Reference & Learning Aids

A lot of education is filling in gaps. Even more is simple fact-memorization, the primary building block leading to the ability to regurgitate ideas, analyze them, and form original ones. Either way, there often isn't a better solution than stuffing names, dates, and figures in kids' heads until they can recall them at will. They hate this, generally, but it's a necessary evil.

In no way as unpleasant, but just as educational, is something most kids love to do: getting comfy with a big compendium of knowledge and turning each page, learning little tidbits about history, the world around them, how their body works, or who's been in outer space until they've had enough and go outside to hunt trolls or dig up buried treasure.

The best word to describe such books is one that every college student learns to dread: reference. If you don't get an F on your paper because you wrote it two hours before class, you definitely will because you forgot to cite your references. It's important to remember, however, that the enemy isn't reference; the enemy (for lack of a better term) is a system that places more value on following arbitrary guidelines than presenting and commenting on thoughts and information.

We're here to put the RAD back in reference. And memorization—there's nothing that says learning the times tables has to be boring. It often is, but usually only because we look at it as a chore, and not a privilege or exciting activity. This attitude often starts with parents: we didn't like math in school, so we kind of groan along with our kids whenever the ol' numbers chart comes out. If we get excited instead, our children are likely to do the same.

Below you'll find a long list of books crammed with facts. Some of them aren't important facts (usually the most fun), some of them are essential; we're not sure where the distinction should or does lie all the time, so we'll leave you to sort that out for yourselves. We would simply encourage, whether you're teaching the tens chart in math, or adding nuance to a study of the Old West by reading a short bio of female outlaw Belle Prater, that you approach "just the facts" with as much joy and anticipation as you'd like to see your children exhibit.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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111 Items found Print
Active Filters: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6)
10 Days to Addition Mastery - Box Set
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Addition (Location: MATR-AR1AD)
10 Days to Multiplication Mastery - Box Set
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Multiplication (Location: MATR-AR3MU)
10 Days to Subtraction Mastery - Box Set
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Subtraction (Location: MATR-AR2SU)
10 Secrets to Addition/Subtraction Fact Mastery
by Marion W. Stuart
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Addition (Location: MATR-AR1AD)
Addition Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for Preschool-1st grade
in Addition (Location: MATR-AR1AD)
$12.95
Addition Wrap-Up Keys
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Addition (Location: MATR-AR1AD)
America Our Great Country
for Kindergarten
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$22.00 (3 in stock)
America: A Patriotic Primer
by Lynne Cheney
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
America: A Patriotic Primer
by Lynne Cheney
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Picture Dictionary
by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries
newly updated from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
Revised from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Answers Book for Kids Volume 1
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Answers Book for Kids Volume 2
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Answers Book for Kids Volume 3
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$7.99
Answers Book for Kids Volume 4
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Ant Cities
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Arthur Dorros
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$5.99
Archaeologists Dig For Clues
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Kate Duke
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$5.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Baker Bible Dictionary for Kids
by Daryl J. Lucas
1st edition from Popular Group
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$15.99
Bible Songs - DVD
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Miscellaneous Bible Curriculum (Location: BIB-MISC)
$15.00 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Caught'ya Again!
by Jane Bell Kiester
1st edition from Maupin House Publishing
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Children's First Encyclopedia
by Neil Morris
from Backpack Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Chocolate Moose for Dinner
by Fred Gwynne
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Comprehensive Composition
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
Writing Curriculum for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$14.00
Creepy, Crawly Caterpillars
by Margery Facklam
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Curious George's Dictionary
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Digging Up Dinosaurs
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Explorers: Insects
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewonder: Space
DK Eyewonder
from DK Publishing
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$10.99
DK First Animal Encyclopedia
Revised from DK Children
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$17.99
Dr. Seuss's ABC
by Dr. Seuss
Book Club from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-1st grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Duel of the Ironclads
by Patrick O'Brien
from Walker and Company
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
Early American History Primary - Supplementary Package
from Beautiful Feet Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$124.66
Eureka! It's an Airplane
by Jeanne Bendick
from Millbrook Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
EyeLike Letters
from Play Bac
for Preschool-2nd grade
$6.00 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Animals
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Paul Dowswell
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.30 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$5.40 (1 in stock)
First Fun Thesaurus
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
First Thousand Words in German
by Stephen Cartwright
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in German (Location: FL-GEN)
First Thousand Words in Italian
by Heather Amery & Stephen Cartwright
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Italian (Location: FL-ITA)
First Thousand Words in Japanese
by Heather Amery & Stephen Cartwright
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Japanese (Location: FL-GEN)
First Thousand Words in Latin
by Stephen Cartwright
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Latin Resources & Reference (Location: FL-LATREF)
First Thousand Words in Russian
by Stephen Cartwright
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Russian (Location: FL-GEN)
Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll
by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
Revised from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
From Caterpillar to Butterfly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science Stage 1
by Deborah Heiligman
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
From Caterpillar to Butterfly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science Stage 1
by Deborah Heiligman
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$6.99
Games for Writing
by Peggy Kaye
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Book of Space Exploration
by Dinah L. Moche
from Golden Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Guides to History Plus
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
for All grades
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$14.00 $6.00 (3 in stock)
Houghton Mifflin Picture Dictionary
An American Heritage Dictionary
by Robert L. Hillerich, illustrated by Maggie Swanson
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
How Mountains Are Made
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
International Children's Bible Dictionary
by Lynn Waller
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
International Children's Bible Handbook
by Lawrence Richards
from Word Publishing
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
King Who Rained
by Fred Gwynne
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
King Who Rained
by Fred Gwynne
from Trumpet Club
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia
by Ruth Thomson and Anne Civardi
from Kingfisher
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals
by Camilla Reid
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals
by Camilla Reid
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Let the Authors Speak
by Carolyn Hatcher
Revised
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Little Pigeon Toad
by Fred Gwynne
from Scholastic Reference
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Lots More Tell Me Why
by Arkady Leokum
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Mesmerized
by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Moon Seems to Change
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Franklyn M. Branley
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
More Tell Me Why
by Arkady Leokum
1972 Printing from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My First Golden Encyclopedia
by Jane Werner Watson
Fourth Printing from Golden Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
My First Picture Dictionary
by Katherine Howard
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$1.50 (2 in stock)
My Little Science Library 5 volumes
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
My Very First Word Book
by Angela Wilkes
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why
by Amy Shields
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Native Homes
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Nave's Compact Topical Bible
by God
from Zondervan
for All Ages
in Bible Reference (Location: XBI-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Nelson's 3-D Bible Mapbook
by Simon Jenkins
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for All Ages
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Nest Full of Eggs
by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
New Golden Dictionary
by Bertha Morris Parker, illustrated by Aurelius Battaglia
from Golden Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Numbers Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for Nursery-Kindergarten
Oil Spill!
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by written by Melvin Berger; illustrated by Paul Mirocha
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Environment & Conservation (Location: SCI-ENV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Old Hat New Hat
Bright & Early Books
by Jan Berenstain, Stan Berenstain
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
Phonics Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
Planets in Our Solar System
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Franklyn M. Branley
from HarperTrophy
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Rainbow Dictionary
by Wendell W. Wright, assisted by Helene Laird, illustrated by Joseph Low
from World Publishing Company
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Richard Scarry's ABC Word Book
by Richard Scarry
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Richard Scarry's Best Little Word Book Ever! (Little Golden Book)
by Richard Scarry
2nd edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever (Giant Golden Book)
by Richard Scarry
De Luxe edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.99
Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99
Science Scope
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
for All grades
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$15.00
Seeker of Knowledge
by James Rumford
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$7.99
Sky Is Full of Stars
by Franklyn M. Branley
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Stars & Constellations (Location: SCI-AST)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Still More Tell Me Why
by Arkady Leokum
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Subtraction Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Subtraction (Location: MATR-AR2SU)
$12.95
Subtraction Wrap-Up Keys
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Subtraction (Location: MATR-AR2SU)
Sunshine Makes the Seasons
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Michael Rex
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Tell Me Why
by Arkady Leokum
1973 Printing from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Train of States
by Peter Sis
Reprint from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$8.99
United States Maps
by Amy Pak
from Home School in the Woods
for All Ages
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$19.95 $14.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Flip-Flap Body Book
by Alastair Smith, Judy Tatchell
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
Usborne Pocket Nature
by Barbara Cork
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$4.05 (1 in stock)
Usborne Starting Point Science - Volume 1
by Susan Mayes
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$5.40 (1 in stock)
What Do People Do All Day?
by Richard Scarry
from Random House
Richard Scarry Picture Book for K-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99
What Is the World Made Of?
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld & Paul Meisel
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
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