Created especially for children who are learning to read, this anthology contains renowned works featuring some of the best-loved characters in children's literature, including Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak's Little Bear, Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad, and the madcap creations of Dr. Seuss. Also included is poetry by Eve Merriam, Lilian Moore, and Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as stories, poems, riddles, and word games. An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

When fourth-grade Katie turns into her unfair track coach, she gives all the members of the team a chance to compete, including the slowest runner in her class.

Frog friends, Matty and Moe, are off with a "Ready, Set, Hop!" They both made it to the rock, but who's in the lead? If Matty hopped 5 hops and Moe hopped 2 more hops than Matty, then the score is 5 to 7. But then they're off again. Any child who can add or subtract can build a simple equation, and Matty and Moe make it fun. As readers count along with Stuart J. Murphy and Jon Buller they will sharpen their problem solving skills and find out which frog is the better hopper.

Give your child an advantage that lasts a lifetime Ready, Set, Read is a complete, proven, fun and affordable phonics-based program that anyone can use to teach a child to read. Developed by reading specialist Vera Clark - based on her 25 years of experience teaching children and adults to read English - Ready, Set, Read takes a child from learning the alphabet to reading fluently at a 6th grade level in just 100 simple lessons. Parents: You Can Teach Your Child to Read Ready, Set, Read makes it easy for you to unlock a world of opportunities for your child. Put your child on the path to success with this easy-to-use program that you and your child will both love. -Get everything you need in one book - Lessons and instructions are all in one volume, so there's just one thing to grab when you and your child are ready to enjoy the day's lesson. -Experience the joy of teaching your child to read - Ready, Set, Read is designed to accommodate your busy schedule. -Watch your child gain confidence - Your quality time together will produce dramatic results. Educators: Your Students Can Be Reading Fluently Ready, Set, Read enhances your ability to teach every student in your class to read. Research shows that systematic phonics instruction combined with reading is the most effective way to develop good reading skills. This easily adabtable program: -Compliments your existing standards-based curriculum -Requires minimal lesson preparation time -Includes a Student Success Chart so you can track the progress of each student Why choose Ready, Set, Read? -All-in-one phonics-based reading program -100 simple lessons-only 15 minutes per day -Starts at the beginning, from non-reader to total fluency -Students learn at their own pace Coming Soon in the Winter of 2010: Ready, Set, Read on DVD - Vera Clark teaches each lesson Children's Booklets- colorful, illustrated lessons make the learning process more enjoyable Leveled Storybook Readers - students practice reading with fun stories that use a controlled vocabulary based upon the lessons the student has completed. About the Author Author Vera Clark developed Ready, Set, Read based on her extensive experience teaching children and adults to read English. Having taught in both public and private schools, Vera currently teaches reading to Special Education students in Southern California. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and a Master's in Education with an emphasis in Special Education. Ms. Clark loved home schooling her own children-and taught each of her four children to read when they were just toddlers. She is passionate about early reading, and is pleased that this book is helping parents and teachers introduce another generation of children to the joys of reading well.

Author shares her family's personal reading success stories and Identifies their favorite books for each age category. Extensive reading lists by titles and authors -- over 600 children's books referenced.

The invaluable grade-by-grade guide (kindergarten—sixth) is designed to help parents and teachers select some of the best books for children. Books to Build On recommends: • for kindergartners, lively collections of poetry and stories, such as The Children’s Aesop, and imaginative alphabet books such as Bill Martin, Jr.’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Lucy Micklewait’s I Spy: An Alphabet in Art • for first graders, fine books on the fine arts, such as Ann Hayes’s Meet the Orchestra, the hands-on guide My First Music Book, and the thought-provoking Come Look with Me series of art books for children • for second graders, books that open doors to world cultures and history, such as Leonard Everett Fisher’s The Great Wall of China and Marcia Willaims’s humorous Greek Myths for Young Children • for third graders, books that bring to life the wonders of ancient Rome, such as Living in Ancient Rome, and fascinating books about astronomy, such as Seymour Simon’s Our Solar System • for fourth graders, engaging books on history, including Jean Fritz’s Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, and many books on Africa, including the stunningly illustrated story of Sundiata: Lion King of Mali • for fifth graders, a version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that retains much of the original language but condenses the play for reading or performance by young students, and Michael McCurdy’s Escape from Slavery: The Boyhood of Frederick Douglass • for sixth graders, an eloquent retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and the well-written American history series, A History of US . . . and many, many more!

Start together on a lifetime of learning-- the greatest gift youcan give your child A trip to the supermarket. A drive to the mall. A refrigerator. Atelephone. A television. Transform these everyday experiences andhousehold items into a world of words and wonder for yourchild. Early childhood education specialist Marlene Barron shows you howto stimulate your child's natural interest in reading and writingby sharing 60 imaginative and entertaining activities. Each one is: * Inspired by the internationally renowned Montessori approach toeducation * Developed especially for children ages 3 to 7 * Aimed at achieving specific objectives, such as increasingvocabulary, letter formation, sequencing, listening and motorskills, and more * Readily upgraded to keep pace with your child's progress * Easy to do and loads of fun! The Ready, Set, Learn series was created to help parents andchildren explore concepts and develop skills necessary to succeedin school. In addition to dozens of activities, each book containsa substantial overview explaining children's developmental needs.Also available in the Ready, Set, Learn series: Ready, Set, Count;Ready, Set, Explore; Ready, Set, Cooperate. "Marlene Barron's special understanding of people--children,parents, teachers--has led to these very special books. Theactivities here will allow children to construct a deeper, morecomplex understanding of their world and will be fun for bothparent and child. I recommend these books to anyone who works withchildren." --John Chattin-McNichols, Ph.D. Associate Professor,School of Education, Seattle University Vice President, AmericanMontessori Society

Funny monkey Jim Panzee, star of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, is reluctant to join the race in the jungle until banana after banana falls from above. Jim Panzee ‘s plans for a quiet morning nap are interrupted by Tortoise’s plea to join him in the jungle race. This makes Grumpy Monkey even grumpier but he reluctantly agrees. Then one of the runners bumps into a tree and bananas come raining down! The race to the finish is over as everyone, including Grumpy Monkey, races to get the biggest share of bananas. Easy-to-read words and colorful illustrations will hook young readers on the lifelong habit of reading. Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. They are perfect for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

A rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries. In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life. Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to heal, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past. As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?

Help your child exceed the Common Core standards with What Your First Grader Needs to Know What will your child be expected to learn in the first grade? How can you help him or her at home? How can teachers foster active, successful learning in the classroom? This book answers these all-important questions and more, offering the specific shared knowledge that hundreds of parents and teachers across the nation have agreed upon for American first graders. Filled with opportunities for reading aloud and fostering discussion, this first-grade volume of the acclaimed Core Knowledge Series presents the sort of knowledge and skills that should be at the core of a challenging first-grade education. Inside you’ll discover • Favorite poems—old and new, such as “The Owl and the Pussycat,” “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” and “Thirty Days Hath September” • Beloved stories—from many times and lands, including a selection of Aesop’s fables, “Hansel and Gretel,” “All Stories Are Anansi’s,” “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” and much more • Familiar sayings and phrases—such as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “Practice makes perfect” • World and American history and geography—take a trip down the Nile with King Tut and learn about the early days of our country, including the story of Jamestown, the Pilgrims, and the American Revolution • Visual arts—fun activities plus reproductions of masterworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Georgia O’Keeffe, and others • Music—engaging introductions to great composers and music, including classical music, opera, and jazz, as well as a selection of favorite children’s songs • Math—a variety of activities to help your child learn to count, add and subtract, solve problems, recognize geometrical shapes and patterns, and learn about telling time • Science—interesting discussions of living things and their habitats, the human body, the states of matter, electricity, our solar system, and what’s inside the earth, plus stories of famous scientists such as Thomas Edison and Rachel Carson BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from What Your Second Grader Needs to Know.