Baseball Season Begins March 31st

Believe it or not, the major league baseball season is upon us. Opening Day is scheduled for Thursday, March 31st. For young readers who follow the sport, Enslow offers a number of 100-plus page titles focusing on popular baseball stars. Among the fun, well-written books are Albert Pujols: MVP On and Off the Field, Derek Jeter: Captain On and Off the Field, and Andruw Jones: All-Star On and Off the Field. These Guided Reading Level "V" titles are among those included in the nine-book "Sports Stars with Heart" series. Paperback versions of each title are $9.95 via Enslow's teacher-focused Enslow Classroom website. A free, downloadable teacher's guide for each title in the series is also available on the Enslow Classroom site.

In addition, all books in the "Sports Stars with Heart" series are available in library-bound editions.

Spring Invites Students to Enjoy Hands-On Learning About Plants

With spring officially here, the season offers many opportunities for elementary students to learn about the plant kingdom. Teachers can dovetail hands-on activities and field trips with strong, age-appropriate books from Enslow Publishers. Author Mary Dodson Wade's "I Like Plants!" series introduces young readers to life cycles, trees, flowers, seeds, and other aspects of the world of plants. The six-title collection offers Guided Reading Levels "L" or "M" content reinforced by attractive design and attractive, full-color photographs. Each 24-page book includes an experiment to promote inquiry skills, a further reading list, and a focused list of useful "words to know."

"I Like Plants" is available in paperback from Enslow Classroom. Individual paperback titles in this series are $6.95; a complete six-title series is $41.70. The series is also available in a library-bound version.

Free Valentine's Day craft

Fun Valentine's Day fact: Did you know that nearly one billion valentine cards are exchanged every year in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia?

Want to make a lacy heart card for your valentine?

What you will need:
white office paper
red office paper or construction paper
scissors
hole punch (optional)
white glue
markers or crayons

1. Put a sheet of white paper and a sheet of red paper together. Fold the papers in half. Cut a half-heart shape. Unfold. You now have two paper hearts.
2. Fold the white heart in half lengthwise. Cut designs along the edge. Cut small hearts, flowers, or other shapes in the paper. Use a hole punch to create designs if you wish.
3. Glue the white heart to the red heart. Let dry.
4. Use markers or crayons to write your special valentine message.

That's it! This craft can be found in Paper Crafts for Valentine's Day, part of Enslow's Paper Craft Fun for Holidays series, written by Randel McGee. This title is available in both a library binding and paperback.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

February is the month our nation celebrates the birthdays of two presidents: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Both iconic leaders loom large in schools' American history curricula. For teachers, one challenge has been to place these figures in context without trivializing their significance or overwhelming students with unmanageable detail.

Books from Enslow's intriguing American history series "What Would You Do?" provides solution for that pedagogical dilemma. Author Elaine Landau's six-title series is structured to foster a variety of teaching needs, including small group exploration, whole group activity, or individual work. Each book's 48-page length, excellent illustrations, and Guided Reading Level "O" content helps create the conditions for a successful reading experience. Landau also combines speculative opportunities for students within her narrative to encourage critical thinking development. Free, downloadable teacher's guides, which includes activities in all curricular areas, are available for all books in this series.

The Emancipation Proclamation: Would You Do What Lincoln Did? drives readers to consider the Union's situation and Lincoln's options as he considered this freedom-giving declaration. George Washington Crosses the Delaware: Would You Risk the Revolution? presents the historical moment and decisions Washington faced to maintain the struggle for American independence. Both books are available in paperback from Enslow Classroom for $7.95 per title. Library-bound editions for these titles are also available.

Valentine's Day for Pre-K

With Valentine's Day less than two weeks away, young children are curious about the holiday, its symbols, and its sentiments. The event offers teachers, parents, and librarians with a wonderful opportunity to connect children with suitable books about the day.

One title that's especially useful for read aloud sessions, group activities, or parent-child reading is Enslow Publishers' Valentine's Day. Author Dorothy Goeller's 24-page title, intended for pre-K aged children, effectively combines sight words and full-page color photos to produce a rich, enjoyable reading journey. The book's 6" x 7" trim size and large type size helps make Valentine's Day accessible to a young, emerging reader. Enslow also provides a free, downloadable teacher's guide for the title, with fun, yet pedagogically sensible activities available for all five principal curricular areas.

Visit Enslow Classroom for more information and immediate ordering of the $6.95 paperback version of Valentine's Day, or other books in Enslow's "All About Holidays" series. A library-bound version of each holiday book is also available.

Kevin Garnett Bowling for Charity

Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett ("KG") has earned a good reputation for his charitable interests off the court as well as his strong play on the court. His most recent endeavor was participating in a charity bowling event to rasie money for "The Truth Fund" and "The Truth on Health" information campaign. Both initiatives, targeted to reach underprivileged kids, are spearheaded by Garnett's teammate Paul Pierce.

Read more about KG's longstanding interest in "giving back" in Enslow Publishers's Kevin Garnett: All-Star On and Off the Court. Author J. Chris Roselius' attractively designed, 128-page biography neatly illuminates Garnett's early years, his rise to stardom, and selected charitable activities. An excellent choice for character education and African-American biography collections, this Guided Reading Level "V" title is available in paperback for $9.95 or in a library-bound edition.

A free, downloadable teacher's guide, including curriculum-specific activities, is also available for the book.

Kevin Garnett: All-Star On and Off the Court is part of Enslow's nine-book "Sports Stars with Heart" series, which focuses on professional athletes in basketball, baseball, and football.

On this day in 1969

Led Zeppelin's self-titled first album was released.


Formed in Britain as The New Yardbirds in the late 1960s, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones soon changed their band's name to Led Zeppelin. With their bluesy rock 'n' roll songs and rousing lyrics, they became one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
 
Interested in learning more about this band? Enslow has both library and paperback versions of Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band, written for the middle school reader.

Baby Snow Animals

January snowstorms, a common occurance in many regions of the United States, present opportunities to raise a child's awareness of the interaction between the natural world and climate. To support this educational approach, teachers and parents can use Enslow Publishers' Baby Snow Animals. The title, included in the "All About Baby Animals" series, invites emerging readers to delightfully discover young animals who live in charactertistically wintry conditions. Author Jane Katirgis' 24-page book provides a thoughtfully chosen combination of sight words and associated, full-color photographs that children can enjoy. Instructors will welcome Baby Snow Animals' teacher's guide, which includes useful class activities suitable for the book's Guided Reading Level "B" text and pre-K to grade one interest level.

The teacher's guide is available as a free downloadable document. Baby Snow Animals is available in paperback for $6.95; a library-bound version is also available.

Snowmobilers Warm Up to Record Snowfalls

For the past month, snowbirds have cheered the record snowfalls across the United States. Over seventeen feet of snow has fallen in sections of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Central New York's "lake effect" snow belt recorded snowfalls of 70-plus inches in December. Thanks to a surfeit of snow, slopes from New England to the Rockies are having a strong season.

All that snow has encouraged snowmobile enthusiasts to enjoy the great outdoors in their machines. Young readers curious about this popular winter activity can learn more when they read Enslow Publishers' Snowmobile Racers. Author Bob Woods' 48-page book, part of Enslow's "Kid Racers" series, provides a delightful introduction to snowmobiling's challenges and excitement. The work's design, combining engaging "pull-outs," dynamic photographs, and a well-written narrative, draws enthusiastic and reluctant readers to enjoy this curriculum leveled, Guided Reading Level "S" title. Instructors and classroom paraprofessionals also benefit from using the book's free, downloadable teacher's guide.

A paperback edition of Snowmobile Racers is available via Enslow Classroom for $7.95; a library-bound version is also available through http://www.enslow.com/.

Books for Tonight's Full Lunar Eclipse

A full lunar eclipse will take place throughout North America this evening. This phenomenon presents a wonderful teaching opportunity and potential "hands-on" experiences for students learning about astronomy. Help your students grasp the exciting science involved in an eclipse with Enslow books, including our new Far-Out Guide to the Moon. Author Mary Kay Carson's beautifully illustrated 48-page title uses a concise, interesting narrative and strong, reader-friendly design to introduce young readers to the science, myth, and mystery of the Moon. Book has a free, downloadable teacher's guide, including activities connected to various curricular areas.

The book, part of the 12-book "Far-Out Guide to the Solar System" series, is available in paperback and library-bound editions.

235th Anniversary of Washington's Crossing the Delaware

The holiday season includes anniversaries of important dates in American history. One of them is George Washington's bold crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War. His strong leadership and skillful tactics helped wavering colonial forces rally during a key period of the conflict.

For teachers and media specialists planning to include Washington's crossing in December's American history lessons, an excellent resource to use is Enslow Publisher's George Washington Crosses the Delaware: Would You Risk the Revolution?  Elaine Landau's 48-page book, part of the six-book "What Would You Do?" American history series, offers a unique, speculative approach to the Christmas Day battle. Each chapter concludes with the award-winning author asking readers to place themselves in the shoes of historical figures and articulating how they would have decided various courses of action. The structure thereby encourages the development of critical thinking skills in the context of an American history narrative.

Full-color photographs and illustrations, as well as historical works, add visual support to the Guided Reading Level "O" text. The book also includes a useful timeline, a "words to know" section, and sources for further reading. A free, downloadable teacher's guide is also available on the Enslow Classroom paperback website -- http://www.enslowclassroom.com -- or at www.enslow.com. The paperback edition is available for $7.95; the library-bound version is available to qualifying schools and libraries for $17.95.

Christmas Reading for Early Learners

If there were ever a "perfect" time to engage children with books, the Christmas season is it. The season's marvelous stories enchant children and encourage them to explore the world of their imaginations.

Christmas, a new title included in Enslow's "All About Holidays" series, continues in this wonderful tradition. Author Dorothy Goeller's 24-page title balances engaging text and full-color illustrations to create an engaging reading experience. The book's 6" x 7" trim size makes the tactile experience of reading -- turning pages, holding the book, seeing child-friendly type size -- approachable for pre-K students. Sight words and simple sentences provide a useful "way in" for kids to connect vocabulary with the holiday season in which they're immersed.

The library-bound version makes a fun, thoughtful gift for families, as well as a useful addition to a media center collection. Christmas is also published in a paperback edition ($6.95), which is ideal for classroom libraries or for supplemental classroom material resources. The title's value-added features include a free, downloadable teacher's guide. You'll find it at the Enslow Classroom website: http://www.enslowclassroom.com/.

Happy Birthday Rick Savage

Bass guitarist for the band Def Leppard, Rick Savage is celebrating his 50th birthday today. This founding member is a vocalist, plays keyboards, and the synthesizer for the band as well. He is also an avid soccer fan.

Interested in learning more about Def Leppard? Click here for the library bound version or here for the paperback version.

Holidays and Math Teaching Opportunities

The holidays present teachers and parents with excellent opportunities to teach young children about money and the mathematical principles associated with the season.

Enslow Publishers' six-book "I Like Money Math" series has the right stuff for older siblings, and adults need to teach and learn these fundamental concepts. Author Rebecca Wingard-Nelson's Guided Reading Level "K" text and clear examples provide an effective blend of language and content. Supporting illustrations lend each 24-page book essential, real-world visual context to the identification of coins and bills, as well as reinforcement of basic mathematical functions. One title in the series foucses on word problems, an area of particular significance for test preparation.

Value-added features for this series include free, downloadable teacher's guides for each title, state and national curricular correlations, and free worksheets for most titles. Books are available in paperback via Enslow Classroom for $6.95 per copy; "six-packs" of individual titles in this series are available at 10% discount from Enslow's list price. For more information and immediate ordering, visit the Enslow Classroom website: http://www.enslowclassroom.com/.

The series is also available in a library-bound format via http://www.enslow.com/.

Kanye West To Perform During Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Hip-hop star Kanye West, the subject of an Enslow Publishers biography, will be a featured performer during Macy's 84th annual Thanksgiving Day parade.

For young readers curious about West, Enslow's Kanye West: Hip-Hop Star provides an interesting, accurate narrative about the performer's life and career. Author Gretchen Weicker's 48-page, Guided Reading Level "T" book features a reader-friendly design, fun sidebars, a timeline, and a list of rewards. Reading teachers and literacy coaches will find Enslow's free, downloadable teacher's guide for the title a useful resource. The guide contains curriculum-based activities, background about West, and a reproducible activity.

The teacher's guide for Kanye West: Hip-Hop Star is available on the Enslow Classroom website. Enslow Classroom features paperback books suitable for supplemental classroom use and for classroom libraries. Each Enslow Classroom title includes a teacher's guide, reading level information, and in most cases, correlations to state and national curricular standards.

The Kanye West biography is also available in a library-bound edition via http://www.enslow.com/.

Gettysburg Address Anniversary This Week

The 147th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address will occur on Friday, November 19th. The National Park Service, which administers the Pennsylvania battlefield site, will hold an event to commemorate Abraham Lincoln's speech.

Teachers and librarians planning Gettysburg Address anniversary activities are encouraged to use Enslow Publishers' The Battle of Gettysburg: Would You Lead the Fight? Author Elaine Landau's 48-page, Guided Reading Level "O" title weaves the historical facts of the three-day Civil War battle into a stimulating, accurate rendition of the battle's events. Landau adds extra engagement by creating scenarios in which she invites readers to speculate on what they might have done if they had been in the shoes of Gettysburg's key personalities. Landau uses this speculative approach in this book and the other five books in Enslow's American history series "What Would You Do?"

Each title in this series is available in paperback as well as a library-bound edition.

For more information, and for free, downloadable teacher's guides for each book in the "What Would You Do?" series, visit the Enslow Classroom website -- http://www.enslowclassroom.com/. To obtain the teacher's guide for The Battle of Gettysburg, follow these instructions:

• go to http://www.enslowclassroom.com/
  
• click on "What Would You Do?"
  
• click on the title in which you're interested.
  
• the teacher's guide will appear as a PDF under the image of the book cover.

Enslow at NCTE/Booth 727; Free Book Offer

Help Enslow Publishers celebrate the launch of its classroom paperback brand – Enslow Classroom – at NCTE/Orlando!

Enslow Classroom’s leveled, curriculum-aligned nonfiction books offer pre-K to grade 12 teachers new solutions to print-rich classroom needs! To introduce Enslow Classroom , we want to give NCTE participants a free Enslow book.

How do you get your free book? Just bring this post to Booth 727 (near the Lounge). Not only will you receive your free book, but we’ll also give you an additional Enslow discount coupon!

We look forward to meeting you at NCTE!

LaDainian Tomlinson Equals Payton Record

National Football League and New York Jet star LaDainian Tomlinson recently reached two career milestones that place him in among the game's greatest players. The running back has now rushed for over 13,000 yards and caught passes for more than 4,000 yards. The only other running back to have matched those thresholds was the late Walter Payton.

In addition to their football accomplishments, Tomlinson and Payton were separately involved with charitable, off-field activities. For both players, their belief in "giving back" was matched by action. Enslow Publishers' biography of LaDainian Tomlinson discusses his philanthropic interests, and places them in the context of his exceptional professional career.

Author Craig Ellenport's LaDainian Tomlinson: All-Pro On and Off the Field discusses Tomlinson's life, the positive influences on his character, and how he combines athletic success with off-field achievements. This high-interest, 128 page title is available in paperback from Enslow Classroom, as well as Enslow's traditional, library-bound edition.

A free, downloadable teacher's guide is available for this Guided Reading Level "W" title.

Vote for Character Education with Enslow's "Molly the Great Respects the Flag"

November is filled with opportunities to proudly celebrate our nation, its character, and the responsibilities that come with freedom. Events such as Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving offer ready-made contexts for teaching and learning activities related to these holidays.

For young readers, a wonderful Enslow book that imaginatively addresses these issues is Molly the Great Repsects the Flag: A Book About Being A Good Citizen. Author Shelley Marshall's 24-page title provides a character driven narrative from which larger notions of citizenship emerge. The book’s Guided Reading Level "F" and lovely, watercolor-style illustrations invite readers to enjoy each page and absorb its message about civic responsibility. Molly the Great Respects the Flag also comes with a free, downloadable teacher’s guide, including curricular-based activities and a useful reproducible piece.

The book, included in Enslow’s "Character Education with Super Ben and Molly the Great" series, is available in paperback for $6.95. The title is also available in a library-bound version.

Visit www.enslowclassroom.com for more information and immediate ordering!

Last Chance for Free Halloween Craft

Are you on the lookout for a last-minute Halloween activity for your elementary school students? Have them add a skeleton craft to their repertoire of ghosts and goblins! We're offering a free skeleton craft from Haunted House Adventure Crafts, one of the five titles in Enslow Publsihers' new "Fun Adventure Crafts" series. Call Enslow Publishers now (800.398.2504) to learn how you can download this free Halloween craft.

Haunted House Adventure Crafts is available in paperback for $6.95 per copy. A library-bound edition is also available. Call Enslow Publishers today for more information, including ways to save money when you order books from author Anna Llimos' "Fun Adventure Crafts" series!