While there are no bibliographic details formally given, references to curriculum documents are within the text. No index is supplied; however the contents page is fairly detailed. Section Four supplies a very useful 'Suggested Readings' list. A comprehensive website list details sites regarding the main curriculum areas, alongside those of teacher’s resources, sites for home education, gardening, foreign languages, and a virtual tour site. Antoinette James and her husband have six children, all of whom are home schooled. Antoinette has a Diploma in Primary Teaching and experience within the kindergarten setting. A small religious bias is noted within this text, but this should not interfere with the reader‘s ability to gain useful information and guidance from the book.

A very plain text with comic/ film/ book titles in italics, a notes section provides bibliographic detail to references in each chapter, and an index is supplied. Gerard Jones is a former comic-book and screen writer. This text has evolved out of his workshops ‘Art & Story’ for children and adolescents. There is a strong American bias, however parallels can be drawn with New Zealand society.

This text is visually interesting with bullet points and boxed sections and good use of white space. The glossary defines, in plain English, the edu-speak jargon which parents are likely to encounter; words written in italics are included within the glossary. Chapter Five is a list of resources which are only applicable in the United States of America, although the websites would be worth following up for links to New Zealand. An index is provided and the appendix provides several pertinant resources. Initially defining maths, social studies and other areas of the curriculum, it moves on to a specific list of goals to be gained in the 4th grade.

Roberta Kirshbaum is currently a principal of an elementary school in New York. She has a proven record of turning near non-functioning schools around. From zero parental participation, she has helped parents become involved in their children’s education in practical ways, resulting in academic success for students and enthusing teachers who were formally demoralized

Andrew Martin specialises in student motivation. Currently attached to the Self-Concept Enhancement and Learning Facilitation Research Centre of the University of Western Sydney as a research fellow, Dr Martin also teaches child and educational psychology between research and speaking commitments. Upon gaining his PhD in 2002, Dr Martin gained the American Psychological Association award for most out-standing doctorate in educational psychology.

While this text is aimed at teaching teachers, parents may benefit from reading the educational material supplied, which could give them some understanding of a teachers perspective, including New Zealand historical issues. Good use is made of diagrams, bullet points and italics by many of the contributors to this text, and all have provided short succinct conclusions. While the index is comprehensive, nearly every chapter provides a recommended reading list and all have a bibliographic reference list except for the home schooling chapter. Contributors to this text give a brief professional history immediately after the preface pages; editors McAlpine and Moltzen are included in this section. Don McAlpine was Professor of Gifted Education at Massey University, while Professor Roger Moltzen is a Professor of Gifted education with Waikato University, New Zealand.

Dr Raymond Moore, teacher and researcher, and his wife, Dorothy, are world renowned reading and curriculum specialists who developed this low-cost, high–achievement, low-stress formula over fifty years. Notes to most chapters include bibliographic detail and an index is given.

Good use is made of glossy white paper and clear font with bold type subject headings, also colour photographs and drawings combined with bullet-points and boxed sections make this a clear readable text. Four Appendices are provided; "A" being a description of the Waldorf day-care concept, "B" discusses Waldorf parent and child groups, "C" examines the allowance for childhood which is allowed for in this schooling system. Lastly, there is appendix entitled "Contacts" which contains resources including New Zealand contacts and websites.

A full bibliography is supplied along with an index, list of authors and their professional position at time of printing. Professor Don McAlpine was for many years Professor of Gifted Education at Massey University and is the immediate past Patron of the New Zealand Association for Gifted Children, whilst Neil Reid, an education professional originally produced the journal 'Apex' and represented New Zealand on the World Council of Giftedness.

The last chapter is an A through to Z of concerns parents have and where to get help, from Adolescent to Gifted Children, to Truancy and Unhappy children. Common sense, factual information is supplied. No bibliography or index is offered; however this is compensated by a detailed list of contents. Cartoons illustrate issues and diagrams abound, with checklists for every milestone in a child’s life. An edu-speak glossary and contact details for organisations mentioned in this text are listed at the back of the book. Alan Trussell-Cullen has been involved in education circles as a teacher and parent, and this shows in his ability to write a reassuring text which assumes that the reader has little knowledge of the schooling system and related issues.