Go beyond the typical ABCs with a foray into unusual vocabulary in this illustrated dictionary for wordsmiths of all ages. A is for apple? B is for ball? Humbug! Forget about that hackneyed gobbledygook. In this lexicon of linguistic delights, word lovers of all ages will discover that A is for alley-oop, B is for brouhaha, and L is for, well, lollygag! Packed with quirky illustrations, fun trivia, and lists within lists, this is one humdinger of a dictionary.

Covering more than 300 alphabet books with topic, content area, grade level, text structure, and instructional value indexing, this extensive resource guide includes bibliographic information and brief summaries of each selection as well as a chapter devoted to the unique uses of alphabet books within ELL classrooms. Alphabet books are perfect for establishing introductory lessons and serve as a starting point for project ideas. Alphabet Books: The K–12 Educators' Power Tool is ideal for school and public librarians as well as teachers who need to meet specific learning standards. The indexing by topic, grade level, and content area helps in finding just the right book for the aligned instructional objective. Some 300-plus alphabet books are additionally categorized according to the complexity of the text structure. Featured books for three grade level categories (Pre K–2, 3–6, and 7–12) are accompanied by instructional strategies to use with these books. Images of the finished student projects for every described strategy are included to clarify the instructional values. A chapter that focuses on the use of alphabet books in the English language learners' classroom offers strategies for the specific needs of this student group.

The Fourth Edition of Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas: Enhancing Knowledge in the Disciplines provides readers with the knowledge, motivation, tools, and confidence for integrating literacy in their disciplinary classrooms. Offering an original, literature-based approach to teaching disciplinary literacy, the new edition shares important ways in which teachers of courses in the disciplines can enhance student learning of subject matter and skills while also fostering their growth in the many facets of literacy. Throughout each chapter, Kane provides engaging and creative strategies and activities to make literacy come alive in discipline-specific courses and to encourage students to explore and learn in the classroom. Embedded in each chapter are examples, resources, and strategies to help readers actively engage with and implement literacy practices. These features include Teaching in Action examples by subject area; Activating Prior Knowledge activities to stimulate critical thinking to prepare readers to learn complex theoretical and conceptual material about teaching, learning, and literacy; and end-of-chapter Application Activities to apply field experiences to classroom use. New to the Fourth Edition Every chapter of this new edition is updated to reflect the current approaches, standards, and benchmarks for discipline-specific literacy. Enhanced Companion Website with BookTalks to introduce relevant books in many genres and subjects, encouraging readers to explore the books for themselves and providing a model for BookTalks in their own classrooms. Expanded practical instructional strategies for teaching literacy in math, science, and social studies. Updated to include newly published titles in children’s literature, young adult literature, and nonfiction.

Finally, a book to help educators promote sure-fire reading pleasers to boy readers in grades 3–12! Scary, Gross, and Enlightening: Books for Boys Grades 3-12 is the helpful new reference handbook for educators looking for just the right books to captivate the imaginations of boys in a way that makes reading fun as well as effective. In chapters than span the full range of categories and genres, Scary, Gross, and Enlightening surveys the latest and greatest titles aimed at boys in the primary and secondary grades, including nonfiction, graphic novels, mystery and adventure, sports, sci-fi and fantasy, humor, history, books that were made into movies, read-aloud titles, and classic works that have stood the test of time. Each chapter suggests a number of appropriate and delightful titles on a specific theme and includes listings of corresponding websites, reproducible lessons, and activities. The book also provides lists of professional titles to support each chapter's theme, as well as research-based strategies for teaching with the suggested books.

Designers, especially design students, rarely have access to children or their worlds when creating products, images, experiences and environments for them. Therefore, fine distinctions between age transitions and the day-to-day experiences of children are often overlooked. Designing for Kids brings together all a designer needs to know about developmental stages, play patterns, age transitions, playtesting, safety standards, materials and the daily lives of kids, providing a primer on the differences in designing for kids versus designing for adults. Research and interviews with designers, social scientists and industry experts are included, highlighting theories and terms used in the fields of design, developmental psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology and education. This textbook includes more than 150 color images, helpful discussion questions and clearly formatted chapters, making it relevant to a wide range of readers. It is a useful tool for students in industrial design, interaction design, environmental design and graphic design with children as the main audience for their creations.

Type, Form, and Function is a useful, comprehensive typography resource that both students and professional designers should have in their library. It looks at the influences of modern typography and symbols going back through time and examines certain type treatments and movements in design and logo types. It focuses on how type works and emphasizes typographic fundamentals, while touching on logo/logotype design and page layout (print and interactive). This book promises to guide designers through the visual typographic clutter to make their designed messages more meaningful.

You can't judge a book by its cover, or so the saying goes. We beg to differ. Each of us is exposed to several thousand messages a day. To be successful, covers not only have to stand out amongst all the clutter, but they also need to make an instant connection with viewers. Designing covers isn't an easy task. It's a minefield of requirements, constraints, and subjective opinions, oftentimes resulting in what we like to call the “design-by-committee pit of despair.� Make the logo bigger. The CEO's daughter doesn't like orange; change it. The sales team begins art directing. Welcome to the land of mediocrity. We've all been there, and it requires ninja-like skills to traverse and emerge in one piece. Despite the challenges, some covers clearly rise to the top. You can't help but pick up the magazine, open the brochure, or buy the book. They draw you in through their cleverness, simplicity, or boldness. These are the covers contained herein. Of the more than 2,000 covers received, the authors had the dubious task of selecting about 350 to be featured in The Best of Cover Design. The chosen covers were selected based on their initial visual impact and effectiveness in conveying the message within. It is an inspiration feast for the eyes.