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Book reviews

For teachers

Excellent e-overview

Teachers face many pressures, time and money being two. This new venture helps on both fronts. It’s an Ebook – you download it to where you’ll find it most useful.

Part of a series, it offers a concise and informative read. If the author revises the book it’ll even amend your copy. Provides an excellent overview of education today.

Lee Ryder

Quick Look At Education by Alan Pritchard. Quicklook Books. £2.99. www.quicklookbooks.com

Guardian angels

This collection of columns taken from Guardian Education examines a variety of topics in an incisive and wry manner, sometimes comedic and always thought-provoking.

Areas covered include class, literature, politics and policy, ICT, pedagogy, performance and the learning environment.

Good application of common sense combined with a view that teachers are a priceless resource that can balance top-down edicts from politicians make this collection an invaluable read.

Len Parkin

Bad Education: The Guardian Columns by Phil Beadle. Crown House. £11.70 p/b. ISBN 9781845906832.

The value of play

This is an ambitious book taking on a complex issue. It asks the question, do we push our children into education too young and do we forget the value of play?

The book is divided into 23 chapters, with contributions coming from various educational angles.

The different voices offer achievable ideas that could well provide you with a number of ways that will improve not only your pupils’ results, but also their self-esteem and wellbeing.

LR

Too Much, Too Soon? Early learning and the erosion of childhood. Richard House (Ed). Hawthorn Press. £20.00 p/b. ISBN 1907359028.

For pupils

Getting the job

Taking a cross- section of everyday jobs, from chef to forensic scientist, this series offers an in-depth exploration of various careers. Each book contains a mix of personal statements, background information and a detailed look at the routines and challenges of a day’s work, as well as training and other aspects.

Attractively presented, the books would be enjoyed by KS2-KS3 children. They are refreshingly readable and would be a valuable addition to any school library.

Nicky Illsley

What’s it like to be a…? Zoo Keeper by Elizabeth Dowen and Lisa Thompson. A&C Black. £9.99 p/b. ISBN 9781408128749. (17 titles in the series).

Slapstick fun

With more than a flavour of Frankenstein, this book is fast paced and relentless.

The evil Professor Perfidious is secretly creating life using ‘transmutation’, no matter how hideous the result or who he hurts to achieve his goal.

The unlikely heroine Tiffany – a boy-obsessed teenager – takes everything in her stride. The book is full of slapstick humour guaranteed to keep youngsters, especially boys, amused.

NI

Nightmare at Trowsers Down by Michael Cox. A&C Black. £4.99 p/b. ISBN 9781408113349.

Targeting times tables

This book is supposed to help children with learning their times tables, but it is more accessible to parents and teachers as the explanations and useful tips give the reader interesting facts about the tables.

The most useful part of the book is the table at the end, which gives you short cuts to help you learn your tables and tests to ensure you have learnt them.

Shirin Cooke

Targeting Times Tables by Shahn Ahmad. AuthorHouse Publishing. £10.89 p/b. ISBN 9781456777180.