Saturday 30 August 2008

Match Wits with the Kids reviewed in Junior Magazine

In readiness for the new school year, Match Wits with the Kids is reviewed in the October edition of Junior Magazine. And a very positive review it gets too (on page 129, if you happen to have a copy to hand).

In fact, if you haven't done so already, right about now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Match Wits. Not only are a number of booksellers running offers on the book at the moment, but by reading it now, you'll be pre-empting all those difficult questions that are likely to face you in the coming months - whether you're the one going to school, or you're the parent of one of those going to school.

Saturday 16 August 2008

A-levels: are they getting easier, or are students getting smarter?

The A-level results for 2008 were published on Thursday and, once again, show that more exams were passed than ever before - with more students achieving grade As.

This seems to be a common occurrence in recent years and instantly provokes comments that exams are getting easier, whilst the poor A-level students are wanting to celebrate their fabulous achievements.

But the question remains: are exams getting easier, or is the teaching and learning that's taking place becoming more effective?

A top Welsh academic last night hit back at A-level critics by saying this year’s exam questions were as hard now as when he sat his exams in 1961. But at the same time it was reported that the Maths department at Warwick University are getting prospective students to sit an extra exam to rate their mathematical ability.

And so the debate rages on. To read what Mary Bousted has to say in the Independent, click here. To read about how the introduction of diplomas as an alternative to A-levels next year will help give students a broader range of skills, click here. And to read about how the A-level pass rate now tops 97%, click here.

What do you think? Are you the parent of an A-level student? Are you a celebrating examinee yourself? Or are you preparing to take A-levels in the next year or so? Whoever you are, why not have your say here?

But, for now, congratulations to everyone who's celebrating exam success this summer.

Thursday 7 August 2008

Match Wits gets 5 stars (again)!

Match Wits with the Kids has been given a 5-star customer review on W H Smith's webstore (to go with the 5-star review on Amazon). To find out more (and buy your own copy) click here.

Sunday 3 August 2008

Match Wits at Number 5 in Smiths

Having seen (or heard) of several different W H Smiths stores having Match Wits with the Kids at number 5 in their non-fiction books chart, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Match Wits is the 5th best-selling non-fiction book in W H Smiths nationwide - which is nice.


I'm very happy with that position seeing as how the book's only really beaten by a couple of autobiographies and something a lot more lurid than an adult revision guide.

While I'm here I would also like to thank the staff of the Ealing branch of Waterstone's. I was in there on Saturday and, seeing Match Wits on display at the till point, got chatting. The long and the short of it is that they asked me to sign on the copies they had on display - which they then stuck with the appropriate stickers - and also told me that the book was selling rather well - which was nice, as well.

If you haven't picked up a copy yet, what are you waiting for? The Independent said, 'This jolly compendium will enlighten all who dip in... Green deserves 10/10.'




You can purchase one right now by clicking on the appropriate box in the sidebar to the right. Which would be nice.