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Science readers are to be found if you look around enough as this book demonstrates. It is the fictional story of Massimo, a boy who regularly throws his uncle's lunch off a bridge to his boat as his uncle rows by below. Galileo happens to see that the bread and the cheese land at the same time. The story ends atop the leaning Tower of Pisa, as legend suggests Galileo did.

The illustrations are a little disappointing, the people in particular. The story is sometimes forced as math and science readers often are; however, overall it is a great tale that teaches a basic principle of physics sure to have your children dropping objects from heights. It even alludes to Galileo's ramp experiments on acceleration. The last page briefly fills in the reader on the period in history, what in the story is fact and fiction, and the formula for calculating speed.

Overall this is a great introductory physics science book.

Printed on heavy paper in an approximately 9x12 format, this booklet is an explanation of the Creation account of Genesis 1. With thirteen inviting full-page line drawings to color, this slim volume packs a surprising punch.

Basing herself on the work of Fr. Stanley Jaki, Mrs. Daly explains the first creation account of Genesis in terms of its message about the Sabbath observance as an outward sign of the covenant between God and His people. Or, in her own words:

In Genesis 1, the message is about the importance of observing the Sabbath. In order to teach us the importance of this observance, Genesis 1 presents God Himself keeping a Sabbath rest after His creation of the universe, a vast work, suitable to his divine wisdom and his almighty power. and a work whose purpose actually to make a home for mankind, His partner in a solemn covenant.

Genesis 1: House of the Covenant is so different from many other works I have read on this topic. Each creative act described in Genesis 1 offers some specific and often profound insight into God of His creation, and insight which, ironically, is usually overlooked in insistence on the literal meaning of this portion of Scripture. In simple language, Mrs. Daly brings out these insights. One example, about Genesis 1:3 ("Let there be light.")

Nobody can work well in the darkness. The first thing we do (unless we are doing something bad) is to turn on the light.
... This light simply tells us that God did not work blindly, or for an evil reason, but purposefully, in light and goodness, and we are meant to see what he did. If we imagined God working in darkness, we might think the world was evil or accidental. What a mistake! We live in the orderly creation of a wonderful and loving intelligence.

Middle-schools students could use this book independently, but it is also a wonderful resource for parents introducing their younger children to Genesis. My oldest enjoyed it in 5th grade, and came away from it with a deeper sense of his heavenly Father's work in creation.

It is just like the D'Aulaire's to create a story (complete with beautiful full-color illustrations) that would be interesting and appealing to small children and yet teach more about the character and upbringing of "the Father of Our Country" than most textbooks. The story covers our First President's early childhood - growing up in Colonial America - his adventures (and character) as a young officer during the French and Indian War and, of course, his role in the American Revolution and as president.

This is very much the same method used in the author's other language book entitled Getting Started with Latin, which I also reviewed at http://www.love2learn.net/node/1793. Amazon reviews are consistently positive and this reviewer agrees. Lessons are presented at times in tiny digestible pieces, and build from there.

Since my native language is very close to Spanish, it was so interesting to me to see how Lesson One was all about articles-- so important in Romance languages: all four lines and five examples. Job done. Lesson Two talks about gender, another crucial bit in learning Spanish, and lesson Three finally introduces the first word: el. Lesson Four introduces one noun--Nino--and by lesson 10 you will be actually translating 10 lines, if mostly one-word lines.

Exercises are simple lines for the user to translate. Answers included.

This simple method, presented in an uncluttered, handsome large-format paperback, will serve Spanish students of any age. Their website at http://www.gettingstartedwithspanish.com/ offers Mp3 sound bites by the co-author.