Books

Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Seventh Edition

Average customer rating:

Pretty good text with online adjunct videos for free
Great teaching book
Is there a teacher's manual with this book?

Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Seventh Edition
Edgar V. Roberts , and Henry E. Jacobs
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers (8th Edition) (MyCompLab Series)

ASIN: 0130485845

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good text with online adjunct videos for free.......2005-10-30

Used for my college English II class, this text presents many literary ideas which could be useful for fully learning the many apsects of english.

There is an adjunct video course also usually taught in conjunction with this text, and its available for free on demand online at learner dot org.

I've kept this text for the many stories and usefull English info. Worth having.

Great teaching book.......1999-09-20

This book has a companion video series called Literary Visions. That series alsoo includes a study guide. I would highly recommend it.

Is there a teacher's manual with this book?.......1999-03-18

This is not a review. I am searching for a teacher's manual for this book. Is there one?

Inside Writing: A Writer's Workbook with Readings, Form B

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Inside Writing: A Writer's Workbook with Readings, Form B
William Salomone , and Stephen McDonald
Manufacturer: Heinle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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Patterns and Themes: College English Reader

ASIN: 1413002439

Book Description

Effectively integrating grammar instruction with writing practice, INSIDE WRITING WITH READINGS gives you extensive practice through examples and excercises, as well as expanded coverage of sentence combining.

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Learn Jewish while laughing your Tusch off
OY
oy vey very funny
a must read
Yiddish With Dick and Jane

Yiddish with Dick and Jane
Ellis Weiner , and Barbara Davilman
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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How to Talk Jewish

ASIN: 0316159727

Customer Reviews:

Learn Jewish while laughing your Tusch off.......2007-01-20

This book was soo funny, I gave it as a gift to my daughter. It is DIck and Jane all over again only with Jewsih terminology and Oiy Vey you can Pish in your pants laughing so hard, My daughter loved it and i know it brought back words her grandparents used to use all the time. You have to read it aloud to get the full affect. We laughed out loud all night long. It is a must in every household.

OY.......2007-01-17

Oy vey. Was this a book! You shouldn't know from it, kinnohurrah. Such a book it was. So much fun and it made it so easy to learn Yiddish.

oy vey very funny.......2006-11-11

we thought we were buying this book for our baby so she can experience some yiddish while we read her a 'classic'...but we found ourselves laughing out loud as we began to read.
our 90 year old mother kept reading the book out loud and commenting on the text.
we had so much fun with it we ended up buying another for a gift for our friend.
it's not alot of substance, but it certainly is a fun read.
probably best if not read to the little ones though as it has some pretty tough topics such as grandma falling down and ending up in hospital etc.

a must read.......2006-10-15

I must say, we had a real laugh over this hilarious book. Davilman and Weiner have a wry wit, and it was not wasted on our household. We are still laughing about this book, and its funny sequel Yiddish with George and Laura.

Yiddish With Dick and Jane.......2006-08-25

This book was an absolute joy to read. Seeing the Yiddish words in print & used in the proper context brought back warm childhood memories of my grandparents. How cleverly it was done as I'm sure everyone remembers Dick & Jane and who would have ever thought to put a Yiddish twist on one of the oldest primary readers known to mankind?

American Visions: Multicultural Literature for Writers

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American Visions: Multicultural Literature for Writers
Dolores Laguardia , and Hans P. Guth
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559343222

Book Description

American Visions offers a rich sampling of literature for writing classes with a multicultural perspective, exploring the historical context and contemporary relevance of major themes that have shaped our consciousness as a nation.

Sleeping at the Starlite Motel: and Other Adventures on the Way Back Home

Average customer rating:

Maybe you have to be Southern to Get this book
A funny thing happened . . .
not a huge waste of time
If it is written by bailey white -- read it!
Not as good as her first book, Mama Makes Up Her Mind.

Sleeping at the Starlite Motel: and Other Adventures on the Way Back Home
Bailey White
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Mama Makes Up Her Mind: And Other Dangers of Southern Living
Quite a Year for Plums: A Novel
Leaving Cold Sassy
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An Interesting Life: Selections from the Bestselling Book "Mama Makes Up Her Mind"

ASIN: 0679770151
Release Date: 1996-04-02

Book Description

Anyone who has read her bestseller Mama Makes Up Her Mind--or who has heard her on National Public Radio--knows that Bailey White is one of the keenest observers of Southern eccentricity since Mark Twain. Sleeping at the Starlite Motel revives White's reputation as a master storyteller, Southern division, as it catalogs the oddities of the Georgia town she knows so well.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe you have to be Southern to Get this book.......2005-08-04

I bought this book because I was looking for light summer reading and the idea of short stories seemed like a great idea for a few days at the beach when you don't want to think too hard. I had heard great reviews when it was released a few years ago - and even my own mother recommended it. However, it left me a little unsatisfied during the read. Most of the stories were about somewhat off kilter southern folks and their quirky experiences. That would have been fine except some didn't even seem to have a point to the meandering stories. Some were engaging and moving, but for the most part I was disappointed.

A funny thing happened . . . .......2004-11-10

Bailey White's book of short stories/narratives that describe crazy relatives and neighbors, interesting experiences with folks traveling through, and the adventures of daily life is a great addition to any reader's collection of southern literature. I particularly loved "Computer Class," which tells the tale of two elementary school teachers who skip out on computer training to go to the dog races.

White has a tender way of writing about all of her "characters." She notes people's eccentricities, but she doesn't judge them or look down on them. In many ways, she seems to delight in all the "differences" that make people (and the world) interesting. A great read. If you like this book, you'll LOVE Mama Makes up Her Mind, which I thought was even better than this one.

not a huge waste of time.......2003-11-18

i couldn't decide between three and four stars. at first i wondered, "why am i reading this?" because the book is really kind of pointless. but some of the stories made me laugh. each story gives an interesting perspective and reminds you of the odd people and places you've known, so it wasn't entirely a waste of time. but i still couldn't figure out why the stories were really compiled together into one book--when i first picked it up i understood that the book was a compilation of stories and vignettes, but it also gives the impression that they are in some way linked by a common thread or something. but they're really not. in the end i'm glad i read it.

If it is written by bailey white -- read it!.......2002-07-02

I urge you to read anything you can that is written by Bailey White. I am currently sharing all three of her books, Mama makes up her mind, Sleeping at the Starlite Motel, and Quite a Year For Plums with my 70 year old mother and my 14 year old daughter. Her writing transcends generations. We read passages outloud to each other. From worms doing gymnastics from the ceilings to every possible strange character, her books are a delight.

Not as good as her first book, Mama Makes Up Her Mind........2000-12-18

I read this book because I truly enjoyed her previous work, Mama Makes Up Her Mind. But I was disappointed by this one. Several short stories seemed to have not much substance and not very funny altogether. I enjoyed less than half of all stories, ie. Red the Rat Man, Career Choices, Computer School, Horror Movies.

Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar: Readings on Courting and Marrying (The Ethics of Everyday Life)

Average customer rating:

Excellent book alternative to myriad of lame Christian "dating books"
Alternatives, Not Answers
Propaganda?
The wisdom of the ages...or throwbacks to an earlier time?
Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar: Another Sentence

Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar: Readings on Courting and Marrying (The Ethics of Everyday Life)

Manufacturer: University of Notre Dame Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0268019606

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book alternative to myriad of lame Christian "dating books".......2005-07-11

I bought this book originally looking for a good well-reasoned alternative to the wasteland of pathetic Christian dating/marriage books on the market (e.g. I kissed dating goodbye). Specifically something that shared wisdom from past ages and was well reasoned and articulate.

This book met all of these expectations and more. My (now) wife and I re-read much of this book while we were dating and engaged, and it provided numerous hours for discussions about out thinking on marriage.

This book should be preferred reading for college age or older folks seriously interested in courtship/marriage, and want a larger frame of reference than the current culture. The articles are relavant, thought-provoking, and the best of western literature. It would also make an excellent source for a discussion group.

Alternatives, Not Answers.......2004-11-10

If you don't like reading "classic" literature - that is, literature from another time, place and era, with a perspective utterly distinct (and even contrary) to our own - don't buy this book, as it's an anthology composed solely of excerpts from this literature.

If you do, however, I can't recommend this book highly enough. Not because it will tell you what to think about love, sex, and marriage (as if there is an "answer" to be found!), but because it will give you perspectives other than the one you have for considering your own life.

Propaganda?.......2002-05-03

Natasha pretends to be a stone-hard woman who stands at the crossroads of social change while wondering in aristocratic fashion why so many stand in the way of Herstory; in reality she is an emotionally constipated wallflower and contents herself with feeling superior to those less insecure than herself. "Joe Mama" is a pseudo-intellectual poseur who wants us to wink at his sarcastic, bohemian persona while being silently impressed with his knowing sophistication, which he thinks is demonstrated by some obscure allusion to the writings of "evolutionary psychology" he is too stupid even to be able to parrot.

Ad Hominem attacks are as easy as they are irrelevant, aren't they?

I must have missed class the day they taught us that not only marriage but politeness as well had been dispensed with by the enlightened perspectives of "evolutionary psychology" and "modern sociological studies". Apparently Joe and Natasha were present however, which is why they can advise the rest of us that "Amy and Leon" have "done it again" in promoting "absurd moral values" and thereby "making [Joe] puke" and Natasha "Mmmmmmm" in smug disapproval. Nevertheless I doubt that 630 pages worth of commentary from Darwin (apparently he was not "evolutionary" enough for Joe), Plato (who recommended full equality for women in his "Republic"), Jane Austen (single, female, educated, independently wealthy, and famous--a real doormat, wouldn't you say), and other such fossils can be summed up by the assertion that "women should remain demure, submissive, and concern themselves above all with finding and keeping an attractive husband". Needless to say, such simplistic indoctrination, as opposed to reasoned argument, is far from Leon and Amy Kass as editors and contributors to this volume. For those who want to understand marriage as something more than a futile gesture or the vestigial opiate of slant-browed society, this is your book. To those for whom marriage is not a problematic issue, either through happy circumstance or simple indifference, good luck with being clueless.

The wisdom of the ages...or throwbacks to an earlier time?.......2001-12-05

Some reviewers seem insistent that Amy and Leon Kass are stuck in a cultural and intellectual backwater, still insisting on ideas and values that are badly out of date.
Others say that Leon and Amy Kass have written the best answer to modern misunderstandings and mistakes concerning marriage and sexual relationships.

They are accused of trying to force their narrow, archaic views of the sexual nature of humanity.
They are also accused of depending strangely on ancient writings that have little 'scientific' value.

Leon and Amy Kass admit themselves that most of the writings they draw from are old--but the value of such writings is in finding what the people who wrote them have in common with modern times.
Basic facts of life--like the connection between sexuality and reproduction, the connection between monagomy and stable societies, and the connection between morality and healthy relationships--are the themes that hold this book together.
The book tends to question many modern assumptions--not for the purpose of turning back the clock, but for the purpose of finding a way to improve the future prospects in relationships, marriages, and society in general.

At no point do the editors preach to the reader. Instead, they encourage the reader to think--and to feel--and to explore the meaning of being a human being.

This book is written for college-level reading, although an intelligent high school student (one who has been trained to think for himself) can readily understand it.

Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar: Another Sentence.......2001-08-03

Amy and Leon do quite a job with traditional texts. It is not an accident that the only evidence for such absurd moral values is found in ancient texts. Ancient texts provide excellent material for modern sociological studies. Fantastic, really. If you take your bearings from the Kasses' book, I would suggest to you that you check out First Things "the Journal of Religion and Public Life" and read about the many reasons women should remain demure, submissive and concern themselves above all with finding and keeping an attractive husband. Mmmmmm. God, like Homer works in mysterious ways.

Thinking Through Genre: Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshops 4-12

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A great classroom resource...

Thinking Through Genre: Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshops 4-12
Heather Lattimer
Manufacturer: Stenhouse Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 157110352X

Customer Reviews:

A great classroom resource..........2005-12-30

I use this book whenever I sit down to plan a new unit. The thought process Lattimer and the teachers she works with went through for their own planning always inspires me. The tables of questions to consider with students while studying each genre help a lot.

I love the way the chapters describe the way real teachers use Lattimer's guiding questions. I've replicated many of the sample lessons with great success because she describes them so clearly. I've also loaned it to the new teachers I mentor and they find it helpful as well.

Thinking Through Genre presents such a realistic approach to teaching a reading and writing workshop because the teachers in the book work in mostly urban schools and face the same challenges I do. I show the samples of student writing to my students and then they always want to try to write something even better.

The title really has a double meaning because it's about teachers and students thinking through the features of a genre and it is also about using genre studies to teach critical thinking.

I highly recommend this book to all English and Language Arts teachers.

Average customer rating:

Reading and Writing Literary Genres
Kathleen Buss , and Lee Karnowski
Manufacturer: Intl Reading Assn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Literature for Children: A Short Introduction (5th Edition)

ASIN: 0872072576

Book Description

This excellent resource will show teachers of grades 3 through 6 how to help children connect reading and writing while exploring new worlds of literature. Believing that reading and writing work together to encourage the construction of meaning, the authors urge teachers to expose students to a variety of literature and use writing to respond to it. They reject the traditional grouping of literature into broad categories of fiction and nonfiction, and instead present a classroom-tested interactive model that calls for teaching a variety of literary genres, including realistic fiction, mysteries, folk tales, pourquoi stories and fables, fantasy, and biographies. The book's background information will familiarize you with each genre, and you'll find a variety of teaching strategies and activities to help students write their own genre stories and even expand into other areas.

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Donald Hall's Critical Analysis Masterpeice

To Read Literature
Donald Hall
Manufacturer: Heinle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0030555426

Book Description

This book introduces the three principal types or genres of literature: fiction, poetry, and drama in a way that helps students read literature with pleasure, intelligence, and discrimination.

Customer Reviews:

Donald Hall's Critical Analysis Masterpeice.......2000-05-24

Donald Hall takes his College and University Audience through all phases of the critical analysis process for Fiction, Poetry and Drama. He makes,as do all geniuses, his subject accessable to all levels and needs. His explication of symbolism and imagry is especially useful.

This is a "must read" for every aspiring student and teacher of literature.

Emerson's Prose and Poetry (Norton Critical Editions)

Average customer rating:

One anthology among the many - but nonetheless Emerson
How to make a good anthology bad.
Emerson 5, Critics 0

Emerson's Prose and Poetry (Norton Critical Editions)
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393967921

Book Description

No other series of classic texts achieves the editorial standard of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with contextual and critical materials that bring the work to life for students. Careful editing, first-rate translation, thorough explanatory annotations, chronologies, and selected bibliographies make each text accessible to students while encouraging in-depth study. Each volume in the series is printed on acid-free paper, and every text remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice of excellence for scholarship for students at more than 2,500 colleges and universities worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

One anthology among the many - but nonetheless Emerson.......2006-02-20

Whether 'Modern Literary ' or 'Bantam' or 'Norton' or even the 'Collected Works' one comes to the essential thing which is the writing of Emerson himself.
There is almost always the selection from 'Nature' and 'The Harvard Divinity School Address' and selections of other 'Essays' and some of the poetry including the anthology pieces like 'Concord Hymn' and perhaps some of the diary writing.
Emerson is along with Thoreau is the great American prose-poet, the one whose prose reads like poetry, and whose poetry often seems to run on like prose. He is the master- metaphor- maker of a new American day and hero. Emerson stands for a certain kind of American hope and integrity, and a cosmic freedom embracing all the universe. If he goes East it is also part of his going West, and surrounding the world with circles. Through his translucent 'eyeball' he sees America for what it is, and dreams its heroes' greatness.
Emerson uplifts and inspires and teaches- among others Thoreau and Whitman.
He is the American thinker who can contend with the best Europe has to offer.
In some sense all of American philosophy, including 'pragmatism' will come out of his work.
Whatever anthology he is read in, he opens mankind to a new conception of itself, and its distant destiny.

How to make a good anthology bad........2004-08-07

Despite its editors' best efforts, this is a very good Emerson anthology. All the most important texts are there, on Norton's customary thin onionskin paper, in a surprisingly compact volume, typeset nicely. And some interesting critical work fits in the back pages, pre-eminently Cornel West's extremely intelligent essay and an early piece of Stanley Cavell's (though readers might also be interested in Cavell's more recent collection of essays on Emerson), which you won't find in any other similar volume. (The self-inclusions by the volume's editors are best ignored.)

But the editors have done their best to render the volume unusable by peppering it densely with useless footnotes. They have chosen to use their footnotes as insults to the reader's intelligence rather than aids to his scholarship, intruding frequently and fussily to define slightly obscure words, to refer to other similar phrasings elsewhere in Emerson, to correct the author on the basis of twentieth-century science (!), or simply to harrumph and remind the reader of their presence. Of course, the occasional helpful note is scattered among this dross, illuminating a classical allusion or pointing to a contemporary (19th-century) context, so one is hard pressed simply to ignore them all.

This is a travesty of "student-centered" editing, and comes close to rendering the volume unreadable; fortunately, it doesn't quite succeed. Still, readers might prefer to look at the Library of America's Emerson volume, which lacks the uneven but sometimes excellent critical material but offers a more complete selection of texts than this one in a similarly elegant single volume, and is blessedly free of footnotes (though, in fact, it has helpful endnotes if you go looking for them). We can always find a dictionary if we need one...

Emerson 5, Critics 0.......2002-01-04

This volume is an excellent compendium of Emerson's work. It contains material not available in the Library of America editions. Beware of the critical essays, though, particularly the contemporary ones. It's hard to tell from Cornel West's essay whether or not he's actually read Emerson, but if he has, he didn't like him much. So why write an essay appraising Emerson? It's the silly, empty-headed kind of academic noodling that makes academia irrelevant to modern life.

This begs the larger question: Why would anyone read ABOUT Emerson, when they could READ Emerson? Ignore the critics, commentators and wannabe's. READ EMERSON.

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