They include Teaching Tips, or ways to explain difficult concepts to children, and ways to assess a child's success in grasping the given material. There is also advice on integrating the Arts, with suggestions for interactive learning in music and art; and activities and Games to promote hands-on learning experiences that relate to specific subject content. In each subject section a special feature titled In Your Community describes ways to explore the community where the family lives, taking advantage of local cultural affairs, business activities, environmental concerns, and government functions. Though the book is written primarily for parents, fifth-grade classroom teachers looking for new ideas and methods will also find inspiration. This book is one of three titles that introduce teaching methods and offer practical curriculum guides for different grade levels: grades three, five, and six. Additional titles for other K-6 grades are currently in preparation. All books feature maps, photos, and illustrations, many in color.

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Appears to be a good book, but there are many errors in it........2006-12-05

This book for the most part seems to be a good teaching tool, however there are errors in the math assessment given at the end of the lessons. There are two problems given that they have solved incorrectly. Also, the answer key is not very useful as several of the answers given are incorrect. One problem in the test asks for the perimeter of a rectangle, however the answer key gives the answer for the area of the rectangle. It takes up too much time to have to verify which answers are correct in the book and which are incorrect. It makes me question the quality of the content of the rest of the book.

5 out of 5 stars Making the Grade is a Good Resource and Practice Tool.......2005-10-12

Making the grade is an excellent resource. There are practice pages to help my child better understand the subject(s) she is learning in school. The book has been a great resource for me to turn to when helping her with her homework.

4 out of 5 stars Good supplement.......2005-09-16

This was a good supplement to an already swamped homeschooling mom. The lessons are broken down into finer components and very well meshed together to teach the whole of the subject at hand.

I enjoy the structure of all these books in this series. This one touches on subjects perhaps I wasn't aware of that children this age should know or subjects that I needed refreshing up on.

There are many ideas and spring board activities that can be made from this book. It is a definite recommendation for homeschoolers or parents (even teachers!) that need to give their children a boost in confidence, knowledge and studies.

5 out of 5 stars Finally, a workbook that won't bore a kid!.......2004-07-22

I bought this book for my little brother who was having some difficulty in school. The summer break would put him even more behind so in search of an activity book, a fell upon this one, and I have to say it's one of the more intresting work books out there. It's not about ripping out a sheet and hoping they get the answers right. With this book, I've learned how to help my brother learn the new and old concepts a little better. Writing, reading, math...science, it's all in there! He was actually having fun. And let's face it. If they're not having fun, they're not going to learn. I recommend this book to anyone whose looking for a new approach to teaching their own kids. (God, I sound like an infomercial.)

5 out of 5 stars Great for Parents.......2004-05-18

Most summer review and complete curriculum books I have looked at are full of worksheets for the student. This is the first book I have seen that explains the lesson to be taught to the parent, then gives a worksheet or activity for the child and parent to do together. This is great for any parent who needs to teach or reinforce concepts they may not be extremely familiar with themselves. The book covers math, reading, writing, social studies and science at the child's grade level. I look forward to working through this book during the summer with my child.
Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades, Fifth Edition
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent Resource For Study For Praxis II
  • Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool through
Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades, Fifth Edition
Jo Ann Brewer
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0205398618

Book Description

B> This book explains how to integrate developmentally appropriate practices into a curriculum and offers practical tips for working in the early childhood classroom. Developmentally appropriate practice continues to form the backbone for this revision of a leading introductory text on early childhood education. All aspects of helping young children ages 3-8 are covered in this comprehensive book that stresses the "best practices" put forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Voices from practicing early childhood caregivers, improved coverage on diversity, and parent involvement techniques are all included in this new edition. In addition, new technologies are incorporated, emphasizing how the Internet can be used to better understand the development of and the issues concerning young children, while also enhancing one's teaching. For early childhood educators, Nursery School and Kindergarten Teachers.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource For Study For Praxis II.......2004-05-10

I used this book to study for my Praxis II in early childhood education. It covers every aspect that you need to know in regard to the basic and founding principles and people.

I love the way the cite primary resources when talking about Zone of Proximal Development, Maturationist, and Constructivist Models.

I passed my Praxis II on the first try with flying colors.

4 out of 5 stars Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool through.......2000-09-08

This is the first semester I have used this book. It is a fairly comprehensive book for introducing early childhood preservice teachers to EC curriculum. It covers every area of the curriculum with emphasis on the constructivist perspective. Two areas that I find lacking are the index in the book itself and the teacher's supplement. The index is not comprehensive at all, and the suggested test questions in the supplement are often ambiguous and many times not covered in the book.
The Fifth Child
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Finely observed, but finally unsatisfying
  • Disturbing, Thought-Provoking and a Pleasure to Read
  • Well written but absurd
  • A harrowing novel
  • A Chilling Tale of Dreams Gone Awry
The Fifth Child
Doris Lessing
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679721827
Release Date: 1989-05-14

Amazon.com

The married couple in this novel pull off a remarkable achievement: They purchase a three-story house with oodles of bedrooms, and, on a middle-class income, in the '70s, fill it to the brim with happy children and visiting relatives. Their holiday gatherings are sumptuous celebrations of life and togetherness. And then the fifth child arrives. He's just a child--he's not supernatural. But is he really human? This is an elegantly written tale that the New York Times called "a horror story of maternity and the nightmare of social collapse . . . a moral fable of the genre that includes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and George Orwell's 1984."

Book Description

A self-satisfied couple intent on raising a happy family is shocked by the birth of an abnormal and brutal fifth child.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Finely observed, but finally unsatisfying.......2007-08-06

The power of a plot depends on the power of a
certain collaboration between author and reader.
The author creates characters and we identify
more or less with them. If the identification
(or empathy) is strong, then what happens to them
happens in some smaller, reflective way to us.

Of course, there are exceptions. There's hardly a
character in Nabakov that you would let in the
front door, much less identify with. And there's
the whole world of delicious bad guys-the Hannibal
Lecters and Darth Vaders-who beguile us with a
fascination that we might even be ashamed of.

But it seems to me that a good story hinges on
the fleshy reality of the characters. Think Shakespeare
at one end of the spectrum or Ian Fleming and
Patrick O'Brian at the other.
If this is true, it may explain why this acutely
observed novel is so easy to put down and so
eminently forgettable. What a pity. Here's
a sample-Harriet is the female protag, the
'she' in question is her mother-in-law.

"She spoke in a way that was new to her, as if
listening to what she said and afraid of what
she might say. Harriet recognized it, for this was
how she felt saying anything at all. So do people
speak whose thoughts are running along secretly in
channels they would rather other people did not
know about."

Beautiful! We recognize the reedy insubstantial
Harriet immediately and just as quickly lose
interest in her. There is a large family cast
of characters, many of them finely drawn with
just a few words and all of them forgettable.
The same could be said of the social observations.
I believe that reading The Fifth Child attuned my
ear more closely to British social life. Alas,
the reading didn't make me care.

It doesn't help that the plot is a bit of a
throwaway, more of a homage to horror plotting
than an actual execution of it. That one might
mine the plot for themes for one's book group
doesn't really help.

In the end, I was left wondering what novels
are really for-or perhaps how it is that they
work on us when they work and what happens
when an admirable one doesn't work at all.



Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANG

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601640005
I was left wondering what novels are for.

5 out of 5 stars Disturbing, Thought-Provoking and a Pleasure to Read.......2007-02-03

In college I read one of Doris Lessing's short stories and remember it as being "good." I don't know if it was just that particular piece that warranted only a "good" rating or whether I was woefully mistaken in my perception of her talents but FIFTH CHILD is stellar. It's a short book - always a plus if done correctly - and this one is. The characters are developed but not overly so. There are still some mysteries/unknowns. Is Ben really all that bad of a child? I think so but Lessing leaves it to the reader to decide. After some of the books I've read in recent months, this was a breath of fresh air and a reminder that there really are talented writers out there for whom writing is a craft and who are still able to tell a good story.

3 out of 5 stars Well written but absurd.......2006-02-14

I too saw Doris Lessing interviewed by Bill Moyers and was so impressed with her intellect that I read the Fifth Child. She is truly a great writer indeed. Perhaps the Fifth Child is dated but I found some of the events a bit ridiculous. A family sits around the dining room table and decides to commit a child without ever having him tested or hospitalized? Most of us know the process of having a child committed and it is not decided the morning after a family breakfast. When Ben is finally institutionalized, it is the worst snake pit that could ever be described in literature. Are there no laws in England about how institutions are to be regulated? I never knew one could just go pick their loved up from an institution without a formal discharge! This was unbelievable. After Harriet decides she cannot handle Ben, she hires a street gang to watch over him! Call DCFS please! Harriet's meeting with the psychiatrist was the most stereotypical encounter with a doctor I read in a long time. The doctor desperately needs a class in bedside manner ethics. The absurd events go on and on like this. Overall, the book was over the top and just too incredulous to ever accept as possible in anyway.

5 out of 5 stars A harrowing novel.......2006-02-09

Harriet and David met at an office end-of-the-year party. David Lovatt was a successful architect and they decided to marry the following spring. Soon they found a large Victorian house within commuting distance of London.
Their first son Luke was born in 1966. Then followed Helen, Jane and Paul in 1973.
Then Harriet was pregnant for the fifth time. But it was a difficult pregnancy, the foetus kicking and punching, but eventually their fifth child, Ben, was born. At four months, he already looked like an "angry, hostile little troll".
Later on, he became so aggressive and repulsive that Harriet and David had to protect themselves and other members of their family from his kicks and bites. Finally David decided to take him to an "institution". But soon Harriet could not tolerate the situation and on her own accord drove to the North of England to bring Ben back home. What she found there constitutes the most harrowing scene of the novel and is no doubt Mrs Lessing's sharp critique of the way such institutions used to treat mentally retarded children. Then follows Harriet's desperate attempts to re-educate Ben for social life, to the disgust of the other members of the family.
A moving and very disturbing novel in which Mrs Lessing brilliantly shows that a mother can love and devote herself to a child even if it is no more than a monster or an alien.

5 out of 5 stars A Chilling Tale of Dreams Gone Awry.......2005-11-23

The Fifth Child is a delightfully haunting little piece of literature that questions the nature of the family/family values on several levels. Though Doris Lessing often takes the tone of a children's story, the vocabulary and themes of The Fifth Child make it an experience intended for adults.

Harriet and David, with old-fashioned style and old-fashioned (and naïve) dreams, set out to buy a large Victorian home and fill it with happy children. They accomplish this a little sooner than planned, as Harriet keeps becoming pregnant before recovering from the last childbirth. Then the fifth child comes along, which--Harriet eventually assumes--must be from a race of the past, a vehement little beast with abnormal strength. It then becomes a story of how baby Ben affects the family and Harriet's sanity. Harriet's internal struggles are endless, as she must somehow distribute her attention to all her children while controlling Ben, decide whether or not to send him to an institution, and deal with consequences of her supposedly moral choices. Her regular doctor and a new doctor both make her feel that Ben is "completely normal" and that she is the one with the problem, while Harriet insists that she's done everything she can to nurture and love him. Who is right?

The book presents an irony (I won't reveal too much) that deals with the attempt to save someone, only to have that person turn into a destructor; so as a result, you preserve one life but ruin many. Lessing tells the story with charm and force, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
Ben, In the World: The Sequel to the Fifth Child
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not a Disappointment, But Instead a Gift to Readers
  • A rather disappointing sequel to "The Fifth Child"
  • Ben, In the World: A Story Like No Other
  • Who is Ben?
  • Not a Fulfilling Sequel
Ben, In the World: The Sequel to the Fifth Child
Doris Lessing
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060934654
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Amazon.com

In a 1957 short story, "The Eye of God in Paradise," Doris Lessing brought to life a disturbed and disturbing child, a "desperate, wild, suffering little creature" who bit anyone who approached him. This child haunted not only the story's protagonist but the author. She first revived him in a powerful 1988 novel, The Fifth Child, pondering this strange offspring of an otherwise idyllic middle-class family. Who, or what, was Ben? Beast, goblin, throwback, alien, or a "normal healthy fine baby"? Lessing wrestled with these questions without ever quite managing to answer them.

She takes them up again, however, in Ben, in the World. Now 18, but looking 35, Ben is estranged from his family, forced to find his way in a basically hostile world. His yeti-like appearance invariably evokes fear or amusement. And his other habits (including an appetite for raw meat) hardly allow him to blend into the crowd:

He would catch and eat little animals, or a bird.... Or he stood by the cow with his arm around her neck, nuzzling his face into her; and the warmth that came into him from her, and the hot sweet blasts of her breath on his arms and legs when she turned her head to sniff at him meant the safety of kindness. Or he stood leaning on a fence post staring up at the night sky, and on clear nights he sang a little grunting song to the stars, or he danced around, lifting his feet and stamping.
After three fictional encounters, Lessing knows Ben well. She constantly intervenes to direct the reader's response to him, to the people who surround him, and to his (sometimes unlikely) experiences in Europe and South America. His misery and alienation remain the focus of the novel. Yet they are offset by the odd individuals who offer Ben their friendship--and finally, by his wayward quest to find people like himself. --Vicky Lebeau

Book Description

At eighteen, Ben is in the world, but not of it. He is too large, too awkward, too inhumanly made. Now estranged from his family, he must find his own path in life. From London and the south of France to Brazil and the mountains of the Andes. Ben is tossed about in a tumultuous search for his people, a reason for his being. How the world receives him, and, he fares in it will horrify and captivate until the novel's dramatic finale.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Not a Disappointment, But Instead a Gift to Readers.......2006-08-09

It's true that Ben, In the World is not half the book that The Fifth Child is. But it's not really meant to be. It's aspirations are smaller, and (ironically, given the character) more individual, more singularly human.

Since I first read The Fifth Child, I've often wondered what would happen next, when that strange little boy became a man and went out into the world. This book delivers, and in so doing, it makes you feel for Ben in much the same way you originally felt for his mother.

It's a gift to readers who loved The Fifth Child to offer this strange and wonderful book, and it's evidence, too, of Doris Lessing's remarkable range.

3 out of 5 stars A rather disappointing sequel to "The Fifth Child".......2006-02-10

Ben is now eighteen. Broad face, delineated features, a perpetual stupid grin on his face. Most people compare him to a kind of misshapen dog. He roams the streets of London with gangs of miscreants. Later he is taken by Matthew Grindly to a cider farm to pick apples but one of the workers snatches away the envelope containing his pay. A couple, Johnston and Rita, use Ben to carry cocaine to Nice where they abandon him. Then a film maker, Alex Beyle, spots Ben and takes him to Brazil where he vaguely plans to use him in a film about a prehistoric tribe.
The novel unfortunately lacks the intensity one can find in "The Fifth Child". Although one can feel some measure of pity for Ben being dragged around and exploited by various people, the story is not as powerful and gripping as it was in the first novel.

3 out of 5 stars Ben, In the World: A Story Like No Other.......2006-01-10

Doris Lessing proves her literary genius in her novel, Ben, In the World. The author manages to draw her reader into the story of the miserable, friendless main character, Ben Lovatt. His story is memorable and relatable. Likewise, the chain of themes and literary devices Ms. Lessing moves the novel in such a profound and intelligible way.
Ben is a "different" character from the average protagonist in a novel. Many of his traits resemble Grendel in the John Gardner novel of the same name. He is tall, and questionable in looks. Other characters do not believe he is completely human or completely an animal. The New York Times Book Review says, `"He is more poignant than Frankenstein's monster just because he has hope"' ("Critical Praise") Ben Lovatt is a character like no other; Doris Lessing's depiction of the main character of this story is exceptional.
Ben, In the World is a novel everyone should read. Doris Lessing is an amazing storyteller. She captures her reader in well-expressed, interesting stories. She helps the reader to empathize with the outcasts of society. Ben, In the World is a classic in its own right.

3 out of 5 stars Who is Ben?.......2005-05-31

An intense read, that convinces you the undercurrent of the Fifth Child's malevolence is about to break the surface, which it does not. I originally thought that Ben was autistic and not a genetic throwback, in this case the transitional form (if there was one) from Neanderthal to Cro-Magnum. The book suggests more than it delivers. But the moral/ethical drama of what road Harriet, Ben's mother, should have taken, hangs over her, the broken family, and read, like an executioner's ax.

3 out of 5 stars Not a Fulfilling Sequel.......2004-06-17

The Fifth Child is one of my top five favorite books. Ben, In The World does not reach my top twenty. Although not a horrible book, I was really disappointed with Lessing's lack of focus on Ben. I found Teresa to be the most interesting character in the novel, especially her back-story. I was reminded of the film Run Lola Run because Lessing tried to give us so much story in such small snapshots and then ended them with "their story had a good (or bad) ending." It all seemed just too convenient, Ben's luck making him simply go through the motions in the novel; none of plot resulted from choices he made, rather other characters propelled the story except for the final anti-climactic (and only) choice Ben makes. I wish I had stopped with The Fifth Child and let Ben haunt my curiosity instead of trying to fulfill it with this book.
Contemporary Maternal Newborn Nursing Care Clinical Handbook, Fifth Edition
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A must have
Contemporary Maternal Newborn Nursing Care Clinical Handbook, Fifth Edition
Patricia Weiland Ladewig , Marcia L. London , Sally B. Olds , and Patricia Wieland Ladewig
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  3. Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing
  4. Study Guide to Accompany Whaley & Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing Study Guide to Accompany Whaley & Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing

ASIN: 0130325120

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A must have.......2004-06-11

If you have the text book to match then you will want this handbook! It was very useful to study with as well as use in clinicals. It is set up like the text book but also has sections on medications as well as procedures. Very useful to have the medical Spanish in the back as well as common sign language hand signals. Worth the cost!
Summer Smarts: Activities and Skills to Prepare Your Child for Fifth Grade (Summer Smarts)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Summer Smarts : Activities and Skills to Prepare Students fo
Summer Smarts: Activities and Skills to Prepare Your Child for Fifth Grade (Summer Smarts)
Jeanne Crane Castafero , and Janet Van Roden
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  4. Summer Smarts: Activities and Skills to Prepare Your Child for First Grade (Summer Smarts) Summer Smarts: Activities and Skills to Prepare Your Child for First Grade (Summer Smarts)
  5. Scholastic Success With Math Workbook Grade 5 (Grades 5) Scholastic Success With Math Workbook Grade 5 (Grades 5)

Accessories:
  1. Health o Meter  HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
  2. Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0395984920

Book Description

The Summer Smarts series provides a substantive and fun bridge that covers all appropriate subjects between grades during the summer, when a child most needs a refresher. Children anticipate going back to school and facing the unknown expectations of a more difficult grade, and these activity books are designed to offer them the opportunity to increase their learning self-confidence. Summer Smarts is the only series to include a unique integration of material, combining elementary school subjects such as phonics, spelling, math and, geography into one friendly workbook.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Summer Smarts : Activities and Skills to Prepare Students fo.......2000-08-10

This book provided a blend of fun & education which helped prepare for 1st grade.
Fifth Born: A Novel
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • fifth and fabulous
  • A Must Read!
  • jFifth Born
  • fifith born
  • Fifth Born
Fifth Born: A Novel
Zelda Lockhart
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743412656

Book Description

When Odessa Blackburn is three years old, she sees her grandmother for the last time, and so begins her story as the fifth born of eight children in a troubled family. Molested by her father, Odessa is also the sole witness to a murder he commits. Her mother guards both secrets and joins her husband in ostracizing their fifth born from the rest of her siblings.

As Odessa grows, so do her troubles. She ultimately separates herself from her parents and siblings into a new reality that prompts memory and revelation. Her choices for survival provoke an outcome that will forever alter the carefully maintained lies of her childhood.

Zelda Lockhart's Fifth Born is lyrically written, poignant and powerful in its exploration of how secrets can tear families apart and unravel people's lives. Set in rural Mississippi and St. Louis, Missouri, Fifth Born is a story of loss and redemption, as Odessa walks away from those who she believes to be her kin to discover the meaning of family.

Download Description

When Odessa Blackburn is three years old, she sees her grandmother for the last time, and so begins her story as the fifth born of eight children in a troubled family. Molested by her father, Odessa is also the sole witness to a murder he commits. Her mother guards both secrets and joins her husband in ostracizing their fifth born from the rest of her siblings. As Odessa grows, so do her troubles. She ultimately separates herself from her parents and siblings into a new reality that prompts memory and revelation. Her choices for survival provoke an outcome that will forever alter the carefully maintained lies of her childhood. Zelda Lockhart's Fifth Born is lyrically written, poignant and powerful in its exploration of how secrets can tear families apart and unravel people's lives. Set in rural Mississippi and St. Louis, Missouri, Fifth Born is a story of loss and redemption, as Odessa walks away from those who she believes to be her kin to discover the meaning of family.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars fifth and fabulous.......2007-06-27

"Fifth Born" was one of the best books I read recently. It did remind me of Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eyes", as another reviewer mentioned, except I think I enjoyed it more. I loved how the end of the book came together. It brought a tear to my eye. I to am from Mississippe and the trips they made back south each summer reminded me of my childhood. Odessa's love for her grandmother brought back memories of my favorite aunt. I will be looking forward to Zelda Lockhart's next piece of work.

4 out of 5 stars A Must Read! .......2007-06-12

Author Zelda Lockhart takes us on a journey into the complicated life of the Blackburn/Lacey family. The novel is narrated by the fifth born Blackburn Odessa. Odessa lives the childhood that begins nice and somewhat normal and after the death of her maternal grandmother life becomes unbearable and pure hell. Odessa is a charactor that is hard to forget with circumstances that are hard to swallow. There are many times in the book when you literally want to scream outloud "DO SOMETHING!" I wanted Odessa to find her voice and use it. Overall this is a great quick read. The plot though depressing is still very intresting. Very well written. I am in hopes there is a part two coming soon.

5 out of 5 stars jFifth Born.......2007-02-15

Fifth Born was an excellent read with unexpected twists and turns thru out the entire novel.

5 out of 5 stars fifith born.......2006-12-16

fifth born is a poigniantly told tale of a young girl who is trapped in a woefully dysfunctional family. the author zelda lockhardt,brings to light
the unfortunate situation of odessa, a girl who hails from a large southern family that migrates south in search of a better life.
in the story odessa's family is no stranger to dark secrets, as she at an early age learns the harsh realities of life. being shunned by an inefectual mother along with her older siblings and being brutaly raped
by an abusive and alcoholic father, odessa turns retreats deep within her self to escape the inferno she's in. constantly she remebers the trips to
mississippi, there she shared fond memories with her grandmother. but soon
these rare moments end with her sudden suicide. the world turns slowly for this girl as she unwittingly stumbles across even more secrets as she witnesses her uncle being murdered by her father and even enduring a second molestation. all through the book it is would seem hopeless for odessa until the family commutes back to mississppi for the summer.
no longer the fifth born, odessa is largely ignored and feeling the weight of all this she wanders into the company of a long shunned relaitve.
there she learns the beginning of her family's secrets, and even some darker ones of her beloved grandmother.

5 out of 5 stars Fifth Born.......2006-11-20

This book was very moving. The title; very fitting you will have to read the book to get the just of the title. A job will done and very touching. This author is a great story teller.
Danger, Long Division
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great reading!
  • This book is great!
Danger, Long Division
Janet Gingold
Manufacturer: Blue Works
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590921224

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great reading!.......2007-03-02

This book was an easy read and an enjoyable, real to life story. It was especially interesting because our children have all gone through the struggles of long division. It was helpful to see how the character in the book worked her way through.

5 out of 5 stars This book is great!.......2007-01-14

I loved this book! It not only is an entertaining story but also gives great lessons to kids on how to self-sufficiently solve problems at school as well as at home. A great addition to any school, classroom, or family library!
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive and Affective Development: Foundations of Constructivism (Allyn & Bacon Classics Edition), Fifth Edition
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Piaget's Theory of Cognitive and Affective Development: Foundations of Constructivism (Allyn & Bacon Classics Edition), Fifth Edition
    Barry J. Wadsworth
    Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0205406033

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