Roger's heard that "middle school isn't for wimps," and that scares him! Since he's just eleven, mixed-race, short for his age, as well as new to the school, he's worried that the other kids might think he's just a wimp. Maybe they'd be right - maybe he is a wimp! It doesn't help one bit that two of the meanest bullies in the school single him out as their number one target. He also has the strictest teacher at school, and at home, he has to put up with his bratty kid sister. He hopes his new friends, Reeves Boggs (nicknamed Booger) and Theresa Montaigne, the new girl at school who has a secret, can help him survive the challenges of being in 6th grade - dealing with bullies, racial and transgender prejudices, and discovering who the "Halloween witch" who lives in his neighborhood really is. Together the three of them discover what it's like growing up and surviving middle school.

This is collection of over 25 fun, creative projects for teaching math grades 3-8. Each lesson plan is complete with handout masters and answer keys. Students will have fun learning math as they build a rubber band race car, create a math journal, go on a treasure hunt, learn from Bible math. These are just a few of the fun, hands-on projects that were developed and refined in the classroom by an award-winning teacher. These projects will engage students and promote their understanding of the math concepts as well as provide exciting memorable experiences. Students never forget doing these creative math projects! This is a publication of Integer Jim's Math Squad -- mathsquad.com.

From the Bronze Age mariners of the Mediterranean to contemporary sailors using satellite-based technologies, the history of navigation at sea, the art of finding a position and setting a course, is fascinating. The scientific and technological developments that have enabled accurate measurements of position were central to exploration, trade, and the opening up of new continents, and the resulting journeys taken under their influence have had a profound influence on world history. In this Very Short Introduction Jim Bennett looks at the history of navigation, starting with the distinctive cultures of navigation that are defined geographically - the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. He shows how the adoption of mathematical methods, the use of instruments, the writing of textbooks and the publication of charts all combined to create a more standardised practice. Methods such as longitude-finding by chronometer and lunar distance were complemented by the routine business of recording courses and reckoning position 'by account'. Bennett also introduces the incredible array of instruments relied on by sailors, from astrolabes, sextants, and chronometers, to our more modern radio receivers, electronic equipment, and charts, and highlights the crucial role played by the individual qualities of endeavour and resourcefulness from mathematicians, scientists, and seamen in finding their way at sea. The story of navigation combines the societal, the technical, and the human, and it was vital for shaping the modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Three true-to-life, sixth grade friends encounter bullies, racial and transgender prejudice, and the untimely death of an admired adult. This inspiring story tells how they find their way through the many challenges of life in middle school. The message is one of encouragement and hope. In the end, they are the champions. Written by a middle school teacher with over twenty years experience. Age: 11 and up

Calligraphy means "beautiful writing," and this book will show you how to do it. All you have to do is follow the easy, trace and copy examples! This how-to, beginner's instruction book is written for all ages and will guide you to master your skill in this ancient and beautiful art! The book, penned entirely in a calligraphic hand, begins with an explanation of how to select the right pens, inks, and paper. Next, it introduces you to the Italic alphabet, a beautiful and highly versatile alphabet. After that, there are sections on Blackletter (particularly useful for certificates) and three more useful alphabets (Roman, Bookhand, and Uncial). The book ends with lessons on how to use calligraphy in creative projects from certificates to posters to maps. This is a simple, straight-forward and profusely illustrated calligraphy practice book. The author, Jim Bennett, wrote Calligraphy For Dummies and is also the founder of the Calligraphy WebRing. His website is www.studioarts.net.

There's a lot of math in the Bible! Even so, it's not easy to integrate the Bible into math lessons - especially in middle school and the higher grades. "Bible Math Collection 1" is a cost-saving collection of 5 Bible Math lesson plans which includes math lessons about the Creation, Noah's Ark, Ark of the Covenant, King Solomon's Pool, and Gideon's Army. This book is all about projects. Projects provide a venue for cooperative learning, creativity, and real-life applications. They often provide a "springboard" for thoughtful classroom discussions. Projects are memorable learning experiences. Long after students have forgotten the typical lessons or even the exam, they will remember working on projects. Projects are fun.

Here's an adventure with math puzzles woven into an exciting story that will hold students' attention! It's a fun activity that teachers and parents can use to help students master solving word problems while covering Common Core Standards. Written at a 6th - 7th grade reading level and presented in small, one-page bites, every page challenges the reader with a math word problem which must be reasoned through and solved correctly. The problems, covering general math, include all the operations of arithmetic, place value, fractions, decimals, percents, exponents, integers, scientific notation, measurement conversions, and geometry. The story, written and illustrated by Jim Bennett, chronicles the adventures of the wizard, Galimedes and his two helpers (a gnome and an elf) who must recover the lost scrolls of time and seasons. They find themselves in many perilous situations as they battle a phantom knight, a giant, the Minotaur, an evil magician, and a witch. Galimedes even travels to a parallel world!

This book is a suspenseful fantasy for middle grade readers that has math puzzles woven throughout. The story tells of the adventures of the good wizard, Galimedes (a combination of the names, Galileo and Archimedes), and his two faithful helpers who must recover the lost scrolls of time and seasons. The story is packed full of action and suspense. Every page presents the reader with a math puzzle which must be solved correctly. The reason: the pages of the story are scrambled, and the answer to the math puzzle on each page reveals the number of the next page to be read. There is also a hidden secret message which can be found by stringing together the first letters on each of the pages when they are read in the correct order. Solving the puzzles makes for an adventure inside an adventure. Great for math teachers, tutors, and parents who want to inspire young people to see that math can be fun. A great gift for the young person who loves fantasies that present a challenge.

Bernarr Macfadden (1868 - 1955) was the one person in the early twentieth century most responsible for creating a health and fitness consciousness across America and helping Americans emerge from a puritanical mentality. Macfadden was the self-proclaimed "Father of Physical Culture," and a flamboyant personality, true visionary, millionaire publisher, and life-long advocate of physical fitness, natural food, outdoor exercise, and the natural treatment of disease. He was branded a "kook" and a charlatan by many, was arrested on obscenity charges, denounced by the medical establishment, and campaigned tirelessly against "pill-pushers," processed foods, and prudery. This pictorial history of Macfadden's extraordinary life - from his earliest years as a sickly child through the years of his fame and success, contains hundreds of rare photos from the pages of his books and magazines, as well as pictures of his health sanitariums, a failed Utopian health community, and his "physical culture" family.

God loves humor Smile--at A Nod to God with its easy-to-read, lighthearted poems about key Bible characters--their lives, their situations, and their places in the history of the Bible as they are translated into verse. Laugh--as the humor in these poems targets the human side of the characters, who come alive on the pages to show how their weaknesses, strengths, and flaws are part of their spiritual faith. Enjoy--illustrations by accomplished artist, Jim Bennett; the author's photos; and short profiles of each Bible character. A Nod to God is a pleasure to read, teasing you to read the Bible in a fresh, new way.

This little book shows how to write in the actual style of Leonardo da Vinci. Although written for young people (age 10 and up), LeonardoScript would certainly enable an adult to acquire a distinctively elegant handwriting style. There are numerous practice pages. The entire book is penned in the style of Leonardo. Preview this unique book!

Calligraphy means "beautiful writing," and this book will show you how to do it. All you have to do is follow the easy, trace and copy examples! This how-to, beginner's instruction book is written mainly with "creative kids" in mind (age 10 and up) but will help anyone of any age to develop skill in this art! The book, penned entirely in a calligraphic hand, begins with an explanation of how to select the right pens, inks, and paper. Next, it introduces you to the Italic alphabet, a beautiful and highly versatile alphabet. After that, there are sections on Blackletter (particularly useful for certificates) and drawn letters. The book ends with an impressive list of creative projects the reader can work on. This is a simple, straight-forward and profusely illustrated calligraphy practice book. The author, Jim Bennett, wrote Calligraphy For Dummies and is also the founder of the Calligraphy WebRing. His website is www.studioarts.net.

This little book (suitable for ages 10 and up) shows step-by-step how to create an authentic-looking, pirate treasure map. The instructions are simple, easy-to-follow, and expertly illustrated. It also has instructions on how to play a pirate treasure hunt game. The last section contains examples of old maps and some fantasy maps of fictional locations. The author is a middle school teacher who has used map-making projects with his students. He is the author of several other books.

A math-can-be-fun facsimile of a completely handmade 210-page math journal. It can be used by teachers as an example to inspire students to create their own fun journals while learning math. The journal has 4 types of content: 1. Instructional content which is similar to lecture notes. 2. Pages where students research various subjects on the Internet. These pages include history, biographies, and topics of interest. 3. Diagrams, charts, and illustrations. 4. Pages of the students' choice where they select the math-related topic. Although this is an algebra journal, it can be used as an example for any subject where the teacher wants to inspire students to make a similar journal. The author, Jim Bennett, is an award-winning teacher, artist, and author. He has also written numerous other books on how to make math fun as well as books on calligraphy.

The Adventure Express Game teacher's guide presents a fun way to incorporate cooperative learning activities and hands-on projects into a math/science curriculum. The game also has a classroom management component which helps the teacher keep students on task.The Adventure Express, used alongside an existing math/science curriculum, adds a sense of adventure, excitement, and fun. The premise is the students are riding a train which takes them to different adventure sites. Each adventure is a project which is either selected by the teacher or drawn at random from a set of cards. The game is designed for grades 5 through 7. This teacher's manual comes with instructions and worksheets for 30 suggested projects. Classroom tested by an award-winning middle school math teacher.