Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Pre-School to High School (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Judith Wynn Halsted (Author)

Book Description

Need a good reading list for bright students?

Books give important emotional and intellectual support for gifted children, many of whom face unique issues in their lives due to their special talents and abilities. The author describes how to use books as bibliotherapy to provide support, guidance, and insight.

Now in it's second edition, this is an in valuable resource for parents looking for books to recommend to gifted readers not only to enjoy, but also to gain perspective on themselves and others.

-Intellectual and emotional growth through reading

-Reading needs of gifted children

-Summaries of just under 300 books

-Books indexed by author, title, and theme

-Books organized by grade level

-Discussion topics provided for every title

-Annotated bibliography

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A number of great resources for locating quality children's literature." -- Duke Gifted Letter, Summer, 2002

"Best of all is an annotated bibliography of nearly 300 books for High Ability Learner's from preschool through grade 12!" -- Outlook Magazine

"This book is a rich resource to keep gifted kids excited about reading." -- Outlook, MN Council for the G&T, July/August 2002

"You will find this warm book to be a lovely resource." -- Fearless Reviews, May, 2002

"a great resource for teachers and librarians, but it's written for any adult who works with bright children...recommended." -- The Book Report, September/October, 2002

WINNER of the Pennsylvania School Library Association Top 40 Award! -- Pennsylvania School Library Association

About the Author

A former director of gifted programs, Judith Halsted is now an educational consultant. She has been involved with gifted children for over 35 years as a educator, librarian, counselor, and parent.

Product Details

• Paperback: 527 pages
• Publisher: Great Potential Pr Inc; 2 edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910707510
• ISBN-13: 978-0910707510
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is definitely the best of its kind on the market!, January 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Preschool to High School (Paperback)

Worried that her gifted child was spending too much time reading by himself, a mother admonished her son to go play outside. "But Mom," he replied, "some of my best friends are books!" Thus the name of this wonderful book which describes the role of books in a child's development, and summarizes the social and emotional needs of the gifted reader. In Part Three of the book, Halsted gives an annotated bibliography of over 300 books, each dealing with issues for gifted children. She then presents a set of easy-to-use indexes of the books by grade level and by topic, as well as by author and title. Topics include aloneness, creativity, differentness, intensity, moral concerns, etc. This book truly is "an excellent resource for selecting the right book to guide a child to better understanding of self and situations," according to the California Association for the Gifted Newsletter, and I agree. It is a must-buy or must-borrow book for the parent of any bright child from kindergarten through high school.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, November 2, 2002

By 

Laura Lynn Walsh "gt-teacher" (Fairbanks, AK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Pre-School to High School (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

I bought this book mainly for the annotations of the books and, for me, the theory and application to classroom situations is a bonus. The part I will use the most is the annotation section, where the book is discussed and pointers are given on what types of issues are addressed. Discussion points, always useful for teachers, are carefully addressed for each book. I wish more books could have been included, but, of course, there are trade-offs in that - longer ==> more expensive.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, August 6, 2003

By 

Kappy Hodges (Kansas City, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Pre-School to High School (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

It is wonderful to find a book that helps you guide your child - ANY child, gifted or not - to exceptional reading material. I loved the books it recommended for my 4 yr old - we picked up several of them at the library and some here on Amazon. The book also pointed out what the exceptional qualities for each book were, so that you could have a better discussion about the book with your child. It was worth the money, since it gives recommendations for ALL ages of child and I will reference it as he grows older.