The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts Review

The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Destined to be a classic. The Only Book on Spells You Will Ever Need.
This Book is not a Book on "Wiccan Magick" , although Wiccans who are not fluff bunnies, and are more open mided to learning could use it, and benefit greatly from this Book.It is a book on Folk Magic, from Brujeria, Santeria, Espiritismo, From Latin America, To Egypt, and other ancient cultures, from around the world. Many of these Earth-Magico Cultures do not believe in the concept of "Karma" so many of these Spells would be shunned by Wiccans. With that said.. I Love this Book.I hope the Author does a similar book on Magical Ceremonies and Rites and Passages.
There are little books of spells, cheap book of spells, and so so book of spells, well this is the Ultimate Huge Tome of Spells. An Encyclopedia of Magical Spells from around the world, this book defiantly belongs in every Witches bookshelf. Over 1000 pages of spells, baths, infusions, the spells range from everything from Santeria, Strega, Vodou, Spiritism, Brujeria, Shamanism, and traditional Witchcraft. Unlike other spell books, this will defiantly be of great usage to its owner. One of the best Book of Shadows ever printed. The Tome, because it is Huge has everything from Banishing, Cleansings, Baths, Protection Spells. Everything from Seances, to calling on Spirits of Nature, from White Magic, to Black Magic, and everything in between. Here is a preview of the table of context.
Spell casting, - Ritual and Tools, - Animal Spells - Banishing Spells - Business Success Spells - Cleansing Spells, - Court case, Legal, Justice Spells - Death Spells (Yes there is much on Black Magic, for those weak of heart) Ghost, Necromancy, and Vampire Spells. - Divination Spells - Domination, Influence Spells - Dream, Astral, Nightmare Spells- The Evil Eye - Fertility Spells - Safety Spells - Gamblers Spells, and Charms - Happy Home Spells - Healing Spells - Hexes and Curses - Invisibility, and Transformation spells - Love and Seduction Spells - Luck Spells - Marriage and Divorcee Spells, - Money, Wealth, Prosperity and financial spells - Children Spells - Protection Spells - Psychic powers - Summoning Spirits - unblocking spells - weather spells, and trust me, so much more...
A person would have to spend allot of money, on many books and still would not get half of what this book has to offer.
I have to give much praise to Judika Illes; this book will defiantly be one I will use for many years. This is my first book by this author, and know I have to purchase her other works. But I can not recommend this TOME enough, it is defiantly a must have for all Witches, and brujos. For all that you get in this huge book, the price is excellent, and very affordable. The Spells are simple and traditional spells that were used by our ancestors and are still effective today. No where will you get a book like this. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts



Buy Now

Click here for more information about The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts

Read More...

For Many Shall Come in My Name Review

For Many Shall Come in My Name
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Many, many thanks to Ray Yungen for doing what it takes to write this remarkable book. I have learned so much! Where does one begin to do this book justice? There is so much important information concerning the New Age, Holistic Health, Harry Potter, The Secret, Centering Prayer, Familiar Spirits, etc. etc. Unfortunately, the list goes on as there are so many deviant ideas sweeping through the churches today. Be assured, this book will help you to see your way clearly. Truly caring for all people, Ray Yungen is a watchman, "watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.". You will be blessed!




Click Here to see more reviews about: For Many Shall Come in My Name

AnAncient Wisdom is drawing millions of people into mystical experiences and preparing the world for the end of the age ... find out how. Most people believe the New Age has been long gone from our society, and if practiced at all now it is only by unconventional fringe types. For Many Shall Come in My Name reveals this is not the case. In fact, quite the opposite has occurred. The New Age movement (a term not normally used by its proponents) has permeated virtually all aspects of our society. ThisAncient Wisdomspirituality can be quite readily encountered in the following fields: Business, Education, Health, Self-Help, Religion, and Arts & Entertainment. This book examines them all.

Buy NowGet 21% OFF

Click here for more information about For Many Shall Come in My Name

Read More...

Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps Review

Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
How many books have we read to better understand God? Who is God? What is he like? Leigh McLeroy probes into these questions from a different perspective than most. A valid and (after-the-fact) obvious way. After all, the Scriptures say that you can tell what kind of tree something is by its fruit; how it behaves, acts. Isn't the same true of God?
In Treasured, McLeroy seeks to know God by the things he keeps. This is a bit of a misnomer as God doesn't actually keep the things that McLeroy talks about but rather interacts with them. Chapters like 1 A Fig Leaf talk about God keeping us after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and were covered by God. In 12 One Smooth Stone, McLeroy describes God's intentions and interactions with us and how he turns our stone-cold hearts to living ones.
Each chapter is bite sized and easy to read, starting with an anecdotal story from the authors life in most cases then moving on to a time in the Bible where God interacted with our ancestors making the connection that He still interacts with us the same way today. While the book doesn't actually talk about the things God keeps as in items that God actually has, like the author's cigar box. Rather the book is about what God, invisible and non-physical, holds tight to; what He treasures. This is a book about us, of course. Reading this book reminded me that we are His treasure and He is our portion. Highly recommended.
This book was provided free of charge by the publisher as a review copy. The publisher had no editorial rights or claims over the content or the conclusions made in this review. Visit the publisher for more information on this book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps

Cigar boxes. Refrigerator doors. Scrapbooks and sock drawers and top shelves. These are the places we store our treasures–the keepsakes that tell the story of whom and what we've loved, how we've lived, and what matters most to us. God is a collector, too, whose treasures are tucked securely into the pages of his book: a golden bell here, an olive leaf there, a scarlet thread, a blood-stained cloth, a few grains of barley. Each of these saved artifacts reveals a facet of his heart and tells the story of a Father whose most precious possession is…us. In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God's active presence and guides us in discovering evidence in our own lives of his attentive love.

Buy NowGet 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps

Read More...

The Average Human Review

The Average Human
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The Average Human is a fantastic novel. It has everything--fascinating characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. You get to see the underbelly of a community and the people who live there. I absolutely LOVED it. Ms Toby-Potter has a way with the English language. I can't wait to read her next novel!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Average Human



Buy Now

Click here for more information about The Average Human

Read More...

Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands Review

Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Few discussions will provoke opinions among believers as heated as whether or not Christians ought to enjoy works of popular fantasy.
On the one hand, some claim believers should avoid these realms of the imagination. On the other, there are those Christians so desperate to justify their interest with a veneer of spirituality that they try to establish one to one correlations between these entertaining stories and Holy Scripture.
"Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands: A Christian Dialogue With Harry Potter, Star Wars & Lord Of The Rings" by Russell Dalton endeavors to provide a balance between these competing outlooks.
While highlighting the parts of these works that appeal to enduring values, Dalton also admits that neither are these stories themselves Scripture. Rather, he writes, "This book takes an approach that goes beyond a `thumbs up' or `thumbs down' evaluation of fiction and film. It gives the reader a chance to reflect whether or not the behaviors and beliefs of the characters in today's fantasy stories are consistent with the Christian faith, but it also looks at the questions these stories demand of our faith by entering into a dialogue between these fantasy stories and the Christians story (7)."
Rather than condemn The Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, or even Harry Potter, "Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands" prudently counsels that the problems that arise in reference to these stories often lie not so much in the stories themselves but in those that read them. For example, most that read Harry Potter are not going to end up sacrificing goats or taking oaths of unending allegiance to Satan. Thus, Dalton suggests, parents must decide for themselves how much exposure to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Lord Of The Rings their children should receive.
Though for the most part balanced in his approach, the reader will no doubt detect a hint of political correctness seeping into Dalton's exposition. For example, he does not use the phrase "Kingdom of God" but rather "The Reign Of God." Likewise, Dalton does not refer to Jesus as "the Son of Man" but rather as "the Son of Humanity".
Dalton also gets all maudlin that the characters in these stories are primarily White. But since Middle Earth is said to correspond to some kind of pre-historic Europe and Hogwarts is a British alchemical school, what does he expect?
If Aragorn had had such vacillating attitudes, Sauron would have still been ruling over Middle Earth by the end of the third film.
Even if one disagrees with the conclusions drawn by "Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands", one has to admit Dalton approaches the issue in an overall even handed manner carefully respecting the opinions on each side.
by Frederick Meekins


Click Here to see more reviews about: Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands

Read More...

Rick Steves' Great Britain 2009 Review

Rick Steves' Great Britain 2009
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Rick Steves' travel philosophy is to travel better by traveling cheaper and closer to the people. If your idea of a dream vacation is sleeping on the eighth floor of a high-rise hotel for a fortune every night, this is the wrong book for you. If your idea of wonderful is to sleep in an exquisite four-poster bed at a Scottish B&B owned by a pleasant old lady who will talk to you for hours, all for about fifty bucks a night -- buy this book. Steves has three big strengths, which are all at work in this book: The most important, by far, is the accomodations. Steves consistently finds amazingly good buys among centrally located B&Bs with friendly owners. The only problem is that everybody knows this, so getting a room on short notice in the summer at one of his spots can be dicey. The second big strength is the practical guides to sights, which include lots of interesting little details that you won't find elsewhere while telling you in no-uncertain terms which sights are must sees and which ones you should skip. Over time, his picks may not always coincide with yours -- but I almost always found his stuff on-target. The third big-strength is Steves' travel philosophy, which is especially helpful to first-time travelers (or those venturing away from the Hilton for the first time). I highly recommend that you also check out Europe Through the Back Door, Steves' classic magnum opus, now in its 19th Edition.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rick Steves' Great Britain 2009

Take a walk through Shakespeare's hometown, explore the rugged and remote Isle of Skye, or enjoy the hip nightlife in Glasgow—it's all possible with Rick Steves' Great Britain 2009. Rick guides travelers through the best of this remarkable and diverse region, from the must-see sights of London to the quant villages of the Scottish Highlands. Rick offers expert advice, historical knowledge, and a healthy dose of humor, allowing travelers to experience all that Great Britain has to offer—economically and hassle-free.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Rick Steves' Great Britain 2009

Read More...

Dark Mysteries of the Vatican Review

Dark Mysteries of the Vatican
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
In God's Name: An Investigation Into the Murder of Pope John Paul IThe subject of this book deserves more attention. The author goes down a road few others have explored and this is the worth of this book. Overall, an interesting read, yet, its historical inconsistencies unfortunately will bring the nitpickers out in droves. I believe if the author makes improvements in a revised edition I think this book will take off.Murder in the Vatican: The CIA and the Bolshevik Pontiff

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dark Mysteries of the Vatican

What The Vatican Doesn't Want You To Know:The lies. The conspiracies. The cover-ups. The truth.Deep behind the walls of the world's holiest site is a dense network of lies, corruption, and conspiracies fueling the Vatican's vast and unchecked influence on world events. From the Holy Orders that defied the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" to the scandals splashed across international headlines, the Vatican is no longer shrouded in mystery, legend, and secrecy. It's all here:The shocking and unsolved murder of the corrupt Vatican financier known as "God's Banker"Real-life exorcism--and shocking rumors of SatanismThe Vatican's startling views on extraterrestrials and end-of-world prophesiesThe Vatican's hidden ties to Nazi Germany and the MafiaThe bizarre rituals of the ultraconservative Opus DeiThe Vatican's ruthless 500-year war with the FreemasonsPope Pius XII's anti-Semitic indifference to the plight of Europe's Jews and the HolocaustAnd much more!This utterly fascinating, unflinching account is the most definitive exposé ever written about the most secretive institution in the world.H. Paul Jeffers is the author of The Bilderberg Conspiracy, Freemasons: Inside the World's Oldest Secret Society and Freemasons in America: Inside the Secret Society, among fifty other books. He has appeared on C-SPAN, Fox News, and The History Channel.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Buy NowGet 33% OFF

Click here for more information about Dark Mysteries of the Vatican

Read More...

Wayfaring: Essays Pleasant and Unpleasant Review

Wayfaring: Essays Pleasant and Unpleasant
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Alan Jacobs is in my estimation one of the foremost Christian men of letters around today. I discovered his writing in First Things, and immediately bought and read The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis (Plus) and Original Sin: A Cultural History. Both are tremendously interesting books as well.
The essays in this collection are primarily from "Books and Culture" and "First Things," both outstanding publications.
I ordered this book as soon as it came out and read through it in a few sittings. Jacobs and the editors and Eerdmans did a tremendous job selecting the essays. Together they form a sort of mind map of the author, and one easily grasps how interconnected the themes addressed really are. Environmental stewardship, the importance of story, the craft of writing, the beauty of language--these topics and many others are woven throughout the collection.
Perhaps what really made the collection for me was Jacob's dry wit. The calmly devastating prose of "Do-It-Yourself Tradition," "Blessed are the Green of Heart," "A Relgion for Atheists," and "On the Recent Publication of Kahlil Gibran's Collected Works" is worth the price of admission.
But Jacobs is a multifaceted writer, and the essays like "The Youngest Brother's Tale" and "The End of Friendship" are beautiful and insightful reflections, in their different ways, on what it is to be human.
So buy the book already.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Wayfaring: Essays Pleasant and Unpleasant



Buy NowGet 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Wayfaring: Essays Pleasant and Unpleasant

Read More...

Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence Review

Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I recently stumbled across this book while shopping at a bookstore, and it came at a perfect time. I have a 3-and-a-half year old son that enjoys some shows that some people feel are not appropriate for young children. Shows like Power Rangers (his all-time favorite), Pokemon, and a few others.
My son goes to a Montessori School, and we have always been quite happy with him there. One day, the head of the school pulled my wife aside and said we have a problem with my son's behavior. She stated that he was showing "aggressive behavior" and that he was the ring leader of a handful of kids that had the same problem. Our first reaction was shock and a fear that we were bad parents. Coming from someone who deals with kids all the time, you feel they would know what's best. She said that the shows he was watching were causing the problem, and that we should not let him be involved in watching those shows. That's when I started thinking about it. I asked her the next time I saw her to define aggressive behavior. She said that my son and his friends would play fight and do karate on each other. I asked if he actually ever hit anyone, and she said no. I also asked if anyone was ever hurt or if they took the playing beyond just playing. She had no answer. I even asked if they took turns winning and she said yes, and that was part of the problem!
This is when I found Killing Monsters, and I am so glad I did. The things it talks about directly related to me and my relationship with my son. I love when he watches Power Rangers, and puts on every article of clothing he owns to enhance his powerful character. He walks through the house as though he could conquer anything! He also wants us to hug and kiss him during the Barney song, and that shows another soft and incredibly gentle side that my wife and I love. Play fighting and toy swords are my son's favorite, and to have to take that away from him seemed so unnecessary.
I loved this book and read it twice. I have also passed it on to friends with children that have loved it just as much. I am a young man, only 30 years old. There are a lot of parents like myself that were raised around video games and violent movies. Taking that away doesn't solve a problem. It's all about parental involvement and education. This book reinforced what I believe is the key to a healthy child.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence



Buy NowGet 21% OFF

Click here for more information about Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence

Read More...

Amazing Days Of Abby Hayes, The #02: Declaration Of Independence Review

Amazing Days Of Abby Hayes, The #02: Declaration Of Independence
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This book is about a girl named Abby Hayes who wants to go to a Fall Festival with her friends. She tries to show her parents how mature she is by cleaning up and doing other jobs. She ends up showing that she is mature and goes to the Fall Festival with her brother and friends.
I recommend this book to girls 6-13. I think this is a great book for all girls . It will help all girls to be mature and self-confident.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Amazing Days Of Abby Hayes, The #02: Declaration Of Independence

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Twelve-year-old Abby Hayes struggles with identity and moral issues in these books. Narrated partially through Abby's journal entries, she tries to find her place at school and prove she is as good at something as her talented ""Super Sibs.--This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Amazing Days Of Abby Hayes, The #02: Declaration Of Independence

Read More...

The Literature Teacher's Book Of Lists (J-B Ed: Book of Lists) Review

The Literature Teacher's Book Of Lists (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Americans seem fascinated by a top ten list of any category, so it is no surprise that someone has put together a top ten list for literature. Jodie Strouf in her THE LITERATURE TEACHER'S BOOK OF LISTS has attempted to encapsulate the broad swath of human endeavour that we call literature. Though the title suggests that the target audience is limited to teachers of literature, clearly anyone with even a modicum of interest in things literary can benefit. Strouf's chapter headings tell a great deal about how she organizes the rather bulky spectrum that most well-educated readers already know. Typical headers include (1) Literature: An Introduction (2)Books For All Ages (3)Genres For All Tastes (4)Poetry (5)Drama (6)Themes (7) Literary Periods (8)Potpourri (9) Endings & References. The value of Strouf's text is considerable in that many general readers would like to have a handy one page reference that gives a plot summary of a dozen words or less for all of Shakespeare's plays. Or perhaps you might need to know which famous works have been banned as being overly salacious (The 1969 version of the AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY puts in a surprise appearance). Or even which novels have physical disabilities as an underlying theme.
As I read this list of lists, I could see that there is nearly an infinity of uses for it. A high school teacher might use it to plan a curriculum of guided reading. A college teacher could photocopy relevant categories of minutiae that correspond with an undergraduate course in Lit 101. The well-educated layman could even derive pleasure in finding a tidy order in the disorder of written ideas that stretches back to antiquity. There are not many reference books that one could read as opposed to look up some arcane point. THE LITERATURE TEACHER'S BOOK OF LISTS is one such treasured example.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Literature Teacher's Book Of Lists (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)

This second edition of the popular Literature Teacher's Book of Lists has been thoroughly revised and contains updated information and exciting new lists. This unique information source and time-saver for literature teachers includes 254 useful lists for developing instructional materials and planning lessons for middle school, secondary, and college students. Some of the lists supply teacher background; others are reproducibles for student use; many give new twists to studied topics.

Buy NowGet 35% OFF

Click here for more information about The Literature Teacher's Book Of Lists (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)

Read More...

Journey to Gameland: How to Make a Board Game from Your Favorite Children's Book Review

Journey to Gameland: How to Make a Board Game from Your Favorite Children's Book
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Written by a kid (with adult help) and illustrated by the kid's brother, JTG is a remarkable way to encourage creativity and get kids to do something besides watch TV or play on the computer.
This isn't an adult book, so some of the advice (how to make money, pawns, etc) might make grown-ups cringe and cry out that it is too crude or unfinished. So what? We're talking make-believe.
Buchanan goes step by step, offering advice and warning where difficulties might come in. His technique is simple and obvious, and any child can modify his advice to suit (soccer, favorite movie, family things). He even includes a super book list!
I bought this book at a local bookstore and even though I have no kids and have nobody to play board games with I think this is easily a five-star book. You can even use it as a birthday party event (directions included).
This is a marvelous edition to a family, school or church library. You won't be sorry.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Journey to Gameland: How to Make a Board Game from Your Favorite Children's Book

Take a journey through your favorite book and transform it into a board game! Choose your characters, design your board, and create obstacles and other fun activities all according to what happens in your favorite book. Learn how to take the joy of reading to another level and discover your own creativity. Eleven-year-old Ben Buchanan, who created a board game based on the popular Harry Potter books, provides advice for all children who would like to turn their favorite book into a board game. Along with his co-authors, he offers a step-by-step process, with suggestions for parents, librarians, and teachers, on how to help children transform their favorite book into a board game. The book shows how you can have hours of fun creating the board game--and then have lots more hours of fun playing! Journey to Gameland encourages children to develop their own creativity. Journey to Gameland and My Year with Harry Potter are part of a series designed to enhance the creativity of children through engagement with books.

Buy NowGet 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Journey to Gameland: How to Make a Board Game from Your Favorite Children's Book

Read More...

Name That Movie A Painless Vocabulary Builder: Romantic Comedy and Drama Edition: Watch Movies and Ace the SAT, ACT, GED and GRE Review

Name That Movie A Painless Vocabulary Builder: Romantic Comedy and Drama Edition: Watch Movies and Ace the SAT, ACT, GED and GRE
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
What I Can Tell You:
I think this is pretty damn cool! If you like trivia and love reading, these books are awesome. There are over 100 movie quotes and over 1000 vocabulary words in each book.
As someone who loves to read and loves trivia games, I found this to be a great way to learn.
Brian's approach to learning works. Imagine being in middle school with the coolest English Teacher who teaches vocabulary using words from your favorite movies. How many kids would love and excel in English?!
The books are set up where you read the lines from the characters (the vocabulary words are bolded), then you test your wit. Name the movie, the scene and answer what the word might mean. Then you flip the page to see how you did.
The back of the book has a glossary of all the vocabulary words in the book.
What a great way for friends to test each other. Maybe if I read these books, I would no longer need to call myself the Amateur Book Reviewer. Huh?!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Name That Movie A Painless Vocabulary Builder: Romantic Comedy and Drama Edition: Watch Movies and Ace the SAT, ACT, GED and GRE

The most entertaining way to master vocabulary for the SAT, ACT, GED, and GRE exams
Do you need to brush up on your vocabulary skills for the SAT, ACT, GED, or GRE exam? Ever wish you could put your talent for quoting your favorite movies to more use than one-upping your friends? Now you can do both with Name That Movie! A Painless Vocabulary Builder: Romantic Comedy & Drama Edition.
Name That Movie! is the only vocabulary workbook that capitalizes on your insatiable appetite for romantic comedies and dramas to help build your vocabulary for standardized tests. First, you'll be presented with a popular quote. Then you'll identify the movie and scene from which it was taken. Next, you'll jot down possible definitions for each bolded word in the quote and check your answers against the solutions provided. It's that easy!
1000 cumulative vocabulary words, including synonyms
Quotes taken from popular romantic comedies and dramas
Other titles by Leaf: Defining Twilight, Defining New Moon, Defining Eclipse, and Defining Breaking Dawn


Whether you're the queen of quoting Mean Girls or just want to find a more exciting way to build your vocabulary skills, Name That Movie! A Painless Vocabulary Builder: Romantic Comedy & Drama Edition is for you!

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Name That Movie A Painless Vocabulary Builder: Romantic Comedy and Drama Edition: Watch Movies and Ace the SAT, ACT, GED and GRE

Read More...

Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales Review

Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I really love Jack Zipes, and this is one of his helpful books for folklorists, and amateurs who enjoy reading fairy tales. It presents a variety of 'radical' theories about the meaning and construction of fairy tales. Many of the theories are no longer quite so radical. The book also gives you a good overview of feminist theories about the tales, some of which will surprise. Among other things, that fairy tales are not always about the subjugation of silly blond princesses. I reccomend this book as an intro to folk and fairy tale theory.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales

This revised, expanded, and updated edition of the 1979 landmark Breaking the Magic Spell examines the enduring power of fairy tales and the ways they invade our subjective world. In seven provocative essays, Zipes discusses the importance of investigating oral folk tales in their socio-political context and traces their evolution into literary fairy tales, a metamorphosis that often diminished the ideology of the original narrative. Zipes also looks at how folk tales influence our popular beliefs and the ways they have been exploited by a corporate media network intent on regulating the mystical elements of the stories. He examines a range of authors, including the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Ernst Bloch, Tolkien, Bettelheim, and J.K. Rowling to demonstrate the continuing symbiotic relationship between folklore and literature.

Buy NowGet 23% OFF

Click here for more information about Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales

Read More...

The Children's Literature Lover's Book of Lists Review

The Children's Literature Lover's Book of Lists
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This thick volume would make a perfect companion (or predecessor) to the Literature Lover's Book Of Lists : Serious Trivia for the Bibliophile in the same series (see my review). Though probably intended for teachers and librarians, it will be found equally useful by homeschoolers and other parent/guardian figures searching for enlightenment regarding the "best" books in the vast field of kidlit old and new. Divided into three broad groups (pre-K through Gr. 1, Grs. 2-3, and Grs. 4-6), it breaks its lists down into sensible categories like "classics," author and publisher series, sf and fantasy, books "to teach math/science/social studies," and so forth, then divides many of these lists in turn into brief sublists (2:13, "Multicultural Books," for instance, includes titles for "Across Cultures," "African-American," "Alternative Lifestyles," "Amish," "Appalachian," "Asian," "Hispanic," "Jewish," "Native American," and "Quaker"). Though annotations are given only for the series books, with a brief description of the series focus, the lists alone (which you can easily scan and print off to take to the library or bookstore with you) are a treasure trove for the parent bewildered by the huge variety of books available. Fiction and nonfiction are included, and many great perennials (like "Lassie Come-Home," "Black Beauty," "Tom Sawyer," "Peter Pan," etc.) have found their way into the book along with newer emergents. An index would have been useful, but even without one, this is a volume no parent should fail to consult.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Children's Literature Lover's Book of Lists



Buy NowGet 27% OFF

Click here for more information about The Children's Literature Lover's Book of Lists

Read More...

Teaching Literacy to Students With Significant Disabilities: Strategies for the K-12 Inclusive Classroom Review

Teaching Literacy to Students With Significant Disabilities: Strategies for the K-12 Inclusive Classroom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
June E. Downing's Teaching Literacy to Students With Significant Disabilities is a practical guide to opening one's mind regarding the definition of literacy, engaging all students in literacy activities, and keeping one's expectations appropriate for all learners, especially those with significant disabilities. Included in the book are current research findings, information regarding literacy goal setting for students with significant disabilities, and practical methods to adapting and modifying literacy to make it accessible for all learners.
After reading the first chapter of this book, I immediately committed to having it become a permanent staple on my professional bookshelf. Not only does it challenge educators in an ethical way to consider their own viewpoints, biases, etc., but it provides research, experience, and ideas to help educators adhere to best practice and include all learners in the beneficial and necessary acquisition of literacy skills. The section entitled, "What is Literacy?" (page 2) was an excellent way to introduce the concept. Before all students will be able to have access to true literacy instruction, teachers must challenge themselves and their definitions in order to truly do what's best for all of their students. Moreover, the section on "Identifying Literacy Goals" (page 38) provided a practical way to ensure that the goals I set for my students are in line with 1) their best interests, 2) their present capabilities, and 3) a realistic, practical, and beneficial end. This book is one that I can refer back to and use as a reference. The ideas and examples will be invaluable upon my entrance into a classroom with students who have significant disabilities!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Teaching Literacy to Students With Significant Disabilities: Strategies for the K-12 Inclusive Classroom

Break down the barriers to successful literacy instruction and empower students with special needs with these insightful tips, tools, and examples.

Buy NowGet 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Teaching Literacy to Students With Significant Disabilities: Strategies for the K-12 Inclusive Classroom

Read More...

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: The Newly Updated and Expanded Classic Review

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: The Newly Updated and Expanded Classic
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I bought this book because I was intriqued by the concept. A book that catalogs all of the places mentioned in other books. What I got completely amazed me. Not only were the places cataloged and indexed by book and by place, but the descriptions were long, even better they included maps.
The people who put together this book understood that the reason people would buy the book was not because they were looking for a one line definition but because they were looking for information about the places themselves. For example, for the definition of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it would have been easy to write a one line definition stating that this was the school that Harry Potter attended in the Harry Potter series. Instead the book has a definition several pages long including a drawing and also explains everything that has so far been written about the school including the moving staircases and the portraits on the walls. That is just the beginning thousands of places are included in the book, and all are given as much attention in their descriptions as the authors took to explain the locations in the original works of literature.
So enjoy this book, it will make you want to read about places to help you to figure out if you want to read the books that created them.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: The Newly Updated and Expanded Classic



Buy NowGet 34% OFF

Click here for more information about The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: The Newly Updated and Expanded Classic

Read More...