General | Reading Resource

How to Determine if a Book is Right for Your Child

There are rating systems for TV shows, movies, video games and CDs. However, people believe that children’s books are not rated. That is not true. There are various ways which you can discover the content of the children’s book and try to evaluate it to make sure that it is suitable for your child. Here’s a look at some ways which you can figure out the content of the children’s books.

Reviews. Book reviews have become increasingly popular with the invention of the Internet. There are hundreds of ways for readers to rate their experience with the book and discuss problems that they may have found with the book. If you are considering reading a book and wish to research’s review is you could always turn to book bloggers or independent reviews found on sites like good reads.

Children’s Book Award. There are dozens of children’s book awards that parents can use as a guideline for determining whether a book is suitable for the child or not. Book awards can vary from those designed to judge quality of writing and plot line, suitability for children or even just the overall book. The most famous types of children’s book awards are the Caldecott Medal And the Newberry Award. These are words are given to books that have child friendly themes, promote the intellectual development of children and have overall good writing.

Age Group Listing. Almost all children’s books now contain an age group listing which has been determined by the publishers. Parents can use this as a guideline to determine if they believe the book is suitable for their children’s age or not.

Filed Under: Books, General Tagged With: Book, Children, Children's literature

The Ease of Reading: Online Degree Programs

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The weight of a book is familiar in your hands, a comfort you won’t deny — but such comfort means little when forced to contend with tedious crowds and inept cashiers, the shriek of sales. A store is inexplicably busy, with strangers flocking in from all distances, taking advantage of the available pages. You wonder how many are like you: students trying to meet the demands of a reading list, gathering materials for class. It’s an expense you’ve come to expect, but it’s a hassle you’ll never approve of. And you pass the time by tallying all of the costs for this semester. They are considerable.

Reading is a joy you would never deny; but the difficulties in obtaining books for school can tame your delight. You devote more time to finding these stories than studying them. And too often you are forced to share the aisles with those who have no appreciation for the written word or its many meanings.

You think this can never change. You think there is nothing to be done.

You’re wrong.

Online degree programs offer an alternative to the usual bookshop stupor. They allow you to instead read with the aid of a computer, with many materials placed on websites and forums for your leisure. Material is suddenly made accessible, with you able to simply memorize it (instead of puttering down the road, moving from store to store until you find what you need).

Through virtual classrooms you are suddenly gifted with quick pages and easy searches. Text can be highlighted, copied and stored on your screen. There is no wince of shelves (already strained from the burden of so many books). There is no debate of dollars (wondering if you can ignore dinner to purchase another novel). There’s just an online simplicity.

Seek an education without the usual frustration. Find the words you love without the expected worry.

Filed Under: Book Distribution, General, Literature, Reading Tagged With: Academic degree, Distance education, E-learning, Education, Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Online degrees, Psychology

Understanding Value: Online Undergraduate Programs

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There is sanity in pages. There is comfort in words. Books have been your familiar companions, following you throughout the many trials of your life. Each story is a reminder of a sacred moment; each journal is a glimpse into history. You have devoted years to understanding the weight of ink, the origami found in spinal creases. There is no greater sensation than the discovery of a new tale.

And because of this you have sworn never to consider online undergraduate programs. The computer, you know, is an impersonal thing — lacking all charm, all dust smeared elegance. It offers information but no feeling; and a keyboard is a shallow ally when compared to a chapter. Virtual classes therefore offer no appeal. They would deny you your precious books. They would steal all of your joy.

They don’t have to.

The value of online programs is in their convenience. They require no travel. They demand no on-site visits. You can instead experience an entire semester from the comfort of your home. This does not seem worthy to you, however, if it means you must abandon your fables.

You can keep them instead, because books are still needed for these courses. While some materials may be placed on forums or websites, there will still be ample opportunities to purchase other works. You won’t have to sacrifice your love of reading. You will instead simply gain the ease of indulging yourself from your living room — all while discovering more time for your pages. You’ll no longer be forced to waste hours shuttling between campuses, ignoring the traffic blares as you drive home. Instead you can claim those minutes for your own, dedicating them to what you love best: books.

Virtual classes offer immense rewards. They are not to be confused for the replacements of reading. They’re instead to be understood as the complements to learning.

Filed Under: Books, General Tagged With: Book, Business school, Criminal justice, Education, Graduate school, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Undergraduate education, US News and World Report

Not Everything is Good to Have

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As a shopaholic, sometimes I find it a little bit hard to stop getting things. After all, we do live in a world where you can get all kinds of great things. Sometimes, though, there’s a little bit too much of a selection of neat things to choose from. As the old saying goes, sometimes discretion is the better part of value (and having more money for the things that you really want in life). When you shop a lot like I do, this is even more the case. For instance, can you imagine if I wandered onto the wrong site, and started buying all sorts of gambling equipment?

One time I stumbled on to one of those “gamer” forums. Apparently, the kind of dice most people play craps with (which they call a D6, because it has six sides) are actually just one of about a dozen different kinds of dice you can buy. You can get anything from a D4 (yep, four sides) all the way up to a D100 (which I’m sure has a use – just not one that I can think of). I left that site with more questions than answers, that’s for sure. But that’s not the only thing I can think of that might not be an appropriate use of my time and money.

I’ve also found out that custom poker tables and roulette wheels are for sale. While it would probably be neat to be able to sit down at one of those and play your friends, it just doesn’t sound like a good influence for my children. After all, it won’t be long with them seeing us having a good time at it before they start wanting to gamble. I just don’t see a situation like that going very well, even with the best of intentions. So I think that this time, I can actually restrain myself well.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Dice, Gambling, Games

Online College Degrees Promote Reading and Literacy

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Reading is very important, but too many people don’t see the value in reading and how much it will affect what they do in life. They see literacy as something that won’t really be needed – with the exception of certain jobs where it’s required. No matter what career path you’re on, though, reading is more than just a means to an end. It can provide you with joy, excitement, and all kinds of hobbies that you hadn’t thought about before. Even if reading isn’t a hobby – most hobbies require a reasonable ability to read so you can learn about them.

If you don’t read that well and you’re uncomfortable about it, there are ways you can get some help without needing to feel embarrassed. Online college degrees are an option, because you don’t have to leave your home and sit in a classroom where your weakness in literacy will be revealed to your classmates. Instead, you can learn to improve your reading online, through remedial courses. Once you’ve gotten your reading up to a good level, you can then go ahead with your other coursework and get your degree. There are many options for online degrees today, and there are a lot of schools that offer them.

Make sure you choose a school that’s willing to work with you, so you don’t have to worry about having a problem after you’ve paid your money and signed up. If you choose a reputable school, you can also get financial aid and extra help with your reading concerns. When you’ve completed your education you’ll not only have the confidence that brings but you’ll have the option to use that degree to embark on a career that you really enjoy. Both your work and your hobbies will be easier and more fulfilling because you’re able to read well and enjoy so much more.

Filed Under: Book Distribution, General, Readers Tagged With: Academic degree, Business school, Distance education, E-learning, Education, Literacy, Online degrees, Reading

Distance Learning: The Future of Education

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The new and wonderful world of online education is allowing people to gain access to a number of distance learning degrees they otherwise would not be able to attain. In recent years, the number of people attaining degrees online has risen dramatically. This is due to several factors. Innovations in technology have allowed people to be connected to their universities and professors in a way that they have never been able to before, allowing them to be virtually anywhere in the world while taking courses.

Bandwidth capacity has allowed full lectures to be recorded and streamed simultaneously to points across the globe. This opened up the gateway to a huge array of coursework and degree opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. University libraries and online libraries have been able to utilize technology to allow a majority of their material to be accessible online and therefore accessible to students all over the world. The fact that online degrees are losing their stigma as being second rate and are competing with some of the best in house degrees in the country is an added bonus.

Many experts are starting to believe that getting an online degree is at times more beneficial to students entering such a technology driven work environment. It forces the student to rely on her own research and resources, as well as forcing her to take the initiative to stay connected via technology to be successful. This encapsulated experience is believed to be much more representative of a real-world business situation where a major part of business dealings and communications are handled virtually through email, phone calls, and telecommunication.

While a typical college experience is enviable, the truth of the matter is that a Hollywood college experience no longer exists. Today’s students, whether attending online classes or real-world classes, heavily rely on the online experience to guide and navigate them to their final goal.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Distance education, E-learning, Education, Hollywood, Online degrees, Student, Technology, Western Governors University

The Addiction of Reading

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Despite doom-saying studies that no one in the younger generation is reading anymore, millions of folks still fall “victim” to good books. It’s the best kind of addiction to have, and you know the symptoms. Watch for the telltale sign: “I just couldn’t put it down!”

Reading, in all seriousness, is a study and a statement all at the same time. Humans learn from the books they read, in some way or another. They can learn facts, they can gain understanding into other schools of thought, they can teach their minds to think and imagine in ways they wouldn’t have dreamed of a few pages before. But by picking up a book and reading, a person is also making the statement that they want more than what is in their life. That’s not a bad thing. Not everyone can be a CIA agent, but everyone CAN read Tom Clancy. A person might not be involved in a mystery regarding a huge fortune, but he CAN live that exciting life by proxy through Ellen Raskin’s book, The Westing Game.

Surrounding yourself with good books is one of the best choices you can make. Trolling old secondhand shops for new reads and exploring bookshops for something to curl up with are as much joyful journeys as actually finding that perfect book. The most dedicated bibliophiles always gasp in exasperation at themselves when they go into a used bookshop for one book and come out with 15. When you get to that point, you’ll be needing to look into debt consolidation services just to cover your booking buying. But again, it’s a great addiction to have.

Reading is one of the great ways in which people learn, and everyone will continue to record their knowledge in the written word for future generations to learn and grow from.

Filed Under: Authors, Book Distribution, General Tagged With: Central Intelligence Agency, Ellen Raskin, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Learning, Reading, Shopping, Tom Clancy, Westing Game

Reading Well Is Vital for the GMAT Prep

If you’re planning on going to law school, you’ll need to take a standardized test called the LSAT. In order to do well on that test, it’s advised to take an gmat prep course. That way you can spot any weaknesses you have and address them before you actually take the test. One of the things you’ll need to be able to do well for this prep course and the test is read. Reading is so very important to almost anything you do in life. Sadly, a lot of people don’t take it seriously. They don’t learn to read well in school, so when they get to college they really struggle with both speed and comprehension.

No matter where you are when it comes to reading, you can improve. If you’re already a good reader you might not need to work on it very much. If you’re not strong when it comes to reading — either because it takes you a long time to read something or you have trouble comprehending it (or both) — there is plenty of help for you. Even if it makes you uncomfortable, get yourself into a remedial reading course that fits the level you’re on.

You’ll have a lot of opportunity to improve, and working hard can help you see that improvement relatively quickly. It won’t be necessary for you to continue to struggle that way, and you won’t have any more worries about whether you can read well and handle anything that’s handed to you in college. You don’t want to struggle on the LSAT or in your classes because it takes you too long to read something, or because you have trouble with understanding or misreading things. It’s an easy fix, so start tackling it today.

Filed Under: General, Readers Tagged With: GMAT prep

Use Subscription.com to Save Money on Reference Software

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Reference software can be expensive. It can cost anywhere from $40 to $100; high-end software like encyclopedias can cost even more. If you need 20 different kinds of software for your reference library, you see how the cost quickly adds up. Some reference software provides regular updates and so, requires ongoing fees.

There are a variety of ways to save money when it’s time to invest in reference software. Subscription.com is a great resource that will help you use reference software without having to pay too much for it. Most people do not use each piece of software constantly throughout the day. So, a time-based subscription system makes a lot of sense. At subscription-based websites, you can compare the prices of software, choose what you need, and subscribe to use the software for a few dollars. Your cost will be way less than what you would have paid if you had actually purchased the reference software.

The way this works is that the company that offers the subscription arranges with the software vendor to buy multiple user licenses at a retail price. It then offers this cost savings to a large number of users, playing a volume game where low margins and high volumes create a workable solution for both the supplier and the subscribers. It is also good for the software vendors because they are able to access thousands of users using the go-between supplier. It is a win-win situation for all concerned, and therefore, the business of software subscription is in a good growth phase right now.

There are some free reference sources available, but everyone knows that free stuff never adds up to what you need. So, keep your referencing costs low by using subscriptions.

Filed Under: General, Reference Tagged With: Business, Retailers, Subscription business model

Banned Books are Best: A List of 10 Banned Books for your Benefit

Throughout history, books have been banned from being viewed from the public eye. Either considered dangerous, harmful or too thought-provoking, these books have had to hang in the darkness. Well, now take judgment for yourself!

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” by Erich Maria Remarque
A classic early Twentieth Century read, Erich Maria Remarque’s chilling novel about the terrors of World War One was banned by Adolph Hitler. No doubt trying to erase the idea that war might be nasty, Hitler claimed that the book was offensive to Germans, even though Remarque was German himself. The book not only tells its own amazing story of soldiers and their later detachment from normal society but also set the stage for war authors throughout the Twentieth Century.

“Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” by D.H. Lawrence
Banned in the United States and the United Kingdom, the book openly portrays the protagonist taking on a lover, as the title suggests, and in frank detail, deals with the sexual appetites of Lady Chatterley. Despite its seemingly salacious material, D.H. Lawrence deals with this theme intellectually and delicately, and in beautiful prose. It took nearly thirty years for publication to be open; however, despite being widely available now, it is still a treasure amongst any book collection.

“The Davinci Code,” by Dan Brown
The international hit is not a hit amongst devout Catholics. The Catholic Church has denounced the book for its critical tone of the Catholic Church and suggestions that there exists a Christian conspiracy. Because of this, Lebanon has banned the book from sale. Despite this, Dan Brown’s book enjoys extreme commercial success because of its fast and exciting plot and the creatively woven thrill ride. The thrills and chills that Dan Brown delivers are what is great about “The Davinci Code,” not so much the history and arguments it makes.

These books – and their authors – all found a way to get themselves into hot water. However, be thankful that they’re available because they each hold a special treasure that has shone throughout the years as they continue to be distributed.

Filed Under: Books, General Tagged With: Banned Books, Catholic Church, World War I