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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316 Items found Print
Active Filters: Adult
1001 Commonly Misspelled Words
by Robert Magnan & Mary Lou Santovec
from McGraw-Hill
for 10th-Adult
in Spelling Resources (Location: REF-SPE)
50 States Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 5th-Adult
in United States Geography (Location: GEO-REFUS)
$7.96
501 English Verbs
by Thomas R. Beyer, Jr., Ph.D.
2nd edition from Barron's
for 9th-Adult
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Algebra 2 Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Math Flippers (Location: MATR-FLIP)
Alphabet Makers
by Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
for 8th-Adult
in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
America's Christian History
by Gary DeMar
2nd edition from American Vision Press
for 10th-Adult
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
America's Providential History
by Mark Beliles & Stephen McDowell
from Providence Foundation
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$8.00 (6 in stock)
America: The First 350 Years - MP3 CD
by Steve Wilkins
from Covenant Publications
for 7th-Adult
in History Conferences & Lectures (Location: HISRF-CONF)
$25.00
American Children Through Their Books
by Sister Monica Kiefer
1970 printing from University of Pennsylvania Press
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
American Covenant
by Marshall Foster
from Mayflower Institute
for 9th-Adult
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
American Dictionary of the English Language
by Noah Webster
10th edition from Foundation for American Christian Education
for 7th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
American Heritage Desk Dictionary
5th edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 7th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
American Heritage Dictionary
by Houghton Mifflin Company
5th edition from Dell Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$10.99
American History in Black & White
by David Barton
1st edition from WallBuilder Press
for 10th-Adult
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
American Story
from Curtis Publishing Co.
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Anatomicum
Welcome to the Museum
by Jennifer Z. Paxton; illustrated by Katy Wiedemann
from Big Picture Press
for 6th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$37.99
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, Illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
for 4th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$37.99
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Katie Scott
UK Edition from Big Picture Press
for 4th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Arboretum
Welcome to the Museum
by Tony Kirkham, illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
for 4th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$37.99
Art of Fiction
by John Gardner
from Vintage Classics
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$14.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Asimov's New Guide to Science
by Isaac Asimov
from Basic Books
for Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
Atlas of the Islamic World
by Francis Robinson
from Facts On File
for 9th-Adult
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Atlas of the North American Indian
by Carl Waldman
1st edition from Facts On File
for 9th-Adult
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Atlas of World History
2nd edition from Oxford University
for 7th-Adult
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$49.95
Baker Atlas of Christian History
by Tim Dowley, Editor
from Baker Books
for 7th-Adult
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Baker Illustrated Guide to the Bible
by J. Daniel Hays & J. Scott Duvall
from Baker Books
for 7th-Adult
in Bible Reference (Location: XBI-REF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Baker's Bible Atlas
by Charles F. Pfeiffer
1966 printing from Baker Books
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Basic History of the United States - Complete Set with Teacher's Guide
by Clarence B. Carson
from American Textbook Committee
American History Reference for 9th-12th grade
in Basic History of the United States (Location: HISCUR-BHUS)
$104.55
Between Babel and Beast
by Peter J. Leithart
from Cascade Books
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$28.00
Bible and the Constitution
by Verna M. Hall and Rosalie J. Slater
1st edition from Foundation for American Christian Education
for Adult
in Principle Approach (Location: HSR-METPA)
Bible and the Constitution
by Verna M. Hall and Rosalie J. Slater
1st edition from Foundation for American Christian Education
for Adult
in Principle Approach (Location: HSR-METPA)
Bible Atlas
by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
from Rand McNally
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Bible Atlas & Companion
by Christopher D. Hudson, David Barrett
from Barbour Publishing
for 5th-Adult
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
Bible Jesus Read
by Philip Yancey
from Zondervan
for 10th-Adult
in Bible Surveys (Location: XBI-SURV)
$16.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Bible Story Handbook
by John H. Walton & Kim E. Walton
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Bible Reference (Location: XBI-REF)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Bible Study
by Kathleen Buswell Nielson
from P&R Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Bible Reading & Study (Location: XBI-STUDY)
$11.00
Bible Then & Now
by Jenny Roberts
from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
for 6th-Adult
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Biology Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 9th-Adult
Birds of the Willamette Valley Region
by Hall Opperman, Harry Nehls & Tom Aversa
1st edition
for 9th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FG07)
Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
by Jane Straus with Lester Kaufman & Tom Stern
11th edition from Jossey-Bass
for 6th-Adult
$13.56 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
by Lester Kaufman and Jane Straus
12th edition from Jossey-Bass
for 6th-Adult
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$20.00
Boys of '76
by Charles Coffin
from Maranatha Publications
Historical Reference for 10th-Adult
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
from Hendrickson Publishers
for Adult
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
from Hendrickson Publishers
for Adult
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
By These Words
by Paul M. Angle, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson
from Rand McNally
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Calculus 1 Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 11th-Adult
in Math Flippers (Location: MATR-FLIP)
Calculus 2 Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 12th-Adult
in Math Flippers (Location: MATR-FLIP)
Chemistry Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 10th-Adult
Christian History of the American Revolution
by Verna Hall & Rosalie Slater
from Foundation for American Christian Education
in Principle Approach (Location: HSR-METPA)
Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America - Volume I
by Verna Hall
from Foundation for American Christian Education
in Principle Approach (Location: HSR-METPA)
Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America - Volume II
by Verna Hall
2nd edition from Foundation for American Christian Education
in Principle Approach (Location: HSR-METPA)
Christian Life and Character of the Civil United States
by Benjamin F. Morris
from American Vision Press
for 9th-Adult
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament
by John Walton
2nd edition from Zondervan
Biblical Reference for 9th-Adult
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
Cities of the Biblical World
by LaMoine F. DeVries
from Wipf and Stock Publishers
for 11th-Adult
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Civilisation
by Kenneth Clark
from HarperCollins
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Rhyming Dictionary
from Dell Publishing
for 1st-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.99
Cruden's Complete Concordance
by Alexander Cruden
1979 printing from Zondervan
for 10th-Adult
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Cruden's Complete Concordance
by Alexander Cruden
from John C. Winston
for 10th-Adult
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Debunking Howard Zinn
by Mary Grabar
from Regnery Publishing, Inc.
for 10th-Adult
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$16.00
Deluxe Then and Now Bible Maps
by Rose Publishing
New & Expanded Edition from Rose Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
$34.99
Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins
by Bob Moore and Maxine Moore
from Barnes & Noble
for 8th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Mythology
by Neil Philip
from DK Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Universe
by Martin Rees, general editor
from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$25.00 (1 in stock)
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
by Lynne Truss
from Gotham Books
Grammar Reference for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$11.00 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
by Allen C. Myers, editor
from William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
for Adult
in Bible Dictionaries & Handbooks (Location: XBI-DICT)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Elements of Rhetoric
by Ryan N.S. Topping
from Angelico Press
for 10th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Elements of Style
by William Strunk & E. B. White
4th edition from Allyn and Bacon
Writing Handbook for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$9.99
Elements of Style (Illustrated)
by E.B. White, William Strunk Jr.
from Penguin Books
for 7th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$18.00
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters
by Mark Dunn
Reprint from Anchor Books
for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$12.71
Encyclopedia of Animals
from Fog City Press
for 8th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Encyclopedia of Animals
from Fog City Press
for 8th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Mammals
by Professor David Macdonald, editor
from Barnes & Noble
for 8th-Adult
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
by James Trefil
from Routledge
for 7th-Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
English Grammar Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 6th-Adult
Englishman's Greek Concordance of New Testament
by George V. Wigram
from Hendrickson Publishers
for Adult
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance
by George V. Wigram
from Hendrickson Publishers
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
Essential Literary Terms
1st edition from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Essentials of New Testament Greek
by Ray Summers
from Broadman & Holman
for 10th-Adult
in Greek Resources (Location: FL-GRE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
ESV Concise Bible Atlas
by David P. Barrett
from Crossway Books
for 9th-Adult
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
by Lawrence O. Richards
from Zondervan
for Adult
in Bible Concordances & Word Study (Location: XBI-CONC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Facts Plus
by Susan C. Anthony
from Instructional Resources Company
for 9th-adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
$19.95
Figures of Speech
by Arthur Quinn
from Hermagoras Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Figures of Speech
by Arthur Quinn
from Peregrine Smith, Inc.
for 9th-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Fungarium
Welcome to the Museum
by Esther Gaya (and other contributors), illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
for 4th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$37.99
George Washington
by Verna Hall
from Foundation for American Christian Education
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Principle Approach (Location: HSR-METPA)
Ghost Towns of the Northwest
by Norman D. Weis
from Caxton Press
for 9th-Adult
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
Glory and the Dream - Volume 1
by William Manchester
from Little, Brown & Company
for 10th grade-adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
Glory and the Dream - Volume 2
by William Manchester
from Little, Brown & Company
for 10th grade-adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
Grammar at Work
by Jessie L. Wheeler
from Allyn and Bacon
for Adult
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Grasping God's Word - Workbook
by J. Daniel Hays, J. Scott Duvall
3rd edition from Zondervan
for 11th-Adult
in Bible Reference (Location: XBI-REF)
$13.97
Greek and Latin Root Words Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 7th-Adult
Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text
by Zane C. Hodges, Arthur L. Farstad, editors
2nd Ed from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Adult
in Greek Resources (Location: FL-GRE)
$40.00 (1 in stock)
Growing Up with Dick and Jane
by Carole Kismaric & Marvin Heiferman
from HarperCollins
for Adult
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Guinness Book of Records: 1994
by Peter Matthews, editor
from Facts On File
for 6th-Adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
Guinness Book of World Records: 1984
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 6th-Adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Guinness Book of World Records: 1985
by Norris McWhirter (editor and compiler), David A. Boehm (American editor), Maris Cakars (sports editor), Cyd Smith (assistant editor)
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 6th-Adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Guinness World Records: 2002
by Antonia Cunningham
from Guinness World Records Ltd
for 6th-Adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
Guinness World Records: 2003
by Claire Folkard, managing editor
from Guinness World Records Ltd
for 6th-Adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
Guinness World Records: 2005
by Claire Folkard, managing editor
from Guinness World Records Ltd
for 6th-Adult
in General Reference (Location: REF-GEN)
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