Reviews (9)

Can help anyone set goals and get them
Bev Bachel's friendly book helps teens -- even adults -- understand what it takes to get what you want from life.She shows how to decide what you want, determine what steps you can take to achieve it, and cheerleads you along the way.A must for any teen -- or anyone -- who wants to be more successful but has doubts about their ability to achieve.

A down-to-earth, "user friendly" self-help guide
In What Do You Really Want?: A Guide For Teens, motivational and communication expert Beverly Bachel, shows adolescent and young adult readers how to set a goal for themselves and effectively pursue whatever they have targeted! A down-to-earth, "user friendly" self-help guide which is written in simple, direct language, What Do You Really Want? is as practical and effective, as it is informative and inspiring. Enhanced with self-tests, resources, and exercises, What Do You Really Want? is a superbly presented and highly recommended introduction to focusing one's life and contains numerous lessons for that could profit readers of all ages!

Reviews (10)

The 7 HELPFUL Habits for Teens
This book is great! Teenagers can really relate to this kind of stuff! The book is jam packed with pictures, quotes, and best of all the best advice a teenager could get!
It's divided into sections of the 7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens. This book isn't a book to preach or lecture. It's a book to learn from and grow from.
If you really take this book to heart it could change your life somehow. It could help give you more positive outlooks on life.
This is a great book for teenagers~

A College-Student's Review of"7 Habits ... Teens"
* * * * * FIVE STARS! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! * * * * *Last summer I found this book on my younger brother's desk--a gift to him from our mother. As an eighteen-year-old college student, I thought the writing would be "too young" for me. NOPE! I read the book and it has significantly changed my views of myself, others, and the world. On another note, I liked the book so much that I decided to check out 'the original,' Sean's father's book (7 Habits of ... *people*): the verdict: I personally found the book for Teens a MUCH better read. Sean's writing style is concise and very visual, making it easy to understand, enjoyable, and fun. The anecdotes and stories are universally applicable--despite racial, economic, etc. backgrounds (or even age!).He doesn't waste time getting to the point, taking a single paragraph to introduce a new concept, and then supporting it with two or three stories, anecdotes, or quotations; and yes, there are even pictures too! The end product is something that is VERY enjoyable, practicable, and has helpful. If you have ANY doubts about whether or not to read this book, I would say that if you are even looking into it enough to read this review, you and someone you know can greatly benefit from the ideas in this book. Of course self-change is scary and difficult, but this book makes it fun and easy. It's helped me to not only improve my own life, but also that of my younger brother, guiding me to be a better role model for him. When I first found this book I had made fun of it, but as soon as I had begun reading, I was hooked [or as the book would have me say, "I hooked myself..."] Thanks Sean (and Stephen) for your contribution(s)! [And thanks Mom, too...]: - )

Editorial Review

Based on his father's bestselling The 7 Habits of Highly EffectivePeople, Sean Covey applies the same principles to teens, using avivacious, entertaining style. To keep it fun, Covey writes, he "stuffed it fullof cartoons, clever ideas, great quotes, and incredible stories about real teensfrom all over the world... along with a few other surprises." Did he ever! Flipopen to any page and become instantly absorbed in real-life stories of teens whohave overcome obstacles to succeed, and step-by-step guides to shiftingparadigms, building equity in "relationship bank accounts," creating actionplans, and much more.

Reviews (3)

Colourful book on national anthem brings history to life
This year, 2005, marks the 125th birthday of our national anthem. What most people don't know is that it started out as a French-only song written to celebrate a holiday in Quebec, long, long ago, and grew slowly, like our nation. This book tells the story of that long journey.

Picture a palacial ballroom in Quebec City on the night of St. Jean Baptiste day, June 24, 1880. Five hundred guests are on hand for a banquet -- the crowning event of an international celebration of the French in North America. The Governor-General is here, along with Quebec's Lieutenant-Governor and the Honourable Wilfrid Laurier, plus senators, judges, mayors and delegates from across Canada and New England. They sit at six long tables laden with delicacies: salmon, turkey, capon, roast beef and lobster salad. For dessert are ices, creams and pies of strawberry, peach, raspberry, rhubarb and plum. What a party! All that's needed is a song. And the organizers have just the thing: a tune freshly-penned by one of Quebec's most renouned composers: Calixa Lavallée.

Lavallée hailed from St.-Hyacinthe, Que., and his resumé shows that nothing ever changes: He had to go south to succeed. Lavallée enlisted as a musician in the Union army in the U.S. Civil War, emerging wounded and honourably discharged. He then found fame writing operas in New York, Boston, Paris and London. Returning to Quebec in 1880, Lavallée found his compatriots buzzing with plans for celebration. The habitants had heeded the Catholic Church's plea to make babies, and the French felt powerful and proud. Party planners asked Lavallée for some music. The words came from another son of Quebec, Mr. Justice Adolphe-Basile Routhier.

After the meal at the Quebec City banquet hall, the band of 100 trumpets struck up, accompanied by achoir. "Electrified by an unstoppable impulse," reported those who were there, the crowd stood and heard for the first time the brand-new song, whose words existed only in French: "O Canada." Over the next 20 years, the song became a hit in Quebec, sung in churches and on all formal occasions; 2,000 schoolchildren sang it to the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V), when he visited Quebec in 1901. Then the tune spread east and west -- but with no English words.

People across Canada began to compose their own English lyrics, and by the 1920s, English Canadians sang 200 different versions. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, seeking an official English O Canada for the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation in 1927, asked his chief archivist to write Canadian Clubs from coast to coast, asking for "a copy of the text used by your club." The replies, as preserved at the National Library, show that Stratford sang, "O Canada! Beloved country thou; Hope's holy wreath adorning thy young brow," while Toronto sang, "Lord of the lands! Beneath thy bending skies; On field and flood, where'er our banner flies."

Amid this confusion, one version stood out, written in 1908 by yet another son of Quebec, Montreal judge Robert Stanley Weir. Rather than translate the French, Judge Weir captured the spirit: "O Canada! Our home and native land." The federal government chose to publish Weir's song for the 1927 festivities, and it is the song we sing, with minor modifications, today.

The song spread in World War II and by the 1960s won its place as the country's national song. But it was still not official. Finally, in the wake of the 1980 sovereignty referendum, the House of Commons showed a rare common purpose, and on June 27, 1980 voted unanimously to pass the National Anthem Act. Exactly 100 years after its birth, O Canada finally became the nation's official anthem.

Sumptuously illustrated with full-colour collages and photographs, this book is a must-read for every child who belts out O Canada at school in the morning, and wants to know more about where it came from.

Good Insight Into What Makes Kids Succeed as Kids
7 Secrets of Highly Successful Kids tells the stories of real kids and what makes them successful as kids.It provides good insight into what it takes for kids to be happy and feel a sense of accomplishment using actual stories from about 15 kids, both boys and girls, from Canada and the U.S. Kids can read this to see how other kids have handled situations similar to those they may be facing themselves, whether it's moving or dealing with problems at school or any of numerous other challenges children have to face and overcome. It can inspire kids to bring out the best in themselves.

Reviews (45)

Reinforce Your Understanding...
This book isn't going to teach you how to magically get straight A's... In fact you'll be taking more notes than you usually would from just dry studying.

What the author teaches you is to get more involved with the subject, rather than just trying to memorize the material. Thru the process of creating your own questions, examples and diagrams, you'll create a better understanding of the material.

By changing your views, and aspects of understanding the material, you'll actually do better on tests.

While you'll actually taking 8 times as many notes, you're cutting down your study times by 80 percent. Since you're the teacher AND the student.

He also introduces a idea that is new to me... A summary sheet, it's essentially a sheet of paper with an outline of the main idea titles. Under the titles, there are short-hand notes and diagrams printed very small so it can fit on the sheet. Basically it's a comprehensive, personalized sheet of paper used to outline all important facts for the comprehensive exam or final.

Robinson endorses the idea of only learning the points that you think are important, which is kind of a risky idea to Magna candidates. But overall, he provides a breakdown and refreshment of ideas that should be in your routine for studying.

No doubt, this is the ONLY book you need for this genre or subject.

(...)

Max Out Learning, Minimize Time
As some wag put it, if you don't have time to do it right the first time, when will you have time to do it again?

Robinson leads you by the hand and walks you through a superior method of learning in the first half of the book. He then shows you how to methodically create a critical thinking machine. Part IV, How Smart Students Get Their Grades is worth the price of admission - Time Management, Test Writing, Paper Writing, all concisely laid out.

Editorial Review

In her courtroom show, popular TV personality Judge Judy Sheindlin always tells it like it is. But in her first book for young readers, she asks children and their parents to come up with their own solutions to realistic moral dilemmas: "You find a handgun in your father's closet." "You were visiting your friend and your dog had an accident on the floor in his living room." "You notice that the desk next to you, where your good friend sits, has been empty for three days."

Rather than forcing the "correct" answer on readers, Judge Judy provides four multiple choice responses to each situation and encourages families to discuss every answer before choosing. For example, Judge Judy hypothesizes, "You are home alone and someone knocks on the door." Should you (a)not answer the door, (b)ask who it is and open the door only of you know him or her, (c)tell the person to come back when an adult is home, or (d)open the door? Two brief introductions, one to parents and one to kids, provide readers with an approach to moral education, emphasizing ongoing communication. When young people consider and discuss the consequences of their actions, they're far more likely to make socially responsible decisions in life.

Editorial Review

Popular TV courtroom personality Judge Judy Sheindlin has a dare forkids. When faced with tough tests of character in (and out of) school, childrenare challenged to make the right choices. By using examples of problems kidsface every day and providing four possible responses to each situation, JudgeJudy helps readers build up their moral strength. For example, if your bestfriend's goofy-looking cousin is visiting and wants you to go skating afterschool, what should you do? (a) Tell your friend you wouldn't be caughtdead with her. (b) Fake being sick to get out of it. (c) Go alongwith her; maybe she is really nice. (d) Buy her a mask. Parents andchildren are encouraged to discuss each answer, or even to make up their own,before deciding on a solution. But remember, "If you don't have anything nice tosay, don't say anything at all." As Judge Judy says, "Adults seem to have alittle saying for everything... Don't bite off more than you can chew. You can'tjudge a book by its cover." In this fun and enlightening book, she helps kidsapply these wise aphorisms in their everyday lives to make good decisions andget along with others.

Reviews (4)

Extremely well written
I love that this book does not focus on labels.Rather the focus is on overcoming challenges with pragmatic methods in an easy to understand and digest format.Careful attention was paid to the student-reader's capabilities and frustrations.

Dr. Levine creates a hopeful atmosphere in this book but does not lessen the critical importance of achieving academic potential.

He discusses brain function and describes how those functions differ to affect memory, spelling, math and even social relationships.The most important aspect to me is his embrace of all contributions from all strengths.

A parent or other adult dealing with the challenges of a student affected by learning disorders would benefit enormously from not just the information in this narrative but the patience and conversational tone and tenor the book uses to get the points across.

If you know a child struggling with a learning disorder and want to provide a little loving guidance - this is a great book to direct his or her way.

Helping Kids Meet Academic Challenges
_Keeping A Head in School_ is designed to help students with a wide range of learning disorders "gain a realistic insight into their personal strengths and weaknesses."

The book is targeted at adolescents and pre-adolescents. It can also be used effectively by younger and older students, however. Dr. Levine makes information accessible to young people by presenting it in small chunks with frequent headings. His style is conversational, and he uses familiar metaphors to explain physiological concepts. Attention, for example, is described in terms of channel selection and filtration.

Levine heartens his readers -- not only by demonstrating a clear understanding of their difficulties but also by providing hope for the success that everyone needs. While he recognizes that people succeed in different areas -- academics, athletics, and art, to name just a few -- he acknowledges that during the school-age years, lack of success in the academic area can have far-reaching
consequences.

After explaining how the brain functions normally to help a person focus attention, use language, and employ memory, Levine discusses various problems that might arise in these areas. He then relates performance in reading, spelling, writing, and math to those disorders. Levine even addresses social skills, recognizing that school has a very strong social component.

Levine celebrates the many strengths that people with learning disorders might have. He encourages them to appreciate and bolster their strengths even as they are attempting to understand and bypass their weaknesses. He empowers students to advocate on their own behalf, and he reassures them that they are likely to be more successful in life after school -- when they are free to work in their preferred area rather than in one assigned to them by someone else.

_Keeping A Head in School_ is most effective if readers with learning disorders have the opportunity to discuss concepts presented with parents, teachers, and/or other adults.

The book can also provide valuable insight for those who interact with people who have learning disorders: siblings, friends, parents, teachers, and others. Understanding the problems will help people to be more compassionate and encouraging.

Reviews (6)

Teachers! Take note!
For its format alone, this is a must-buy for teachers and the administrators who work with them!As a middle school AP, I've visited far too many classrooms where teachers try to keep students' attention nailed to dreary handwritten overheads in black marker no less. Yawn.Every page of this book demonstrates what good overheads should look like (minus the color I'd like to see)while the text explains WHY this is imperative for ADHD students.GET IT!I love it. I ordered two more for my school.

I liked how the number was in the title
When I saw this book, I liked that there was a number in the title and the @ thing too.But when I was reading it, most of the words weren't numbers.Some of the pages were pictures and I liked those ones the best.I think that if you wanted this book, you should get it.As someone who had a hard time in high school, making friends etc., I found this was a good way to think back on it all.I'm not sad anymore because of them.

Reviews (6)

Some ideas are good but pages are too busy
I read this book, and then had two of my children look at it. The adolescent was unimpressed. She said that the pages were distracting and there was too much on each page. The younger child, age 9, said that he liked the book. However, the things he read didn't stick. He liked the pictures but the ideas did not draw him in enough to make him want to practice what he read. In all fairness, though the 9 year old is the type of kid who likes an idea better if he has more of a "why" explanation.

I would have liked the book better if there were only one idea per page spread. If you have two different technquies on the same page spread, the child may move on to the next idea without fully exploring and digesting a particular suggestion. It takes some discipline to practice some of these relaxation and self control techniques.

The pages were bright and the pictures sharp. The pages were held together by a few staples, not a conventional book binding. A better quality binding would help so that the book could lie flat while the child used it.

Despite these criticisms, I think that the book has some value. Children can benefit from learning relaxation and self-monitoring techniques. For children who have a limited repetoire of coping skills, this provides a number of different avenues to try. The book might be more effective if an adult worked through the exercises with the child.

being in control
This book is not only for children with problems, its comprehensive contents are very sound, for children and
for many adults also. Its colourful and the graphics are
warm and friendly. Its positive message on all the pages,
is something I would hope my children will reflect and act
on everyday. The issues covered are not that comprehensive
in themselves, but there again at this small cost. I think
the author has done a lot of research and relayed great sensitivity and caring. I would reccomend this inexpensive
book be part of every childs library
Well done.

Isbn: 1557986614
Sales Rank: 287270
Subjects:  1. Activity Books - General    2. Attention-deficit-disordered c    3. Attention-deficit-disordered children    4. Children's 9-12 - Activity Books    5. Children: Grades 1-2    6. Education (Elementary)    7. Hyperactive children    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Recreation    11. Social Situations - Special Needs   

Reviews (2)

Indispensible Resource For Those Dealing with AD(H)D Student
This book is an invaluable aide for parents, educators, and professionals dealing with the challenges faced by AD(H)D students in school. It is a book that can be given directly to students as well. Written in a clear,visually appealing format, it presents worksheets and quick exercises thatguide the late grade school, middle school or high school student to anunderstanding of how this disorder affects their ability to learn. Itprovides information such as how to choose and adopt various studytechniques that will help children with AD(H)Dbecome successful students.It coaches students in using active study techniques to remember what theyread, or to develop written reports. Students are not resistant to usingthe concepts because of how they are presented and is a book that hasapplication to non ADHD students as well. I highly recommend this workbookand have found it much more much more useful that the "Putting on theBrakes" book by the same authors. Of all the self help books I havelent out to people, this is one that people use so much they forget toreturn it! I just keep buying more copies because I don't want to bewithout the book.

Reviews (4)

This book moved me to tears
I came across this book in a local children's hospital resource library.The first page describes a speeding race car with no brakes, and how it might go off the road or even crash.Page two goes on to draw a parellel between this race car, and and explains that having ADHD is a lot like being a race car with no brakes, 'You have a great engine with lots of thinking power, and a good, strong body, but no brakes'.I broke down crying right there in the middle of the library - it was like finally getting inside my child's head and knowing how he feels and why he just doesn't seem to know when to quit.

As my son and I read it together, he was also drawn in by these parallels, and fascinated by the sections that explain how the brain works, and the theories behind what causes neurobiological ADHD (as opposed to other possible causes of ADHD, like head trauma, lead exposure, etc).He is seven, and there were several words he was not familiar with, but the book explains 'synapses' and 'neurotransmitters' well, and a brief explanation from me on other vocab words was all it took for him to grasp the concepts.

A Powerful Resource for the Parents of ADHD Kids!
One of the most difficult things about parenting an ADHD child is explaining attention deficit disorder to that child. Patricia Quinn and associates have given a powerful resource to these parents - a true gift to empower them. In simple language, illustrated with eye-catching graphics, PUTTING ON THE BRAKES explains not only the nature of this disorder, but also how children and their families can learn to manage it. As an ADD Coach, I find this to be the most important resource that I can put into the hands of parents.

Reviews (10)

disappointing
While I did think the child-friendly checklists were generally a good idea, I found myself wanting to edit them.The questions were "leading questions", not open-ended.The checklists lead to a negative sense of self (i.e. "ADD is Bad"), no positive outcome possible.

A side note, "school" and "homework" are an integral part of the book.We homeschool, so this additional point made the book unuseable for our family.

Practical, concise, and kid-friendly
Kids with ADHD are constantly being told to "slow down" and "pay attention." Most kids want to, but don't know how. This is an ideal book for teaching kids step-by-step exactly how to slow down and pay attention. Part one of this book involves children in a process of self-evaluation through the use of checklists that help them identify the problem areas that they most need to work on. Part two identifies what other people (i.e. parents, teachers, counselors) can do to help. Part three, "Things I Can Do To Help Myself," gives children lists of the necessary steps to take to work on each problem area. This concise, easy to understand book does a super job of helping kids to take responsibility for improving their behavior.

Reviews (1)