Back-to-school sale! Through the end of August, the Math Dictionary for Kids iPad app is on sale for only $1.99! With more than 100,000 copies in print, the print-edition of "Math Dictionary for Kids" is the #1 homework helper for kids. Now this best-selling book comes to the iPad with powerful tools to help any student achieve success in math!

How many sides are in a dodecagon? What's the difference between an ordinal number and a cardinal number? With the Math Dictionary for Kids iPad app, you can search through more than 400 illustrated math terms to quickly find the definitions and examples you need to solve many math challenges.

Perfect for kids in grades 4–9, this interactive app includes illustrated, concise explanations of the most common terms used in general math classes, categorized by subjects that include measurement, algebra, geometry, fractions and decimals, statistics and probability, and problem solving.

Parents and teachers will love the independence the Math Dictionary for Kids app provides students, especially in its Quick Reference Guide section, which gives step-by-step instructions for solving the types of problems commonly found on homework assignments. This section also includes handy formula lists, measurement conversion tables, and easy-to-use charts on factors, multiples, prime numbers, and square roots.

Based on the best selling #1 math homework helper, this app is must-have for kids and parents alike!

Features include:

• More than 400 illustrated terms and examples
• Alphabetical scroll list or search options
• Favorites function
• Note-taking function
• Six additional Quick Reference Guides
• Word of the day function
• E-mail and printing capabilities

The last couple of weeks have seen two important milestones pass.

My daughter, Christina, graduated from high school. I’m so proud of her and the young woman she has grow to be, and I’m excited that she will be moving on to attend college at the University of Oklahoma. On the other hand, watching her move on in her life comes with a tinge of sadness. With similar, if less intimate, emotions, I want to announce that Prufrock Press’ peer-reviewed journals (Gifted Child Today, the Journal for the Education of the Gifted, and the Journal of Advanced Academics) have been acquired by SAGE Publications. Like my daughter, Prufrock’s journals are moving on.

For more than twenty years, with the leadership of some wonderful editors, these journals have been an incubator for the best ideas in gifted education. The journals are at the forefront of gifted education practices and theory and they are a place where advocates and researchers in the field can discuss and debate what should happen next.

I love the work we have done with these journals, but the business side of running a successful academic journal has changed dramatically over the last five years. For journals to thrive, they need the specialized focus of a large journal publishing house. Several months ago, SAGE contacted me saying that they were enthusiastic supporters of gifted education and the journals we publish. As one of the leading international publishers of journals, SAGE could offer our journals increased availability, a wider audience, and a secure future.

I liked that their focus was on finding ways the journals could reach more readers, both nationally and internationally. In the end, I made the decision to move the journals to a new home at SAGE Publications. I am convinced that under the care of SAGE, the future growth of the journals is now secure and healthy.

This has been a bittersweet decision. The journals have been an intimate part of Prufrock Press, and I am incredibly proud of them. I know we have made a positive impact on practice and scholarship in the field, and I have loved working with the talented, creative editors of the journals. However, it is now time to send all of my kids off on their various new paths … to encourage them to move on.

Thanks to one of our customers, Paul Brindze, for this great solution for getting our eBooks with Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) protection onto Apple's iOS devices (iPad, iPod Touch, and the iPhone).

This information only applies to Prufrock's eBooks that have Adobe Digital Editions protection (look for "ADE Protected" in the product format description). This information does not apply to our socially stamped eBooks, as these books can be easily installed on any device that can handle standard PDF files.

ADE protected eBooks sold on the Prufrock Press website can be read on any of Apple's iOS devices using the free Bluefire Reader application available on Apple's App Store.

For detailed instructions regarding transferring your ADE eBook to your iOS device, please read the excellent write-up about transferring ADE protected eBooks to Bluefire Reader at the Dear Author website.

• RTI Action Network
• National Center on Response to Intervention

Let me give a quick notification to any gifted education coordinators, school counselors, or district-level diagnosticians involved with gifted child identification.

If you are currently using the TONI-3 as a part of your school's gifted child identification processes, please note that the TONI-4: Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, 4th ed., will be released in mid-May. The TONI-4 is a completely revised instrument and will replace the older version of the test.

The TONI-3 is no longer available, but we will be shipping the TONI-4 in just a few weeks.

A Dynamic Partnership

I’m proud to announce Prufrock Press’ new web affiliate program.

If you write a blog or manage an education or parenting website, Prufrock’s web affiliate program offers an exciting way to generate additional revenue for your site. As a web affiliate, you will receive a 10% commission on sales made by individuals coming to Prufrock Press’ website from your website.

In the past, when bloggers or web masters created web links to our books for their readers, they provided a link that directed the readers to a major online retailer like Amazon.com. I want to change this by offering an incentive to link directly to the Prufrock Press website.

I would much rather service my customers directly. We provide a superior experience to that of the large online retailers. (Ever try to reach a real person on the phone at those retailers?) If you have a question about a book or need help with an order, my customer service department is available by phone, e-mail, or fax (that information is on the bottom of every page of our website and catalog). Our attention to building relationships with our customers is simply something that the major retailers don’t offer.

To encourage bloggers and web masters to directly link to Prufrock’s website, I asked our programmers to build a web affiliate program that is superior to that of the major online retailers.

If you write a blog or manage an education or parenting website, visit Prufrock Press’ web affiliate page for more information about participating in this program.

I'm very excited to announce that Prufrock Press was featured in the March 1 edition of Publishers Weekly as one of the nation's fast-growing small publishers. The recognition comes on the heels of 21% sales growth for the company from 2007-2009, attributable to Prufrock's aggressive development of new titles, a market-driven approach to publishing, and soon-to-be-released digital editions of our books.

Prufrock Press was one of only 11 small publishers featured in the industry news magazine's annual list of fast-growing small publishers. Publishers Weekly's Small Publisher Standouts list highlights independent presses in the United States who were exemplary in terms of growth in sales, number of new titles released, and number of employees.

A Commitment to Digital Books

I was very pleased that the article took the time to emphasize our exciting plans for growth in 2010. For example, Publishers Weekly's 2009 list focused on small publishers with the "ability to seize opportunities quickly." The article specifically noted Prufrock Press' commitment to digital editions. While other small presses have taken a wait-and-see approach to digital content, we are committed to offering our books in digital formats to our customers. By the end of the second quarter 2010, we will offer digital editions of most of our titles through our website and through all major ebook channels.

Expanded Categories of New Titles

In 2009, Prufrock Press released 35 new titles. In 2010, we plan on releasing 50! We plan on adding new subject categories such as ADHD, behavioral disorders, and strategies for inclusive classrooms to our already growing line of products for parents and teachers of students with learning disabilities. We also plan to grow our advanced learning and gifted education line with exciting new curriculum products, professional development resources, and college planning guides.

I want to thank all of our customers for their ongoing support and feedback. We simply couldn't have grown so fast without the continued loyalty of our customers.

Click here for more information about Prufrock Press' listing in Publishers Weekly's Small Publisher Standouts list.

Prufrock Press recently released Advanced Placement Classroom: Macbeth, the last installment in its four-part Advanced Placement Classroom series. Like the series' previous installments, including volumes devoted to Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet, this teaching resource focuses on developing advanced reading comprehension and analytical skills while providing students with a greater historical context for understanding the story and its tempestuous cast of characters.

Co-author, Daniel Lipowitz has taken this a step further, hosting none other than Macbeth, who, fresh from the battlefield, joins him in this episode of his podcast series Lip On-Line. In this "Monster Interview," Lipowitz transcends time acquiring  affectations of Elizabethan linguistics to create an interview persona appropriate for his Shakespearean subject.  Set immediately after the murder of MacDonwald, the interview primarily focuses on Macbeth's (and to a lesser extent Lady Macbeth's) literary reputation, to which the Scottish rogue supplies a unique perspective.  Not unlike the exercises in AP Classroom: Macbeth, Lipowitz's podcast offers an interactive and introspective method of examining the play.  And it's fun.

Listen to the Podcast

Click here to listen to the podcast

(approximate length: 14 minutes)

Here we go again!

As many of you know, once a year, I need to clear out some of our out of print or older overstocked titles to make room for our exciting new releases for the next school year.

During the sale, we offer a selection of titles at drastically reduced prices. The books I have placed on clearance are in perfect condition. Many of these wonderful titles have been quite popular over the years, but I simply have too many in inventory, and I want to sell them while they are still great tools for the classroom.

I know it's a cliché, but do act quickly. We're truly clearing out odds-and-ends, so once a title sells out, we pull it off the Web site (I had to pull one title off the site just 4 hours after the sale began today).

Save money on exciting classroom materials during Prufrock's year-end inventory clearance.

Order before May 15 and receive these books for 99¢–$1.99! Supplies are limited.

Click here to visit our 2009 "Web-Only Clearance" sale. [Link Removed: Sale Ended on May 15, 2009]

School and School District Purchase Orders Accepted Online

If you need to make purchases using a school or school district purchase order you may do so online. Our online shopping system accepts purchase orders.

I recently had the chance to be interviewed by Laura Vanderkam, a co-author of Genius Denied and the author of the Gifted Exchange Blog.

If you get a chance, click this link to read the interview. It's a short piece, but it covers a wide range of gifted education topics (changes in the field of gifted education over the last 20 years, differentiated instruction, and some opportunities the field faces in coming years), and it touches on some of the publishing plans here at Prufrock Press.

Thanks to Laura for conducting the interview and posting it on her blog!

As many of you know, once a year, I need to clear out some of our oldest or overstocked titles to make room for our exciting new releases for the next school year.

Each May, we offer a selection of titles at drastically reduced prices. The books I have placed on clearance are in perfect condition. Many of these wonderful titles have been quite popular over the years, but I simply have too many in inventory, and I want to sell them while they are still great tools for the classroom.

Save money on exciting classroom materials during Prufrock's year-end inventory clearance.

Order before May 31 and receive these books for 99¢–$1.99! Supplies are limited, so please act quickly.

Click here to visit our "Web-Only Clearance" sale. [Link Removed: Sale Ended on May 31, 2008] 

School and School District Purchase Orders Accepted Online 

If you need to make purchases using a school or school district purchase order you may do so online. Our online shopping system accepts purchase orders.

This week, Prufrock Press launched its new online journals platform. We now offer online access to current and past articles from all of Prufrock's gifted education and advanced academic journals.

We've been working on this project for more than a year, and we're very proud of this new online resource. The site features the following:

• 10 years of back issues for most journals (with more to come);
• Articles searchable by journal, title, author, and abstract;
• Complimentary article downloads for current journal subscribers; and
• Pay-per-view options for nonsubscribers.

Active subscribers have complimentary access to any journal to which they subscribe. If you are a current subscriber, login information and a temporary password will be published on the back of the next journal issue you receive in the mail (the Winter 2008 issue of Gifted Child Today has already been mailed and includes this information).

For non-subscribers, the Web site offers a pay-per-view option.

Let me invite you to visit Prufrock Press' Online Journals for Gifted Education and Advanced Academics.

Alternatively, you can reach individual journals directly by clicking on the following links:

• Gifted Child Today (GCT) online
• Journal of Advanced Academics (JAA) online
• Journal for the Education of the Gifted (JEG) online
• Journal of Secondary Gifted Education (JSGE) online

I am thrilled to announce that Prufrock Press has acquired a group of selected titles formerly published by Zephyr Press. Some of these books are fairly recent releases and some are classics. I always felt that Zephyr had some wonderful titles, and I wanted to bring a select group of them over to Prufrock. I felt that they would be great additions to our growing line of products supporting gifted and advanced learners. I had been working for almost a year to get these titles, and I'm proud to announce that the agreement is complete and the books are in our warehouse!

You can see the entire line of products in a special area of our online catalog devoted to the titles formerly published by Zephyr Press.

However, let me take a bit of time to tell you about some of these exciting books.

Strategies for Great Teaching: Maximize Learning Moments

This is a fun book filled with quick and creative teachings ideas that help students make connections with the content you are teaching. For example, this book offers lessons in which students

• play the part of television reporters, interviewing other students about content they have learned;
• create visually complex pictures and graphs to represent information or concepts;
• use mathematical symbols to capture their understanding of relationship and events inherent in the content; and
• play a classroom version of the old television game show, "The $10,000 Pyramid," to identify patterns and seek meaning.

I like the practical, teacher-friendly way the authors share their strategies. They provide lots of examples to illustrate the teaching ideas they share.

A Kid's Guide to Creating Web Pages

I love this book. Written for kids who want to create their own Web pages, the language and instructions are easy to follow and straightforward. The book leads readers step-by-step through the basics of building a Web page. This is an exciting book for any kid who wants to move beyond the basics of "canned" Web 2.0 Internet tools. The emphasis for this book in on fun and creativity.

Also, the lead author of this book is a teenager! Literally written by a kid for kids, this book is a great guide for young Web designers.

Brain Food: 100+ Games That Make Kids Think

All about fun ways to get kids to stretch their brains in creative and complex ways, this book contains more than 100 mental exercises guaranteed to make kids think. The book includes

• word games,
• math games,
• logic games,
• memory games, and
• much more!

I like the fact that this book has a bit of an international flavor. It is filled with fun games from around the world that challenge and stimulate young minds. From the Japanese strategy game Hasami Shogi, the traditional African game Wari, to the deductive game Witch Hunt, to the word challenge Wordbuilder, this book is packed with mind stretching tools that encourage complex thinking skills.

Learning vs. Testing: Strategies That Bridge the Gap

Okay, I'm not a fan of the cover, but what is inside this book makes it a real winner. As teachers and parents, we all know bright kids who just don't perform well on tests. There seems to be a disconnect between the child's learning and their ability to perform well on typical school assessments. Yet, for better or worse, these assessments are a part of their educational experience.

In this book, the author offers practical strategies to help students learn how to learn and process information in ways that more closely match how they are being tested. Intended for teachers and parents wanting to help raise student grades and test scores in reading, spelling, math, and vocabulary, the strategies provided are designed to bridge the gap between how students learn and how they are tested.

More Exciting Books ...

That is just four of the twelve books we acquired. For the sake of brevity, I'll save my discussion of the other titles for a future blog post. However, I will tell you that these additional titles include some spectacular books for social studies teachers, math teachers, and teachers interested in employing problem-based units in their classroom.

Stay Tuned to hear more about these new titles!