November 2010 Notable Toys — Language

This collection includes magical, macabre, dramatic, funny, bizarre, absurd, delightful, moving and charming poems by Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc, Kenneth Grahame and many others. Readers such as Anton Lesser, Simon Russell-Beale and Timothy West bring the lines beautifully to life and aim to make this an ideal introduction to some of the best-loved children's poetry.

Writing Boosters is a comprehensive, supplemental writing program carefully aligned to the Core Curriculum. The program contains a CD, wall posters, story cutouts and 30 pages of activities and strategies. The CD is a dramatic reading of the story with sound effects to engage students. "This is a 'Pick Up and Teach Product', ready for teacher use right out of the box," Bruce Brown, President  of World Class Learning Materials told TDmonthly.

This book is designed to help children unlock the door to imagination and possibilities with easily readable text. Kids transform strange shapes into words and experience the adventure of reading. This 9" x 9" hardcover features 90 full-color pages. "Magic Words: Discovering the Adventure of Reading is designed to empower beginning readers with fun, predictable stories that encourage the decoding of simple words and reinforce sight word knowledge," Lightning Bug Learning President Julie Rebboah told TDmonthly. 
Awards: 2010 Reader's Favorite Finalist - Kindergarten Category

Lightning Bug Literacy Kit Kindergarten Edition is designed to teach children essential skills that build a strong foundation for reading and writing. This program aims to help kids gain confidence while mastering grade level phonics, reading and writing skills. "This comprehensive, teacher-designed kit builds a foundation for literacy: reading, writing, reading comprehension and handwriting," Lightning Bug Learning President Julie Rebboah told TDmonthly.
— The mom blogger at Welcome to Our Wonderland read both Magic Letters and Magic Words from the kit. She stated that the “text is predictable so your child can learn the story and participate,” leading to “the clicking moment” when letter sounds and words are associated in the child’s mind. The reviewer and her daughter enjoyed the books “more then most other word family books.”
— Jenny Thompson of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine reviewed Magic Letter, Magic Words and the audio CD from the kit. Jenny exclaimed “I am not exaggerating when I say that these books changed our lives! These were the first books my daughter was enthusiastic about reading. She could not wait to read each story.”

This 16" doll is designed to resemble Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., and wears a racing uniform and cap. A miniature Nascar car is included.