Monday, June 30, 2008

A Beka Plane Geometry (Text Only)

Here's that third geometry text that I mentioned the other day. This book is fine for learning geometric principles, but the exercises in it are not going to do you much good without the Text Solution Key.

That's why this text would be most valuable if you're teaching more than one child Plane Geometry. (I was very glad each of my kids had their own copy back when we did geometry.) This extra copy means your kids don't have to share a book. Ideally, you'd want to order it with one of the sets I posted over the past two days.

This book is softcover, has 426 pages, was printed in 1995 and is in very good condition. Sorry, this one's sold.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

A Beka Plane Geometry Set w/o Test/Quiz Key

This is the same set as I posted yesterday, except that it does not include the Test/Quiz Key. So this pair of books is an entire geometry course without the tests.

The text is in very good condition, as is the Text/Solution Key, which is very large because it includes the full solution (with illustrations) to every proof in the text.

This is the ideal set for someone who wants the full course but isn't into tests.

As with the books I posted yesterday, these books are softcover and each has 400-500 pages. Sorry, this set is sold.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

A Beka Plane Geometry Set

Wouldn't you know, the week the teacher began explaining geometric proofs in my high school geometry class, I came down with mononucleosis! (No, I wasn't one of those kind of girls...just unlucky.) For the next three weeks, my friend Clarice brought me our geometry homework assignments so I could work on them from my sickbed. They might have been written in Chinese for all that I could make sense of them.

Once I was well, I had to make after-school visits to the geometry classroom, where the teacher walked me through the entire proof process. It took several visits, as I recall, but it finally made enough sense that I didn't flunk the class.

Fast-forward to today. I think geometry proofs are way cool, and my kids think I'm nuts. But having taught geometry to three kids over the past ten years, I've had some practice with it and like it better than ever!

I taught geometry to my two older kids at the same time, which explains why I have two copies of the same text. (It doesn't explain the third copy, though! I'll be posting those spare texts over the next two days.)

Anyway, today I'm posting my only full set of A Beka Plane Geometry. It includes the text (1996), the solution key (1997) and the test/quiz book and key (1999). Don't worry about the different print dates; they all go together. And of course, geometry is one of those subjects that doesn't change, so the age of the text doesn't matter anyway.

The text does not have answers in it; you'll find those in the solution key, which also contains full illustrations and explanations of the proofs (it's a big book!). The test/quiz key includes all tests with the answers on them, so if you do use the tests, you'll need to photocopy them with post-its strategically placed over the answer blanks. (Note: there is a bit of writing on a few pages in the test/quiz key.)

All three books in this set are softcover. The text has 426 pages, the text solution key looks to have 4-500 pages (it's numbered by section) and the test/quiz key looks like it has 100-125 pages. The first two are in very good condition; the third is in good condition. Sorry....this set is sold.

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Study Guide by Progeny Press

This was one of our favorite literature studies. The Progeny Press study guide series is awesome to begin with, and of course The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is such a good book.

Homeschooling parents love study guides from Progeny Press because they're comprehensive without being burdensome to the parent. The answers are in the back of the book, so the exercises are easy to correct.

This guide begins with a synopsis of the novel and an author bio, then offers some pre-reading activities for use before the actual study guide exercises.

This book is in the original smaller format, which is nice because the student uses a separate piece of paper, so you can reuse the guide with younger children later on (which is what I did). The new format is larger, provides room for the child to write his/her answers in it (thus is not reusable), and retails for $16.99, although Rainbow Resource has discounted it to $13.75.

This book is softcover, has 46 pages, was printed in 1993 and is in good condition. Sorry....this one's sold.
P.S. Please note that this is only the study guide; the novel itself is not included.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Keep Scrollin'

It's been a busy week here. Many of the books I've posted have sold. In fact, most of the books I posted over the last three weeks now sit on the bookshelves of their new owners, or are on their way there. Thank you, buyers!

That said, there are still a few books available. You just have to keep scrollin' until you find them. They're the ones I posted before I began telling people about this blog. So, if you're looking for a book that encourages stay-at-home moms, a book full of simple science experiments, or you need help teaching your developmentally delayed child, you've come to the right place.

And, of course, I have more books to post, so do keep checking back :)

Exploring Creation with General Science Set

This textbook and solution/test key is a basic 9th grade science course and part of the popular Apologia series written by Dr. Jay Wile. It has a Christian emphasis.

The Apologia series was not available when I was homeschooling my older kids, so this textbook was only used by my daughter. As a result, both the textbook and the solution/test key are in excellent, like-new condition.

The textbook is hardbound, printed in 2003, and has 434 pages. The solution/test key is softbound, printed in 2003 and has 107 pages. I paid $65 for the textbook and $20 for the solution/test key. Sorry....this one's sold.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Home School Manual

What's very yellow, the size of a phone book and packed with homeschool information? This book!

The Home School Manual has been one of the most popular homeschooling guides to come down the pike, and for good reason. It's filled with lots of good, basic homeschooling information, by authors including Brian Ray, Marilyn Rockett, Virginia Birt Baker and of course, Raymond and Dorothy Moore.

This book is softcover, printed in 1993, has 512 pages and is in excellent condition. Sorry...this one's sold.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Adventures in Greatness: Speed and Comprehension Reader

My kids always liked these readers from A Beka because they liked competing with themselves to get the best time and comprehension score for the reading passages found in the book.

This particular copy held up through three kids, because I had them do the questions on a separate piece of paper instead of writing in the book. I think these readers are great for increasing kids' comprehension of what they read.

This particular reader is appropriate for kids in grades 6-7 or so. It is softcover, printed in 1992, has 136 pages and is in fair condition (cover has creases and tape on edge; interior is in great shape). Sorry....this one's sold.

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Mayflower Pilgrims

This book is a reprint (by Christian Liberty Press) of the classic textbook of the same name. It details the lives of the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower, and is appropriate for grades 8-12, or can be read aloud to younger children.

This book was printed in 1993, is softcover, has 256 pages and is in excellent condition. Sorry....this one's sold.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Exploring Christian Literature

If you're familiar with Christian Liberty Academy in Illinois, you may know that in addition to being a private Christian school, CLA also has a correspondence school that is favored by many homeschoolers because of its rigorous study requirements. In order to maintain a high standard of quality, the organization publishes many of the textbooks it uses under the name Christian Liberty Press.

This particular text is meant for 8th and 9th graders. There are a few comprehension questions at the end of some of the stories, but we never had a key because we used the correspondence school and they did the correcting. Christian Liberty Press still publishes this book, so if you really needed a key, I'm sure they could sell you one.

This book is softcover, printed in 1994, has 245 pages and is in good condition. Sorry....this one's sold.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Johnny STILL Can't Read---But You Can Teach Him at Home

It might be hard for today's young parents to understand just how revolutionary a concept teaching your children to read used to be. For many years, the schools had a monopoly on this; the common wisdom was that you didn't teach your child to read because you might do it wrong. You waited for the child to go to school so he'd learn "the right way" to learn to read.

Ah, the "good" old days. Nowadays, parents heave a sigh of relief when their offspring graduate from public high school with a reading level above grade five.

Anyway, this book lays out an argument for why parents should teach their children to read and how to do it. It includes a spelling and reading list of words to get you started, plus lots of specific tips for teaching phonics. That's right, I forgot to mention this book is for teaching your child to read using phonics. The only place you'll see the phrase "sight words" here is the list of words that cannot be sounded out phonetically, like "ought."

This book is paperback, has 75 pages, was printed in 1979 and is in very good condition. Sorry...this one's sold.

Friday, June 20, 2008

What Do I Do Monday?

The late John Holt was a teacher who became famous for his on-the-job studies of children and how they learn. He eventually became one of the pioneers of unschooling, and the magazine he published, Growing Without Schooling, was a wonderful resource for those of us just starting to homeschool in the 1980s and 1990s. In the "About the Author" section of this book, he said, "Like most people, I spent some time in schools, but most of my real education has taken place before school, outside school and since school."

This book contains Holt's detailed description of the teaching techniques he used when he taught school. This book was out of print for quite a while before being reprinted in the mid-1990s.

This book is paperback, printed in 1970, has 319 pages and is in good condition. Sorry....this one's sold.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The New Curriculum Arithmetics, Grade Three

You can tell this is an old book just by the title: back in the day, they called it arithmetics, not arithmetic (and definitely not math!)

This book was printed in 1939, and the cover in particular is showing its age. But the inside is in good shape, and I just love the illustrations, which are very reminiscent of the 1920s (the book was written in 1928.

The book covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, measurements, fractions and time, but it's different in that it's written in a conversational tone. There are also several activities that are not strictly mathematical, ex. page 88, "Special Reports About the Post Office."

There is one page with a few answers written in ink, and someone decorated the back inside cover with penciled scrawling. But considering its age, this book is in pretty fair shape.

This book is hardcover, and has 278 pages. Sorry....this one's sold.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Understanding Arithmetic, Grade 4

I don't think this book was ever used in a schoolroom.

I say that not only because it's in great shape, but because on the back cover there is a tiny sticker that says, "Kroch's & Brentano's: Chicago, Evanston, Old Orchard, Oakbrook, Oak Park." Those of us who grew up in Chicago during the 1960s know Kroch's & Brentano's as a Chicago tradition, like Fannie May Candies and the Bozo Show.

Enough reminiscing. This is the follow-up book to the last textbook I posted. It starts out with a review of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, then moves ahead into multiplying three- and four-digit numbers, Roman numerals, fractions, charts and graphs.

Sorry....this one's sold.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Understanding Arithmetic, Grade 3

Back in the day, they called math "arithmetic." (I remember learning how to spell it in first grade and being so proud that I could write such a long word!)

This is basic math at its best. This book begins with a quick review of numbers and soon moves into addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of "two-place" numbers. Sprinkled throughout are story problems, of course.

There are many pages of exercises, all to be done on a separate sheet of paper. Most of this book is in great shape, but on one page a student worked out all his division problems in the margin (in pencil) until he ran out of room.

This book is hardcover, in good condition, printed in 1956, and has 304 pages. Note: the very top of the corner of the inside page has been torn off. Sorry....this one's sold.

Monday, June 16, 2008

The New Streets and Roads, The 1956 Edition

This book is full of Tommy's, Timmy's and Susan's, all those names that I grew up with (sorry, no Britney's in this one!) It's a 3rd-grade reader beautifully illustrated with color illustrations.

This particular reader has a lot of animal stories; that must have been the focus for third grade in a lot of schools back then. The stories are grouped as follows: On City Streets, Along Country Roads, On the Road to Storyland, Animals in Town and Country, and On the Roads of Long Ago.

This book is hardbound, in very good condition, was printed in 1956 and has 320 pages. Sorry....this one's sold.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Sky Lines (1953)

This is a nice big reader from the 1950s. Written at a 5th-grade level, it includes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. There is even a four-act play at the end.

There are many illustrations in this reader, probably half color and half black-and-white.

This book is in excellent condition inside; the cover is a bit scuffed, however. The book is hardbound, reprinted in 1957 (publication date 1953), and has 340 pages. Sorry....this one's sold.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Friends Far and Near (1953)

Another great reader, this one from the 1950s. It does have writing inside, indicated it belongs to a first-grade classroom. I have a feeling it would challenge the average third-grader in public school nowadays.

This is a Ginn Basic Reader, lavishly illustrated throughout in color. It includes stories and some poetry grouped as follows: All Through the Year, Work for Everyone, Old Tales from Different Lands, Out of Doors, Children Everywhere, Make-Believe Tales and Boys and Girls of Other Days. It's a great read-aloud book.

This book is hardcover, in very good condition (though cover is a bit worn on edges), was printed in 1953 and has 323 pages. Sorry....this one's sold.

Friday, June 13, 2008

The New Times and Places, The 1962 Edition

You have to be so careful when picking reading books for children these days. Anything could be in them: themes like suicide and death, alternative lifestyles, and the like. That's why I used to buy pre-1970s readers whenever I saw them. I knew they were safe for my children to read.

This particular book is is full of great color illustrations. The stories are grouped into four themes: Young Citizens of Today, Young Citizens of Early Days, Wonders of Our Times and Storyland of Here and Now. According to the spine of the book, it is at a 4th-grade reading level.

This book is hardcover, in very good shape, has 320 pages, and was printed in 1962. Sorry....this one's sold.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Mischievous Meg

Not an attractive book cover, I'll agree, but the inside is in great shape (except for a previous owner's name written inside the cover). And I have to hand it to her, she spelled the title correctly. Maybe she was also a homeschooler?

Anyway, we bought this at a used book sale years ago. My daughter was heavily into Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking) at the time and inhaled this book like all the others. Since then it's been sitting on a shelf. Surely there's another little girl who will enjoy this book with its adorable illustrations.

The book is in fair shape (cover) and very good shape inside. It is hardcover, printed in 1963, and has 139 pages. Sorry....this one's sold.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Narcissa Whitman, Pioneer Girl

This book is part of the "Childhood of Famous Americans" series. It was originally in a school library, and once we got a hold of it, my daughter apparently decided it needed to have a title on the cover and not just on the spine.

This book is hardcover, printed in 1953, has 192 pages and is in average condition (no loose pages). Sorry....this one's sold.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Teaching Developmentally Disabled Children: The Me Book

I bought this book when my son was younger. I did begin to read it, but it soon became apparent to me that the behaviors it sought to correct were more typical of autism and similar syndromes than Down syndrome, which is what my teenage son has.

That's why this book is in very good shape, except for light underlining in pencil in the first dozen pages.

Curiously, when I looked up the book on Amazon to see what a used copy might be worth, I saw that sellers are asking anywhere from $41 to $225 for it! And the author's other books, new, are well into the double digits. Go figure.

This book is softcover, 250 pages, printed in 1998 and, as I said above, in very good condition. Sorry....this one's sold.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Gaining Skill with Words

I have to confess that I have a weakness for vintage books. I love the way they look inside, with all of the beautiful illustrations. I love the nice thick paper they used back then. And in the case of schoolbooks like this one, I like all the no-nonsense exercises inside. None of that namby-pamby stuff you see in today's textbooks, that's for sure.

I also think that vintage textbooks are a history lesson for the children of today. When children see illustrations of how children of the past dressed, or (like the illustration shown here) that candy used to cost 59 cents a pound, they subconsciously become aware that the world has changed since then. It gives them perspective.

This book was probably written for about the fourth grade level. The units it covers are Conversation, Speaking Clearly and Correctly in Conversation, Using Words Correctly, Reports, Letters, Storytelling, More Letters, Telephoning, Book Reports, Business Letters, Descriptions and Stories and Poems.

The book is hardbound, 244 pages, printed in 1945 and in very good condition, considering its age. Sorry....this one's sold.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

(50 Veteran Homeschoolers Share) Things We Wish We'd Known

This is an ideal book for a beginning homeschooler. There's a lot of good, basic information here. The most interesting essays are from those families who have managed to keep homeschooling despite personal struggles and tragedies.

This book has a decidedly Christian emphasis, so if that's what you're looking for, this is the book for you.

This book is softbound, published in 1999, has 232 pages, and is in like-new condition. Sorry....this one's sold.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The Financially Confident Woman

I bought this book several years ago with the intention of using it as part of Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers, the curriculum I designed for my kids, which we now publish and sell.

But once I actually sat down and flipped through it, I realized that it was written so specifically for the woman who had life experience that young women like my daughters would find it hard to relate.

Still, it's a good book for women who are looking for a basic financial education aimed at them. It does have a Christian emphasis.

It's in good shape (fine inside, cover a little scuffed), softbound, published in 1996, and has 214 pages. Sorry, this one's sold.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Geography Flip-Overs; The Americas and Europe AND Asia,South Pacific and Africa

These are pretty clever. The student puts a sheet of paper under one of the four sides of the Flip-Over, fills in the blanks with the names of the numbered countries, then self-checks the answers by flipping over that side and putting the paper under it. The answers are on the back above each square.


I'm selling these two Flip-Overs as a set. They retail for $3.50 each, although places like Rainbow Resource have them for $2.75. They're in great shape, and I'll let them go for $1 each. Sorry....these are sold.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Solving Geometry Mysteries

I knew I had this book somewhere. I looked for it when doing geometry with my older kids ten years ago, and again for dd17 just a few years ago. But of course, it didn't turn up until last summer, when I was going through my stuff before we moved.

So this book is brand spanking clean and new. Like the algebra book I posted yesterday, it's from Hayes Publishing. It has puzzles that require the student to use their knowledge of angle measurements, shapes, area and perimeter, and graphing using a coordinate system. There is also a crossword puzzle using geometric terms.

This book contains 24 puzzles plus an answer key. It's softcover, printed in 1983, and in new condition. Sorry....this one's sold.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Solving Algebra Mysteries Book 1

I love Hayes books because they are no-nonsense educational books. You won't find any silly little caricatures in them, or any illustrations at all. They are very basic, but they cover everything very thoroughly. I used Hayes Geometry with my older kids and thought it was very good.

This book is meant to be a supplement to algebra studies. There are activities and puzzles that encourage students to solve algebraic equations in order to solve puzzles. Some of the puzzles are set up like mazes. Others require the student to plot equations; when done correctly, a picture appears. Several involve finding an answer, plugging the letter next to the answer into a puzzle and ending up with a famous quotation.

There are no marks in this book because it's all blackline masters and so I just photocopied everything. Two pages are loose, but the book is intact.

This book is paperback, 24 puzzles plus answer key, and printed in 1982. Sorry.....this one's sold.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Geometric Constructions

This book is another example of good intentions. I bought it after hearing Kathleen Julicher present a wonderful seminar on homeschooling through high school. I knew we'd be doing geometry, and this sounded like it would be just what we needed.

The only problem is that I forgot I had it. I found it last summer, probably ten years after I bought it and right after dd17 finished geometry. Sigh.

So this book really is in like-new condition. It's spiral-bound, 24 pages and printed in 1991. Sorry...this one's sold.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Blank Map Outlines, United States and World

This book is so handy to have around. It has full-page maps for individual American states plus groups of countries, so children can use it for regular study or for specific reports. Each page has a map of the country or state, plus it shows where the country or state fits in on a map of a larger area. The area in square miles is noted on each page, and there is also a gauge in miles and kilometers.

Like the geography reproducible book I posted yesterday, I copied this book a lot. But it's in great shape. Sorry....this one's sold.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Geographic Literacy: Maps for Memorization

In the upper corner of the cover of this book, it says "Reproducibles." Well, I reproduced the heck out of this book, having photocopied it front to back three times for three students.

The way this book is organized, the countries of the world are presented a chunk at a time, with political and physical maps that the student identifies, studies and is then tested on (answers are at the back of each section). My kids learned a lot from this curriculum.

There are two missing pages, but that's the fault of the publisher (the back of page 25 is page 28). But losing the chance to be tested on a few South American rivers and lakes didn't exactly break my kids' hearts, lol.

This book is available used over at Amazon for $12 from two sellers (Geographic Literacy: Maps for Memorization), but I'll part with my 1994 copy in very good condition for sorry, this one's sold.