Superworm is super-long. Superworm is super-strong. Watch him wiggle! See him squirm! Theres no other worm like SUPERWORM! Never fear Superworms here! He can fish Spider out of a well & rescue Toad from a busy road. But who will come to Superworms rescue when hes captured by a wicked Wizard Lizard? Luckily all of Superworms insect friends have a cunning plan... ...

Superworm is super-long. Superworm is super-strong. Watch him wiggle! See him squirm! There's no other worm like SUPERWORM! Never fear Superworm's here! He can fish Spider out of a well & rescue Toad from a busy road. But who will come to Superworm's rescue when he's captured by a wicked Wizard Lizard? Luckily all of Superworm's insect friends have a cunning plan... ...

In 1888 Dr John Eliot returns to London haunted by the memory of a terrible expedition to a remote Himalayan kingdom where he had uncovered horrors far beyond the frontiers of science. Yet Eliots faith in reason is to be tested even further when the body of a friend drained white of blood is dragged up from the Thames & another associate goes missing. Eliots quest to uncover the mystery reveals a deadly conspiracy but then in the lair of an enigmatic Eastern adventuress he glimpses hints of a truth yet more extraordinary of dark & terrible pleasures of a whole new world.. . Vampires & immortals walk the gas-lit streets of Victorian London mingling with Oscar Wilde Bram Stoker & Lord Byron & Tom Holland meshes fact with fiction in this brilliantly imaginative novel of passion & suspense. ...

This major new book traces for the first time the architectural & engineering works in the Royal Navy's shore bases at home & overseas & the political imperatives & technologies that helped shape them up to the First World War. Based on detailed archival research it concentrates on the remarkable legacy of surviving structures. The varied requirements of the sailing navy & its steam-driven successor are reflected in successive dockyard remodellings & expansions. The book reveals the close links that developed with a rapidly industrialising Britain at the end of the eighteenth century showing contributions of figures such as Samuel Bentham Thomas Telford Henry Maudslay the Rennies the Jessops & James Watt. The influence of the Royal Engineers is traced from early beginnings in the 1700s to their major role in the dockyard expansions from the late 1830s into the twentieth century. The architectural development of victualling & ordnance yards naval hospitals schools & coaling stations are all described together with their key contributions to Great Britain's long naval supremacy. Copiously illustrated with maps plans & photographs this important & lively work will appeal to naval historians industrial archaeologists & students of British history. ...

The Early Years Foundation Stage brings new expectations to ensure that every child is provided with the best support for their learning & development from birth to five & beyond. Practical skills in observing making assessments & using these assessments in planning are essential for all practitioners working with young children. Vicky Hutchin offers clear guidance & advice on all aspects of assessment & planning in the early years rooted firmly in the well-established principles of good practice & recent research. With plenty of real observations of children learning across the age range Vicky explains the essential processes for effective assessment & planning including different ways of observing as well as how best to involve parents & the children themselves
- even the very youngest. Most importantly she shows how to make these processes manageable covering a wide range of different types of settings
- from childminder to playgroup nursery childrens centre & reception class. She also considers the new statutory summative assessment the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile & how to ensure the assessment is used effectively to support planning in Year 1. This book follows on from Vickys previous books Right from the Start & Observing & Assessing for the Foundation Stage Profile in showing how rewarding effective assessment & planning is for all concerned
- the children their families & the practitioners involved.


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Are children who are exposed to more than one language from birth at an advantage or a disadvantage when starting school? Supporting Multilingual Learners in the Early Years" examines the theoretical ideological & practical issues involved in the education of children speaking two or more languages coming to settings which are predominantly monolingual. The book examines current research & thinking about the advantages & disadvantages of being multilingual & tackles complex topics such as: what being multilingual implies in terms of prior learning & why this matters in education; the importance of respect for diversity & encouraging children to be proud of their language & culture; practical ways to help young children acquire English; ways of working with parents who themselves have little or no English; the differences & difficulties involved in a child learning an additional language so early on in their lives; strategies for exploring the learning of multilingual learners; & a review of the resources & activities that could help. Sandra Smidt views multilingualism as a cognitive advantage & shows how early years practitioners can use interactive styles of learning to focus on the benefit that the many cultures & languages in the classroom can bring to childrens learning & development. Written in a highly accessible tone this book offers practitioners a mix of practical case studies & examples in which theory are embedded & its importance explained. Students of early childhood education will also appreciate the authors carefully structured approach to the topic as she

Includes:: summary boxes glossaries & points for reflection in each chapter."

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Supporting Transitions in the Early Years" explores the whole range of early childhood transitions rather than simply looking at starting school or pre-school. It helps parents practitioners policy-makers & Early Years students at every level to understand & support the successive transitions made by young children from birth to five. Starting from a discussion of the rapid pace of change in current societies & childrens need to acquire flexibility & resilience in adapting to change it offers examples of transitions such as: Babies & toddlers moving into under-3s care; pre-schoolers moving into school; reception children moving into formal learning classrooms; & support for the transitions of children with English as an additional language or special needs. At each stage individual case studies are discussed in relation to relevant theories of development & learning & contemporary perspectives on childrens well-being & childrens rights. The international case studies offer clear examples of the ways that adults in high-quality settings can work together with parents to strengthen childrens positive dispositions. This book highlights key qualities
- resilience resourcefulness & reciprocity
- which adults should seek to foster in children to facilitate their current transitions & prepare them for a future of change. The author also underlines the importance of listening to children from birth onwards if we are to offer the kind of caring & educative environments that will best support their well-being."

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The author examines theories of citizenship capacity & choice when supporting vulnerable adults & uses the impact of the early implementation of the Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 as a model. Her main themes are the extent of the reach of the state & the appropriateness of this with; a discussion of the tension between autonomy & protection & consideration of whether or not vulnerability impacts on the human rights of individuals. Concepts of harm & abuse are explored. Key questions answered include: does diminished intellectual capacity limit your rights as a citizen? Does vulnerability & being at risk of harm or abuse limit capacity? The author also explores whether the introduction of such legislation compromises individuals free will & choice. The book bases itself around the Scottish legislation & draws on the emerging results of empirical research undertaken by the author over the first two years following its implementation the first of its kind in the UK. This provides a unique focus for the central debate on autonomy & protection & the link to citizenship & capacity. Supporting Vulnerable Adults provides an excellent overview of the tensions inherent in these policies for students & for those health & social care workers policy makers & other practitioners whose work involves the vulnerable. ...

A collection of insightful & uproariously funny non-fiction by the bestselling author of INFINITE JEST
- one of the most acclaimed
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Told with wit charm & heart this debut novel set in small-town Indiana from the 1960s to the present day will appeal to anyone who loved The Help or Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Pull up a chair by the window table at Big Earl's diner & meet the ' Supremes': three women from Plainview Indiana who've been best friends since their high-school days in the Sixties. There's Clarice a pious wife & mother struggling with her husband's infidelity; Barbara Jean who must confront the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair; & Odette whose fearlessness has saved her friends many times but who now faces a terrifying situation of her own. Over iced tea & pecan pie through forty years of marriage children happiness & the blues the inseparable trio take on the world together. Come join them as they share the juiciest gossip the occasional tear & the most uproarious laughter.. .at the same time at the same table at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat. ...