Practicing the alphabet is fun when your child can do it learning about animals! This workbook contains over two hundred practice pages, easy-to-follow instructions, and lots of bonus games and activities. Educational exercises include:
·Alphabet practice
·Uppercase and lowercase letter recognition and practice
·Simple drawing exercises that improve understanding
·Essential writing practice
·Practice writing rudimentary sentences
·Matching exercises
·Basic word puzzles
·And much, much more!
This workbook also encourages numerous life skills that are essential for your child, including word recognition, memory recall and creative thinking. These books allow your children to learn in a way that is both fun and highly effective! Parents with younger children can read along and explore these fun animals together! Professor Ladybug workbooks are packed with simple learning exercises that your children will be happy to complete. This workbook is designed primarily for children aged 3-6.
"Professor Ladybug workbooks are wonderful for young children ... Engaging them to learn, think, write, create, and draw. I love it. Creative with a great page layout. Certificates in the back to award to the children upon completing their learning tasks. I wish children’s workbooks were more like this one when I was little. Overall, I highly recommend this one to both teachers and parents alike." ~ Danielle Urban, Urban Book Reviews
About the Author
Professor Ladybug is everyone's favorite ladybug teacher. Even the most reluctant learners enjoy learning with Professor Ladybug.
Giveaway
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The Straightforward Internet cuts through the complex digital universe that is cyberspace and simplifies information that the reader can quickly absorb and apply, if they choose to. Geared for GenXers and anyone who has been reluctant to embrace all that the Internet offers, it also speaks to the technologically competent reader that understands how fluid the digital universe is and wants to stay on top of it. Plus, there’s information for everyone that falls between these categories. For background fun, occasional references to the original Back to the Future movie touches on the experiences of Marty and Doc.
Beginning with BASICS such as an explanation of the Internet's origin, to how it works, to downloading and uploading content, to how we travel via dial-up, DSL or satellite, this book's basic section also covers email, instant messaging, Netiquette, fact-checking, avoiding viruses, computers and peripherals, how to protect those investments and more.
INTERMEDIATE exploration covers understanding your computer's operating system, social engineering and phishing, differences between paid and organic search engine results, understanding Cloud storage, Social Media, blogging, online dating, fun and hidden Internet games like Easter Egg Hunts, naughty niche sites, Internet auctions, payment gateways, Catfishing and more.
Moving on to more ADVANCED data The Straightforward Internet explains ZIP utilities, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and when to use them, the Deep Web and its history, how to get there, what is there to do on the Deep Web, Darknet shopping, understanding the escrow system, legal risks, introduction and economics of Bitcoin, associated Deep Web lingo, and more.
The Straightforward Internet also provides a Glossary, website links of interest, end notes, and an index. Since the Internet's arrival in our collective consciousness, human attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. We must communicate swiftly and succinctly to hold one another's attention. This book packs a lot of critical information into a fairly small package, delivering something for (nearly) everyone. Expertise surely exists beyond mine, but it's often accompanied by an inability to express itself in everyday language so the majority can comprehend it.
We’ve all seen posts on Facebook, or gotten emails forwarded to us that give people a warning horror story about something awful that happened, that the police want people to be aware of.
Take this story, as an example.
At a petrol pump, a man came over and offered his services as a painter to a lady filling petrol in her car and left his visiting card. She said nothing but accepted his card out of sheer kindness and got into the car. The man then got into a car driven by another person.
As the lady left the service station, she saw the men following her out of the station at the same time. Almost immediately, she started to feel dizzy and could not catch her breath. She tried to open the window and realized that the odor was on her hand; the same hand with which she had received the card from the person at the service station.
She then noticed the men were immediately behind her and she felt she needed to do something at that moment. She drove into the first driveway and began to honk her horn repeatedly to ask for help. The men drove away but the lady still felt pretty bad for several minutes after she could finally catch her breath. Apparently, there was a substance on the card that could have seriously injured her.
This drug is called 'BURUNDANGA'. (Not known To People So Far but sufficient Information Is available in the Net) and it is used by people who wish to incapacitate a victim in order to steal from or take advantage of them. This drug is four times more dangerous than the date rape drug and is transferable on a simple card or paper. So please take heed and make sure you don't accept cards when you are alone or from someone on the streets. This applies to those making house calls and slipping you a card when they offer their services.
That message was originally seen in an email in 2008. It sounds pretty terrifying and plays on our worst fears, that doing something as simple as taking a business card from someone could result in us becoming the victim of a crime. Of course if we receive this email, we want to forward it to everyone we know, so they know not to take business cards from strangers.
The problem is this email is fake. Nothing like the above story has ever happened. While the drug Burundanga does exist, it does not work in the way described in the above story and has never been reported as being used in any kind of attack like the one in the story.
How do I know this? A simple search of Snopes. Snopes is an Internet fact checking site that looks into many email hoaxes. They’re constantly updating their database with new stories they’ve debunked after doing thorough research.
To check out Snopes and stay up to date on the latest cyber hoaxes, go here: http://www.snopes.com/
Before you forward something like that, fact check. Check Snopes, or if the message is claiming that it’s a release from a police department, check the police department’s website. Above all, take any message you receive with a grain of salt. If it’s filled with spelling or grammatical errors, chances are it did not come from a government agency. Remember what was said in Chapter 1. The good and bad of the Internet; anyone can say anything.
[Want more? Click below to read another excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"Intended for those intimidated by the internet and hope it is a passing fad, Hale's book is mercifully free of intimidating techno-jargon, and achieves its goal of easing resistant Gen X'rs into eventual mastery of the internet." ~ IndieReader
"As someone who has been in business for years and thought I was fairly knowledgeable about the internet, I really enjoyed this book and learned so many new things. The simplicity of explanations, and humor made it even more interesting, and I have purchased several copies for friends as gifts. I look forward to your next book Terry!" ~ Horace James
This is a simplified guide to cyberspace, aimed at GenXers or anyone who has been reluctant to embrace all that the Internet offers, from simple email all the way to the dark side of the deep web. It begins with an introduction to basic terms and concepts, including email, instant messaging, netiquette, viruses, scams, emojis, and texting language. It moves on to intermediate topics such as hardware, antivirus software, search engines, cloud storage, social media, virtual Easter eggs (loved this section!), naughty niche sites, catfishing, and Internet auctions. Then we learn about more advanced tools: zip utilities, encryption, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and the deep web. It finishes with a glossary and a comprehensive list of sites of interest.
Throughout, the author uses analogies to the Back to the Future movie to explain concepts in simple terms. She also provides images, hyperlinks to useful sites and further reading, as well as footnotes hyperlinked to the reference section.
There are a few formatting and editing issues, but not enough to detract from the subject matter. The deep web section was all new to me, but I think the book could do without the "Naughty Niche Sites" section. I felt compelled to check some of them out and wish I hadn't. Seriously, do NOT google them. Okay, you did, didn't you? Don't say I didn't warn you.
The perfect gift for that someone you know who struggles with technology - we all have one!
Guest Post by the Author
Why Another Book About the Internet?
I’m one of those people who know how life was before the Internet. There’s an entire generation today who probably can’t imagine what that could have been like. It was OK. We didn’t know what was to come, so it’s not like we were missing it. But when the Internet came into the consciousness of the majority, there was no going back.
This woman wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the Internet. When PCs became widely available for home use – albeit outrageously expensive - I had to have one. My first computer cost $3500 in 1995. It was loaded with software from MS Office to Quicken to MS Money, to Encarta (encyclopedia) to MS Access (CRM), Adobe Reader (Acrobat), plus lots and lots of games. In addition to the processor/tower, it included the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. It was the whole shebang. It needed to be for that kind of money!
About 5 desktops, 4 laptops, 2 tablets & several smart phones later, I’m blown away when I think of all the money these toys, er - ah, tools, required.
I was super jazzed about being on the Net. Family and friends of all ages began asking me questions about it. They knew I was hooked and they also knew I dive in and absorb all that I can when I want to learn about a subject. So, in a pretty short time, I found myself an unofficial expert on all things Internet.
People mentioned they tried to learn from the Dummies books without success, and I paged through one of them at a (now defunct) Borders Bookstore. W-T-H? Talk about complicated! I understood the subject, but I found the book to be convoluted. How in the hell would your average Jill or Joe understand this stuff? So, that inspired me to write my first book, Ageless Internet: Internet Basics for Boomers and Seniors.
I spent three years writing the book (much too long), partly because I kept trying to keep up with the constantly changing Net! It can’t be done. It is so fluid, so ever-changing that, despite my best efforts, within a few months of publishing Ageless Internet, it was already out of date. (There is no mention of The Cloud because it wasn’t widely known at that time.) Still, there is a good deal of very basic information about email and effective searching that remains accurate and useful for the novice.
I was a little disillusioned. How does one create an evergreen product - one that stands the test of time – on a subject matter that defies it?
A number of younger friends and acquaintances – GenXers – would ask questions about getting around the Net, which really surprised me because they were so damn proficient in using social media! These people were amazing when it came to Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc., but still had a lot of questions about getting around the Internet and all of the things they could accomplish with it.
Yet, that’s what is so rich about computing and the digital age. Expertise is as fluid as the digital landscape. One may be an expert in a tiny niche category of computing but clueless in the next.
So, I blew off my intention to write evergreen copy on the next book and sat down to write for that last group on the face of the earth who didn’t grow up with computers.
Terry Lynne Hale is a Kansas City author and freelance writer. Her first book, Ageless Internet, was a Finalist in the Global Ebook Awards and Ageless Internet won the 2012 Indie Excellence Award in its category.
Her next book is The Straightforward Internet. It is geared toward Generation X, another group whose members may or may not have fully embraced all that is the Internet. It was published on Amazon as a Kindle ebook and a POD paperback in February.
Coming this Summer is Interview 2017. It’s a whole new world out there, and you won’t land that job you really want unless you treat the search like a job in itself. You need to make a mark, make it quick and make it memorable.
Terry is an animal lover and tries to be a responsible environmental steward. She is interested in nutrition and whole body health, combining alternative with mainstream medical modalities. She and her husband enjoy target shooting, whitewater rafting and in the Spring of 2016, enjoyed a hot air balloon ride in Park City, Utah. She loves the ocean, and they love the mountains.
Hale’s biggest issue is in finding the time to pursue all of the subjects she’s interested in. Learning takes time, and she is a life-long student.
It’s nesting season for loggerhead sea turtles on North Carolina's Gull Island. Nine-year old Tara (or Sweet T as her family sometimes calls her) is determined to see hatchlings make it safely from their nests to their ocean home.
Summering on Gull Island with Great Aunt Mae could be tons of fun, but T is having a hard time making new friends with island children, let alone finding kids to help her monitor a sea turtle nest.
There’s little sister Jenna, but Jenna is, well, little. Fuzzy is around, too, but Jenna’s blue stuffy rabbit gets lost all the time. Besides, a toy bunny can’t help protect turtle nests.
Tara befriends Billy, a moody island child. He teaches her skimboarding and shows her the best shelling spots. But Billy stomps away when she asks him to read the "Turtle Team Guide" and join her in saving baby sea turtles.
What’s up with Billy? He’s nice one minute and grumpy the next. And why does he refuse to join T’s Turtle Team? T can't figure him out.
A tropical storm threatens Gull Island just as the sea turtle nest is ready to hatch. T must abandon the nest and prepare for bad weather.
Will Sweet T and her friends be safe in the storm?
Will the sea turtle nest survive angry ocean waves?
Will Billy share his secret with T, so she can help him?
Sweet T and the Turtle Team is the third book of the Sweet T Tales series of chapter books for early and reluctant readers by Cat Michaels, MS., Ed. It mixes fiction and kid-sized dilemmas with facts about marine life.
Its short chapters encourage early readers, and its content engages reluctant readers. The book includes a glossary, comprehension quiz, a sea turtle hatch photo gallery, and brain-stretching questions to discuss after the story.
With more than a dozen watercolor illustrations by artist Irene A. Jahns, Sweet T and the Turtle Team delivers powerful messages about protecting ocean life while helping young readers understand the true meaning of friendship.
Book Video
Excerpt
[Want more? Click below to read another excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"I love how author Cat Michaels has created a perfect beachy, island setting with colorful descriptions of the flavors, smells, and sounds of the South. Readers will feel the ocean breezes as they are sitting on Aunt Mae’s front porch munching on nutty boiled peanuts and eating warm biscuits slathered with fresh homemade peach jam. Yum!" ~ Rhonda Paglia
"From saving pelicans to saving sea turtles and dealing with huge cockroaches, Tara takes your child on such a delightful adventure they won’t want to put this book down. It is filled with courage, hope, and love which will drive the imagination of any child." ~ Peggy M McAloon
"Author Cat Michaels writes this sweet story in such a way that readers will feel right there, smelling the sea water, and of course, the love and guidance of Aunt Mae. The bonus material in the back of the book will extend fun and learning." ~ Rosie Russell, Author and Illustrator
"It is summertime in the States and author Cat Michaels has timed her new beach book perfectly for lazy days in the sun. This is a great story for kids to read at the beach or to transport them there. Written for children ages 6 to 11 years this story is sure to engage both curious and reluctant readers." ~ Sandra Bennett
"Children's author Cat Michaels has created a delightful summer adventure and tale for pre- and early readers with Sweet T and the Turtle Team on Gull Island. The story is interwoven with wonderful lessons of ocean conservation, respect, kindness, friendships, and family bonding." ~ James Milson
Sweet T is spending the summer at her Great-Aunt Mae's house on Gull Island. But she's a bit lonely with only her aunt and little sister Jenna for company, while her mother is working on a special project at the Gull Island Aquarium. Things start to get interesting when T finds a pelican trapped in fishing line and rescues him with the help of Aunt Mae and her young neighbor Billy. Then T's mother asks them to form a Turtle Team to help monitor the sea turtle nests on the beach. But why won't Billy join them? The adventures continue with searches for Jenna's toy bunny Fuzzy, lessons in skimboarding, run-ins with local children, and a tropical storm that threatens to hit the island just as the turtles are about to hatch.
This book blends fictitious characters, places, and events with facts about ocean life. It brings home the message that everyone has different talents and that you can be good at some things but not others. The gorgeous watercolour illustrations by Irene A. Jahns lend an old-fashioned charm to the story. Not so old-fashioned are the illustrated texts from T's other sister, Kristen, who stays home with Dad. These texts help speed the story along by providing a summary of the action.
Fun extras at the end of the book include photos of a real turtle hatching event, a texting glossary, a quiz to test your child's comprehension of the story, as well as discussion questions about issues raised in the book.
You can also check out the author's website for some free downloadables.
A winner in all respects.
About the Author
Author, blogger Cat Michaels, M.S., Ed., has more than two decades of experience helping students from kindergarten to college with learning disabilities and Asperger’s syndrome.
Her chapter books and Sweet T Tales series for beginning readers tell of everyday life with a twist of magic and mischief. Cat’s books encourage young and reluctant readers to use their imagination and solve kid-sized dilemmas as they enjoy reading.
Cat lives in North Carolina with her family, where she enjoys digital photography and graphic design, creates pocket gardens, works out as often as she can, and writes.
Giveaway
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