Product Description
60 High-Interest Reproducible Activities—Perfect For Learning Centers—That Build Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Writing Skills
Learn how to structure collaborative, literacy-focused activities for "the rest of the class" while you provide direct instruction to small groups. Includes 60+ innovative reproducible activities that build skills and foster independence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good for Teachers Experienced with Using Centers
I purchased this book because I thought it would give me some fresh ideas on how to set up and manage centers while I worked with small groups.Well, the author only spends about 4 pages on center set-up and management, and it's a pretty broad overview with fuzzy details.I would not recommend this book for a teacher who has never done centers before, because it is not very helpful in the "how-to" department. On the other hand, it is packed full of great ideas for activities related to literacy that can be used in your centers.Most of them are of the worksheet variety, and many are made for specific book titles, but all of the ideas can be adapted for your own curriculum.The menu idea itself is great and very flexible, and I like the author's use of long-term projects to solve the "I'm done, what can I do now?" problem. This is a great book for teachers who already use centers and need some new activity ideas.

Helpful book
This was a helpful book for the ever present problem of keeping the rest of the class busy (but not with "busy work") while you work with a small group. Even if you are not reading some of the titles listed by theauthor, the framework for creating your own activities is very helpful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Best practical advice I've encountered on the subject
Mike Bailey has long experience of publishing (and writing) erotic books in the UK - he founded the Nexus imprint for Virgin and managed all the Headline erotic imprints until they retreated from the genre in the late 90s.As a consequence it's worth taking his pithy but to-the-point remarks on board - particularly if you're new to the business.I've published four erotic novels and still found his remarks relevant, both in and out of erotica. It's obvious from some of the comments below that the 'Britishness' of the text is a little bewildering for US readers accustomed to how-to authors dotting every I and dotting every T. Persevere, guys! Sometimes less is more. It's also possible to be witty and make a serious point at the same time.

I CAN teach myself without disappointment
I bought this book thinking highly of it, i was pretty dissappointed with the way the book carried itself.mr.bailey didn't really give me any information i could really use. and he has a "10 commandments of erotica" in this book that covers some of the ideas i use in my stories. he is informative but this is the kind of book a novel writer should buy and not an amateur like myself,i give him some credit, but i would not recommend this book to anybody.

Not enough practical advice
Iwas looking for more technique advice. This book doesn't deliver.

Disappointing, Misleading
This book was hard to rate. When I 1st opened it's stiff pages for just a peek before bed, I found myself still engulfed an hour later. Yet I felt deep disappointment.

I have been writing short-story porn-erotica for a few years, successfully. What I had hoped to glean from this book were the nitty gritty details of actually getting published, as the title clearly promises. I looked for the all important contract examples, publisher contacts (at the very least addresses to write for guidelines) & sources with addresses for publishing short-story erotica. None of these promised components were included in this book! I'm not sure how the author can justify his claims to helping anyone "get published" through this book.

If you already know how to write, skip this book & find one that includes publisher information at the very least. This author's excuse for not including the vital information for which I bought this book, was that guidelines change quickly. This doesn't excuse the fact that addresses of publishing houses rarely change so quickly & should have been included so that writers could request the latest guidelines. Instead I am left to either search for another book that delivers the information it promises to, or do the research on my own.

I didn't need to buy or read this book to learn how to write erotica (although I am always open to learning new techniques), nor to read the obvious well-known industry tidbits. Almost everything in this book was useless to a writer who actually wants to publish their work.

As to the writing style, I find no fault. This book is an easy, quick read with writing exercises at the end of each chapter. It does very briefly (less than a paragraph each) cover such issues as using a pseudonym & literary agents but again, writers are expected to find the actual information on their own. This book does NOT provide ANY actual information on how to get published. I truly feel that the title is misleading, false advertisement.

I wanted to give this book a 5 rating but obviously it doesn't deliver the goods, which would place it at a 2 rating in my opinion. The reason I rated it a 3: for people who don't know anything about writing erotica, Writing Erotic Fiction : And Getting Published (Teach Yourself) by Mike Bailey, will at least get you started.

Better on second reading
When I first read this, I felt a bit insulted, as though somehow erotica is less than other forms of writing.But upon a second reading I realized that much of what I was offended by might be the "Britishness" of the text and author, and that is something to keep in mind, what may be published in Europe and liked in Europe but not sell in America, or Asia, or elsewhere.The chapters are short, I think they might do nicely for first time writers, and the harsh facts about not deluding yourself when you write could be good for those embarassed by their writing.But frankly some of us do write others types of books and we don't think of our erotica as taking any less skill or talent.Since erotica is about a very personal matter -- intimacy and sexuality -- it should be something that writers and readers spend time and talent on whether for private use or public consumption. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive guide for would-be authors of romantic fiction. With tips from many well-known writers, the author takes the reader through each step of the writing process, from developing characters and structuring plots to using developing methods of research, such as the Internet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very helpful book on writing short, contemporary romance
Though this concise, thorough, 162-page book is written by a British romance writer, it is still very helpful for American writers interested in the mechanics and market for short contemporary romance novels, the area in which the author has specialized.

Though her book is not as fleshed out as The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your Romance Published by Julie Beard (a much larger book), Ms. Baker does an excellent job of pointing out the unique aspects of romance compared to other types of fiction. I will not list all the topics covered in this review, since you can click on the Table of Contents, index and browse 24 pages of the book on this web page. I, personally, found her sections on plotting the most useful parts of the book--very helpful!

For anyone interested in writing romance, Writing a Romantic Novel is well worth adding to your collection of how-to books.

Misleading
Buying how to books without being able to browse them is always a risky proposition. I thought though, that I had made a good choice with this Teach Yourself book, `Writing a Romantic Novel and getting Published.' I amfamiliar with the Teach Yourself line of books and have always beenimpressed with their quality and this is a quality book. Just not what Ithought that it would be.

The author, Donna Baker is apparently apopular author in Britain, with Mill and Boons books, Harlequin if your inAmerica, and she refers often to her own books, and other books from thesame genre in this how to book. I do not want to write Harlequins and thisbook is written mainly for people who want to write a Harlequin romance.Unfortunatly that is not apparent with the fifty tag lines that areprovided for the book.

Ms. Baker spends the first couple chapters of thebook justifying writing romance novels. Really, if I felt the need tojustify wanting to write romances I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT A BOOK ON HOW TOWRITE THEM, Jeeze.

Those points aside, it is a good how to write book ingeneral and a good reference on how to write Harlequin romances. I guesswhat I really did not like was her constant self-promotion. Writing aRomantic Novel has so much personal information about Ms. Baker that it isas much a book for fans of her other books as it is a how to book.

Ittakes the novice author from the beginning when one creates the charactersto the end getting it to the publishers in a clear and concise manner. Itis for the would be author of shorter 55,000 to 60,000 word romance's.However, her admittedly good writing advice can be found in a ReadersDigest, `how to write', book. If you just want to get started on a novel goahead and browse those. Their titles generally indicate when the books arefor a special market like science fiction or the short story market unlikethis book. Buy one of those if you want a good how to book. ... Read more

Product Description
How to Teach Poetry Writing at Key Stage 3 is a practical manual for teachers, to be used directly in the classroom. The book begins with a series of poetry games designed to warm up creativity and strengthen the imagination. These are followed by a series of creative poetry workshops, based on the writer's own experience both as a teacher and poet running workshops in schools, which focus on developing a 'poetry base' for young writers. This imaginative base provides a range of poetic techniques and gives pupils experience in developing a repertoire of different forms. The book also offers advice on how to organize an effective workshop, and demonstrates how to teach poetry writing in a dynamic, creative and imaginative way in relationship with the KS3 national framework. Pie Corbett also provides useful advice on working with visiting poets in school, addresses for relevant web-sites, a list of books for follow-up work and a glossary of poetic forms and techniques.

Workshops include writing from first hand observation; autobiography - valuing our lives; writing about paintings, sculpture and music; surreal boxes and the bag of words; secrets, lies, wishes and dreams; creating images, taking word snapshots; riddles - hiding the truth; and red wheelbarrows and messages for mice. ... Read more

Product Description
Writing to Teach; Writing to Learn in Higher Education is a comprehensive guide for professors seeking to integrate writing-across-the-curriculum principles into their pedagogy. Through the exploration of theory and practice, treating both pre-writing techniques and classical rhetorical patterns as heuristics, Leist outlines the process of incorporating writing into a curriculum. The text includes appendices with sample checklists, a master scoring rubric, and examples of syllabi and individual assignments. From beginning to end, Writing to Teach; Writing to Learn in Higher Education helps prepare professors to use writing as an intrinsic part of their curriculum. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is packed with useful tips on how to harness creativity in both lyric writing and music composition and is sure to inspire any aspiring songwriter! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A songwriting must for the beginner
This is the perfect product for those who are just getting started in the mechanics of songwriting as well as those beginning in musical notation. I plan to wear this book out. It starts out with the basics and builds incrementally. It can be used in the classroom setting to teach others. I am very pleased. ... Read more

Product Description
"What makes a good crime story and how do I write one?" Teach Yourself Crime Fiction answers these questions for aspiring writers. It analyzes the elements of crime fiction, including classic detective fiction, comic crime fiction, the feminist sleuth, and more. And it leads readers through the process of crafting a piece, showing them how to recognize a good idea for a novel, set a scene, shape characters, develop a plot, research background, use literary techniques and maintain a style, and dig out when they get stuck. It also includes advice on how to sell a novel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good, Well Written, Many Tips, Many References, But Short.
This book is one of many self help books available from "Teach Yourself." In addition to this writing book there are other writing books on writing novels, poetry, and books for children. In all there are over 200 titles.

I bought this book with the idea of learning about writing techniques, and there are a number of good tips on writing detective fiction. However, the author Lesley Grant-Adams presents an excellent introduction to the whole crime-detective genre. She discusses all the different types of crime fiction. Based on that alone it is worth the price of the book. At the end of each chapter she lists many crime authors with some added notes.

Even if you are not interested in writing, you will find many tips and discover many insights into crime fiction.

The book is short, just 193 pages; but, most chapters have a reading lists along with the discussions.

Some example chapters are:

- To begin at the beginning.
- Ways and means
- A good idea at the time, and
- The vocation of unhappiness.

Altogether, she has 11 chapters. She discusses other styles including James Cain, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, and Elmore Leonard, plus many more.

This is a short but interesting guide. Incidentally, the author has a at least 16novels in print, and had a fellowship at Cambridge.

arresting
this book was very useful in suggestions and placed some things in a different light with regarding, crime fiction. ... Read more

Product Description
How to Teach Poetry Writing is a practical, activity-based book of writing workshops for teachers of junior classes. Each workshop will help you to build enjoyable activities for pupils, to help them to develop practical writing skills. Workshops include redrafting and revising activities, poetry writing frames, poems from a range of cultures, traditional and contemporary poems, poems by children, and lots of writing advice and plenty of fun.
Each workshop has been trailed in classrooms across the country, and is linked to NLS objectives. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide examines the power of comedy and explains how to be a writer of this genre. Writing for radio, stage, TV, jokes, sitcom, stand-up, cartoons and children are dealt with. Each stage of the process is covered, from creating ideas and learning the craft, to marketing the material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Concise, Simple, Interesting, and Effective
This book was concise, simple, and effective.Roche did not bore you to death by focusing on the theoretical.She concentrated on the practical,just like she said she would.I found it more helpful than the other booksthat I read. I would recomend this book to a friend. ... Read more

Product Description
Students learn how to write personal narratives, using picture books as models. After being immersed in read-alouds that focus on key story elements—character, plot, setting, movement through time, and change—students create their own story time lines, write promise sentences, stretch their stories, and more. Week-by-week planning calendars help teachers map out their reading and writing lessons. For use with Grades 1-3. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a complete course in understanding, speaking and writing Portuguese. It is aimed at both beginners, and those who would like to brush up on the language. The text is structured into a practical course that aims to be both fun and easy to work through. Each point is explained clearly, and the reader is provided with plenty of opportunities to practice what they have learnt. The course can be worked through at any pace, and readers can arrange learning to suit their needs. Based on the Council of Europe's Threshold guidelines on language learning, the course contains: graded units of dialogue, culture notes, grammar and exercises; a pronunciation guide; the 1500 words most frequently used in Portuguese; a Portuguese-English vocabulary; tables of regular and irregular verbs; indexes to the grammar, problem words and themes; and special reference is given to Brazilian Portuguese forms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This is a good Portuguese course
I know how difficult it can be to find a good language course. I have found one. I'm actually quite enthusiastic about it and want to share my views with other learners.

Why is this course the Portuguese course for me ?

This course focuses on practical, every-day usage of the language and does not waste your time with too much detail on the grammar. The subjects covered are very useful for travellers and people intending a longer stay.

This course assumes no pre-knowledge of the language and explains even the most basic phrases and vocabulary step by step. The units build well on each other.

The structure of each unit is very logical: (1) dialogues you can read and listen to (2) good vocabulary help with the meaning of every word in the dialogues (3) question practice on the dialogues (4) pronunciation guide (5) the phrases used are clearly explained (6) activities at the end of each unit and revision units with more activities.

This is truly a course you can use to teach yourself. It gives the learner plenty of support and moves at a rate that can be taken on board by a self-taught student. Just one warning: the book alone won't do. You need the audio for the dialogues, pronunciation, and activities.

This is an excellent course for the money. It's enjoyable and you can go at your own pace. It gives you a quick fix in the first units, then progresses to further learning.

This is a good, solid course. This course is helping me. I hope my comments will help you.

An excellent course
There are several reasons why I really like about this course: the method (you build up your knowledge of the language step by step);the authentic dialogues; the grammar notes and verb conjugation tables; the cultural points; and the letter writing. The course is lively, fun, and very efficient. The audio is good, at the right speed for the learner. The book also has lots of exercises with a key, another very good feature. I bought this course after having bought Portuguese Living Language (ISBN 1400020239) and I am using both. I think they make good partners.

Great value for money
It can be used for Brazilian and European Portuguese (You don't have to buy two books, just one will do the job)and it also includes realia and references from other Portuguese speaking areas. The first five units give you the basics (it is like a beginners book), then you build up on that and progress fast (intermediate to advanced), to the end of the course. It has a total of 25 units. Grammar explanations are very user-friendly and it has lots of exercises, all very practical, of immediate application. It is excellent value for money and fun to use. ... Read more

Product Description
Lesley Polinger draws on her own experiences and those of agents and publishers, to give an insight into the process of writing for children. She gives advice on picture book texts, fiction and non-fiction, and explains what you should and shouldn't do if your work is or isn't accepted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must Read!
I had purchased a variety of children's books to polish my craft, and this one seemed to really stand out above the rest. I am an amateur writer, but I hope to be a professional someday. This book really helped me to put things into perspective about the nature of writers, the do's and dont's of writing, and many helpful tips to keep in mind. I've read it through three times and I'm still not bored with it. The author is very down-to-earth and easy to understand. I rate this book one of the best! ... Read more

Product Description

Write the greatest story ever--yours!

If you've ever wanted to write down your life story, but never found the time or the confidence, this book is for you. It will help you to find a style that suits you, to collect and structure all the information you need, to plan your story and discover your voice. There are lots of practical tips and reassuring advice if you're feeling daunted, and there is a complete list of all the options available for publishing your book.

Product Description
This book argues that creativity need not be muted simply to meet the perceived boundaries of the academic essay, that, in fact, an author immersed in a form has special insight unavailable through any other means. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to writing biographies. It provides advice on organizing research, including hints on how to investigate documentary information and locate relevant descendants. It also discusses how to approach publishers and get your work in print. ... Read more

Product Description
"Teach Yourself Letter Writing Skills" is an invaluable guide to writing letters so that they say exactly what you want to say and achieve the desired response. The general principles of letter writing are outlined in the first pages of the book and advice on basic points is given. This is then applied to the writing of personal and domestic letters and applications for jobs, as well as communications with authorities, businesses and the media. It also includes a chapter on the internet and email, reflecting the increase in communications today. It concludes with methods of addressing people, the use of abbreviations and a list of common abbreviations for easy reference. It allows the reader to gain the knowledge to write satisfactory letters on a great number of subjects, and to a wide range of people. Every aspect is covered, from the paper used and layout of a letter to personal and business letter writing. ... Read more

Product Description
From the art of writing to the nitty gritty of how to get published, this handbook provides help for would-be writers of non-fiction. There is advice on writing books, newspaper and magazine features, and guidance on writing styles, what areas to write for, market research and subject research. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nice resource of basic information
This was the first book I ever purchased online ... a number of years ago:-)

The book gives all the basic information required to start writing articles for magazines and also putting together a book proposal for a nonfiction book. My only criticism is that more information could have been included on the actual writing process.

It is "organise" in the UK
I haven't read this book or anything else by Janet McaDonald and don't wish to comment on the book itself (I gave it three stars only because I had to enter something in the field). However, in fairness to the author it should be noted that she spelled "organize" correctly for her part of the world. British spellings often differ slightly from their American counterparts.

This book is ludicrous at its best!
If I could give this book 0 I would, but I do not have that option. For trying to teach others, she can't even get her own spellings and chapters in order! She says in chap 1 (the introduction) that you can find more oncertain processes on articles in chap 4 (it is not 4 it is 5) and on booksin chap. 5 (it is not, it is in chap. 6) For someone who is telling us tocheck our spelling she spells the word 'organize' as 'organise'! Forexample pages: 23, 24 & 32. She often says in this book to check and recheck our grammer before submitting it to a prospective publisher. She goeson to say that by doing this we might be looked down upon as a new authortrying to break into the business. How the hell did she get this non sensebook of hers published to begin with? I will be re turning this book toAmazon hoping for a refund. I have owned this book for 6 hours and if itwere winter I would use it at best to start a fire! DO NOT buy this book!It is a waste of print and paper! ... Read more

Product Description
This analysis of crime and suspense fiction writing should appeal to both new and experienced authors. It explains the process of writing a crime and suspense fiction, from the basic idea, through developing plot, character and theme, to editing and presenting the novel for publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not worth it
Not worth it. A lot of common sense presented in a very tedious, boring way. Turns you off against writing anything. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is useful to teachers in all disciplines aswell as to anyone interested in writing effectively for business andacademic communities. It contains explicit instructions for building awriting intensive course in any discipline with examples. Issuesaddressed are assignment writing, evaluation of formal and informalwriting, as well as generating and struturing material. Secondaryteachers and college professors will find the book equally useful. ... Read more