Murder Playlist by Kyle L. Balmer is Published

 Another Book Published to Amazon.com



It's Here! Coskrey Biz has published the techno thriller Murder Playlist by Kyle L. Balmer. It is available on Amazon as a Kindle ebook. Read it now for free as a Kindle Unlimited book if you are a subscriber.

To the rock music in his earbuds, Brandon makes the move from peeping Tom to home invader and wannabe serial killer. When one of his victims wants him to help her kill her stepfather, a team of killers is born. Will the Las Vegas police be able to stop them?

When I read the book, I immediately thought of Stephen King. Then I thought of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Now I am reminded of Edgar Allen Poe. This novella might be short, but it is definitely a psychological horror story. I had nightmares while editing it.

If you are a fan of horror stories and/or crime fiction, you will love this book.

Kyle Balmer plays with voice, tone, and point of view. The narration reflects the way Millenials speak among themselves and write on social media.  The devices through which they communicate and see the world become part of the story. The style of narration and formatting is dubbed Millenial Speak.

Read it and let me know what you think. Better yet, comment on Amazon. (Any issues with formatting are purely on me, so be critical  in the comment section below.)

Ode to Dolly is published again & more news

An Update on the Poem  "An Ode to Dolly"

I have posted the poem "An Ode to Dolly  Re: Global Warming" in 2 blogs, a webpage and elsewhere in the past. It got noticed! It is published in a textbook. (Keep reading below the credits  for details.)

• (Blogs: Valerie's Memos & Valerie's Soapbox; Webpage: VCCTI, an extremely outdated and practically unusable website that I have not had time to update. Give me time. I still have plans for it.)
• I have used this photo in past posts of the poem. This photo of a sheep and her lamb is NOT Dolly, but is from Fotolia [© foto.fritz - FOTOLIA
  fotolia_397073 sheep with lamb and full wool coat.jpg] Get more from this photographer.schaf 7 © foto.fritz  

I offer the first 2 lines as a teaser of "An Ode to Dolly."

Dolly had a little lamb.

It came the natural way.

Valerie Coskrey (c)2006.

Back in 2012 or 2013, I received a request to allow the use of the poem in an educational workshop and a textbook. I gave Pearson permission to use the poem, retaining the copyright. I had them donate to RFF in lieu of payment, which they did. Now I learn that the textbook has been reissued.

This poem is included in Pearson's educational text that was just republished in 2019.

Read to Achieve: Gateway to Academic Reading
By David Rothman, Jilani Warsi
Published by Pearson
Copyright © 2013
Published Date: Jun 21, 2019

http://www.mypearsonstore.com/bookstore/read-to-achieve-gateway-to-academic-reading-9780205578061?xid=PSED

The link shows the book and its table of contents. The poem is listed in Chapter 2. I checked Amazon.com and found used versions of the 2013 edition still for sell. So I bought one--a paperback.

 An Update on Coskrey Biz

An update on Coskrey Biz is is to be in an upcoming post. Hint: Editing is really keeping me busy, as is publishing. Stay in touch!!

New Books to be Published Soon

Editing is Expanding into Publishing

 Once Standing Tall and Looking Good  was published by Coskrey Biz, Fred Zuker realized he needed a hard copy edition for some of his readers that did not enjoy ebooks. So Coskrey Biz is busy working on a paperback version to be published using the services of  KDP and sold on Amazon.

Other books are in the works. The Dark Angel Turned Away is a memoir by Fred Zuker and his father Ray Zuker. It tells the story of Ray Zuker's days in the Army Air Corps during World War II. This book is within weeks of publication. 

We are also planning a YA version of Standing Tall and Looking Good as the one published is a bit salty, but a wonderful read for those YA readers who are curious about military life. Again, this books is within weeks of publication. 

Visit the Authors and Books blog for information on Fred and other authors associated with Coskrey Biz.

Coskrey Biz is working with other authors, and invite new authors to contact us.  

Coskrey Biz edits all types of texts and will publish books using Amazon's KDP services. We can publish to the author's account so the author has full control of all royalties.  Price Lists are available.

And yes, I am an affilliate advertiser, including for Amazon. See the Disclosure/Privacy notice linked at the top of the page.

Read Standing Tall and Looking Good

The Book is Published

In the last post I said that I was editing a book. That book is now published to Amazon as an ebook.

You can get it by clicking on the image. Standing Tall and Looking Good is a memoir by R. Fred Zuker's years in the Army during 1968-1971. Zuker tells of  his days in basic combat training, attending classes for military intelligence and serving in South Korea during the Vietnam War.

His clipped, objective style echos the brief sentences of military communications, both in person and on forms. I relate because I grew up on Navy bases and have family members who served. As I read, I could feel the rhythm of cadences and the sense of getting the job done, no excuses, that I felt when growing up.

Zuker was a leader and a doer with skills that carried him through his academic career after Army life. He was also a history major, and uses his knowledge of history to relate to events in the book. You can read about Zuker here.

Yes, I edited the book, trying my best to maintain the voice of military speech that my veteran family members assured me was true. Coskrey Biz also published the book online. Wayne, the other half of Coskey Biz, did the photo processing and the cover art. The cover art is based on a sketch by Walt Johnson, a friend of Fred Zuker. Wayne and Walt Johnson share the copyright. Questions? Contact me.

We plan a Young Adult edition in the near future. We believe that ROTC and high school history classes will enoy reading the YA version. The original version contains the salty dialog of young military men, which will be removed for the YA version. The YA version should be, hopefully, published in January-February of 2019. with a slightly different title. Stay in touch for the publication announcement.

Coskrey Biz Now Offers Editing Services

Changes 

Coskrey Biz has made changes. Now we spend most of our time editing books. One is an autobiography of a young man's stint in the army and another is a novella, a chilling thriller told from the perspective of a killer.

Yes, Coskrey Biz has added new services to our freelance business. We recently began editing and will publish to Kindle. Wayne has become more active with his computer graphics services. 

Currently we are editing 4 books. Two of these we have agreed to develop as ebooks and post them to Amazon in its KDP program. 

Watch for future postings on this. Meanwhile, visit the new WordPress website/blog Books and Authors. 

Coskrey Biz Business -- 9/8/14

Websites in the Making

Button on NetworkShrub
Visit the website.

This week saw the completion of the website for a local business, English Garden Florist & Boutique, which is in Brazoria, TX. Check it out and shop this local business for gifts and flowers!

I am consulting with Vic Penuel of Jeter's Old World Antiques & Gifts in Angleton, TX, on the website he is building and posting for free to a closed Facebook group of local antique dealers and vintage resale merchants. Vic's goal is to bring more business into our area south of Houston. The website will feature all local antique and vintage resale merchants in the group. Flyers for the merchants are planned that will feature member merchants, too.

The site should be posted by 9/30/14.  Local merchants of antiques and vintage resale should email Vic and ask to be included in the Facebook group. Those who join after the webpage due date can be added to the website after its launch.

For beach goers, there is plenty to see, do, and buy on your way down Hwy's 6, 288, 35 and neighboring roads south. The website's focus is on Brazoria County, which ends with Surfside, Bryan and Quintana beaches. Let Antiquing be a part of your activity list. Plan to visit the website for information on where to shop or browse and visit.

Sketch of website design for sale at Coskrey Biz

I designed a webpage based on 6-7 images I found in Fotolia and just had to use. So far the design is simply a jpeg layout. I wrote text reflective of someone who upcycles and repurposes vintage and resale items. The original text uses plenty of "magically transforms" and other flowery phrases, but hey...it's a rough draft. If interested, let me know. I will develop the template for a website if purchased. For more details, visit Coskrey Biz.

I also managed to get a few pages about teaching with science fiction added to the Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas website that I am rewriting.

Posting in Blogs 

Have you visited the Discovery Garden pages yet? Sam, my partner in these pages, has started a blog, Friends of the West Columbia Discovery Garden. We invite your participation.

Today in Valerie's Soapbox, I posted a teachable moment essay about reading with young children. Here I described an experience with a first grade girl I tutor as she read No. David! to me.

I wrote another poem that I am debating posting in my blog Valerie's Soapbox. Might do that this week. It is called Homage to Bt-corn. Look for information about it in the next memo.

On 9/1/14 I posted an article about cooking with crock pots in Talking about This and That.

Tutoring Continues

Know anyone near Sweeny, TX, who needs a tutor or homeschool academic coach? Visit Coskrey Biz for information. I still have a couple of open time spans.


That's all for now. 'Til next time. ~Valerie

Coskrey Biz Business -- 8/21/75

NetworkShrub

 News from the NetworkShrub Members and Me

What a busy time these past few weeks have been.

Mertie's This and That

Mertie and I are busy networking with local antique dealers. Vic Penuel is coordinating the efforts. More on this later.

Meanwhile, Mertie has "new" items in her inventory. Check out the July and August postings I wrote for her blog and use its links to visit her Facebook page. It is like visiting the store--almost.

English Garden
Florist & Boutique
button in the
NetworkShrub
directory.
Links to website.

I have been blogging and developing webpages. Good thing, too, because my tutoring students have all taken summer breaks, although my network of tutor friends is growing.

The creative here is the Button for the English Garden Florist & Boutique in Brazoria, TX. This website should be completed by the middle of next week. It currently has 2 pages of the 4 loaded.

With school starting, my schedule is again undergoing drastic change. I still read a bit, do computer work at night, and manage to keep up with friends sporadically.

Gifts & Gadgets

The Gifts & Gadgets website is up and functioning. Cindy has a new student worker who will be taking over the blog, if she decides to continue it.  My best to her and my thanks for allowing me to assist her in adding to her online presence. I went shopping there last week. She has a new inventory of clothing in fall colors and plenty of scarves by Sarah's Smiles Shop.

Firebush at West Columbia Discovery Garden, TX,8/21/14
Photo ©Sam Stamport

Volunteering with the Discovery Garden

Sam Stamport and I, with the help of City Manager Debra Sutherland, completed the pages on the West Columbia city website for the Discovery Garden. I wrote 2 poems for it, which I put in Valerie's Soapbox, and Sam has now started a blog for the West Columbia Discovery Garden. I volunteered to do an online pamphlet for West Columbia. I will keep you posted.

 Taking care of Business--My own Websites

I am slowly adding pages to my own websites Coskrey Biz and Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas. The latest set of pages added to VCCTI deal with using science fiction in the classroom.

Speaking of science fiction and the young reader, I have reactivated the RFF Reflections blog.

'Til next time. ~Valerie

Coskrey Biz Business 6/29/14

Welcome Gifts & Gadgets 

Gifts & Gadgets has joined the NetworkShrub of Coskrey Biz. The blog is up and looking good.  Look for a minumum of 2 postings each month. The website will be up shortly, as will the button. There is a link to the Gifts & Gadget Facebook page on the blog.

Gifts & Gadgets, owned by Cindy Heard, is located in Sweeny, TX, in the Stewart's Shopping Center. Store hours are 10:00 AM  -- 6:00 PM, Tuesday-Saturday. Come and shop or just visit.

Mertie's This and That

Mertie's This and That is running a sale on women's clothing. She has some beautiful dresses in the sales rack. Visit the  Mertie's This and That Facebook page. Don't forget the blog Talking about This and That, with new postings on 1st and 3rd Mondays each month. There is a link to Mertie's website there.

Library Activity

I helped with a science crafts workshop for children at the local library in Sweeny, TX. The children made a half dozen projects each and were joyful for the entire hour. Guess that is a measure of success.

The Discovery Garden

Over a dozen webpages are awaiting approval and adjustment by the IT guys. Soon they should be posted on the West Columbia, TX, website.

Coskrey Biz Business, June4, 2014

School is Out; Tutoring Schedule is Changing

With the end of the school year, the current tutoring schedule is changing. Some students are leaving, some changing hours to be more convenient to summer activities. Anyone wanting a tutor should email me, valerie @coskrey-biz. com, (Close the spaces in the eddress, please.) with a phone number, and I will call you back. Go to the website, Coskrey Biz, for more information about tutoring subjects. 

Discovery/Butterfly Garden

Section of the Discovery/Butterfly Garden in West Columbia, TX

I am helping Sam Stamport with the new garden alongside the walking/bicycling trail in the First Capitol Park in West Columbia, TX. Sam obtained a grant for this pocket butterfly garden from TNMP. The city had the garden planted by Wells Florist Nursery and Landscape Co. Volunteers will help maintain it.

The garden displays drought-resistant, native-coastal-Texas plants with a broad range of blooming times. Teachers and families are encouraged to tour the garden. Information about the garden can be found on the city website at http://www.westcolumbiatx.org/index.aspx?nid=977.

Coskrey Biz is assisting in developing the web pages and some curricular activities for school and family use.

Volunteers Needed

Upkeep of the garden is an ongoing activity, as is development of curricular activities for schools and families. If you would like to help, contact me (as above, valerie @ coskrey-biz. com)or visit the park website and look for a sign up link.

Coskrey Biz at Mertie's This and That

At Mertie's This and That;
A Beach on the Texas Coast

I am still writing the blog, Talking About This and That and have posted 1st and 3rd Monday entries. Be sure to visit the blog.

New items have been added to the Mertie's This and That resale shop, replacing those that have sold. Currently, there are dresses suitable for mothers of the bride and others who will be attending weddings this summer. There are new nick-knacks and fragrances by Nina's market. Check it out.  Hours and location are listed on the blog.

Other News

I am still updating the website Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas, a forever-ongoing project.

The word-processing aspect of Coskrey Biz services is picking up with new orders and expressions of customer satisfaction.

That's all the news for now. Hope you enjoy the pleasant June days to come. Although July is sure to be fine, it will be HOT. Thank goodness West Columbia is nearby and has a swimming pool. Also, double thank goodness Quintana Beach in Freeport, TX is close to Sweeny. Love the beach on hot summer days!

Coskrey Biz Business 2/13/14

 In the shop; At the Computer Class; Getting Insurance;  Keeping Busy

A peek at the glassware and table
I have for sale at
Mertie's This and That

Valerie Sells Items at Mertie's This and That

As you know, I am selling items at Mertie's This and That on Hwy 521 just southwest of Brazoria. It is on the north side just east of the San Bernard River Bridge.

Currently, I am selling vintage Norwood, Imperial and  Indiana glassware, including carnival glass, milkglass,  and FTD vases from the 70's and onward. Bowls and votives round out the collection. There are some furniture items and more to round out your shopping experience.

Looking for china and crystal? I have sets of Moonspun China by Lennox and Navarre Crystal Stemware by Fostoria for sale. Tell Mertie you are interested and ask for my card. Call me and we will discuss it. It is not in the store, although it can be sold at the store. Mertie has other sets of china in the store.

Just one of the patterns of china for sale.

Add these items to Mertie's large inventory and you are sure to find something to please when you come by. Browse and visit; Mertie enjoys company. I might even be there when you stop by. Come between 11:00am-5:00pm from Tuesdays through Saturday. Beware, Mertie occasionally closes a tad early!

Computer Classes at the Sweeny Library

This past week we added tables and columns to a Word file.  Copies of the lesson can be obtained from the librarians.

Next week,  2/18/14, we will use Excel to build a spreadsheet of information and numbers. We will learn the quirks of entering data, formatting cells, and working a few calculations.  We will write a few simple formulas and concatenate text. We might have time for a graph or two.

I ask for suggestions of topics to cover and I ask if anyone is interested in extending the class into March. Also, remember to let me know if you need to arrange some one-on-one time for your individual needs.

Insurance Help is on the Way

A friend of mine emailed me this message just last week: "On Feb. 25, Mar. 4, 11, 18, and 25 at the [American Legion Hall in West Columbia[TX]from 8 AM to 7 PM free help will be available to people to sign up for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). You need to bring your tax return, Social Security Number, date of birth, and an ID."

Many thanks, Sam, for letting us know!

Keeping Busy

I am making progress with the updating of the website Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas. It will be a better site when I am finished. I am also busy tutoring, and have added a few subjects to my list of qualified areas on WyzAnt. (Find me as Mrs. C at WyzAnt.com). You can also hire me directly. Visit Coskrey Biz for details and a link to WyzAnt.

Report on Weekly Computer Classes

Tuesday's Meeting and the Planned Lesson

It was cold outside, but the library stayed open. Hence, I showed up for the computer class. I did not expect anyone else to show up. However, one new attendee, Jim, did show. We spent time exploring email info, download info, and the idea of free programs available for download.

This week's lesson was on downloading free programs and practicing what

If only the clouds on Tuesday had been this light.
Instead the day was overcast dark grey clouds.

had been learned. There were some additional discussions of viruses, spyware and malware planned. Hence, there are a few pages of associated info to be read by class members. These will be available in a print-out next week. I will also email the pages to each of those attendees who have left an email address with me.

Next Week's Plan

Next week we will be concentrating on the tools in Word for writing letters and addressing envelopes.

I hope you all can make it. Meanwhile, practice.

What to do if you Crash the Program: 

Task Manager and Auto-recover/Auto-save

If you crash the program--that is everything freezes up and nothing happens--no problem. Hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete and on the menu list choose Task Manager. Choose the Applications tab and in that window, choose the program you are working on. Look at its Status. If it says running, then everything is probably OK and you just need to wait a bit. IF the CPU Usage data on the bottom bar of this pop-up window give a flickering percentage that is lower than 95%, then x out of the window (or cancel) and wait for the program to do its thing and get back to working. If the flickering seems stalled at a high % or if the word running is not present, then Select your program and click End Task. This will close your program.

You will have lost any data past your last save, but you can remember what it was and do it over. Just open the program again, bring up your file and repeat what you lost--and shield innocent ears from your frustrated laments!! And try not to throw anything that will break, or pound too heavily on the fragile table surface. You might hurt yourself.

You can save yourself some of this frustration by using Autorecover. In Word, this is part of the File-->Options-->Save tool. Set your Autorecover minutes to a short time span--mine is set to 5 min.--and Word will save the document every 5 minutes in a recovered file. Be sure to click on OK to save your new setting. If something happens to the computer or if you forget to save your final version, then the Recovered file will open the next time you open Word. Its name will appear in the Autorecover panel until you take care of it. IF you have worked on the file from a thumbdrive, especially in the meantime, then Save As using an alternate name like itsfilename2 or some such.

Coskrey Biz Bizness 1/19/14

Keeping Busy at Coskrey Biz

Computer Classes and Web Pages

I am teaching computer classes at the local library at 2:30 on Tuesday afternoons. About 9 students are taking the classes, so far. Lessons from past classes are posted on Coskrey Biz. Just follow the links from the library page.

Information for the Computer Class

This week's class will focus on using the file management system

Explorer to locate, open, save and organize files. Portable drives for transporting information will be discussed. To have files to play with, we will put an image in a word file and manipulate it. Then we will save it to a thumb drive and locate it; save it to documents and locate it there, etc. 

All students bringing their own laptops should come a few minutes early to get their internet log-on information from the librarians. Others should get their computer slips from me and be ready to use Word when we start class.

Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas

I am in the process of updating my first website, nicknamed VCCTI or vforteachers. It should be up and running again soon. Let me know what you think of the new home page. It is up, solo, but up.

I am adding a series called Reading Kits.

My Apologies

For a while there the websites were a bit messed up. The problem was in the directory. My bad. I have fixed the problem now and the webpages are once more correctly accessible. For anyone who was exploring, 2 index pages got switched.

A Network of Shops

Besides webpages and blog management, I offer shop networks. Resale Shops near Brazoria to see the concept in action. Currently, I am building this network. The active member is Merties This and That.

A group of shops share an entry page linking to the webpages of each shop. It is an inexpensive way for a small business to get a webpage, share the expense of advertising locally, and build a network of like-minded business people. A ListLocal account is available for each network entry page.

Tutoring News

All students took a break over the Christmas holidays. Many took off the first week back to school since teachers started few new concepts that week. This gave me a mini-vacation that I enjoyed. I am glad to be seeing them again now. Currently, I have only a few slots open for new students.

About Wayne

Wayne is ready to process photos now. He has become quite expert at digital photo restoration.
He is still designing his webpages, but can be contacted at wayne @ coskrey-biz.com (close up the spaces, please. Spammer-prevention, you know.)

Coskrey Biz Bizness 11/5/13

What's New? Lots!

New Webpages

New webpages are posted.

Fluffy Cat ©2012
Read more below.

• Resale Shops in the Brazoria, TX, area 
•  Mertie's This and That

New Services

Photo albums are now available. I have added ZenPhoto to the Coskrey Biz website.

• Get your catalog of products posted with your webpage--or just get a photo album.
• I will be adding my templates for presentations (PowerPoint, etc.) to my photo album. It may take a few days/weeks, but it will soon be an example for you to consider.

Wayne is ready to take orders for digital photo restoration. Contact wayne@coskrey-biz.com.

Just Catching Up

Yes, I am still tutoring.

My new business cards will be here next week.

Don"t forget to read Mertie's blog Talking About This and That. The last posting was just before Halloween and the next one comes out next week.

The Dirt Poor Book blog has been reactivated for book reviews. Have you a book review to post there? Send it to me, along with some info to post about yourself as the reviewer. I will add the Amazon link to the book, if available. As a network, we can grow this additional outlet for our ideas, works and opinions.

Did you see the blog post this past week on Valerie's Soapbox that featured 2 local artists? Love their work. But they are both sooooooo different!

About Fluffy Cat

Begun as a painting by Wendy Sterling, Fluffy Cat had been rendered as a graphic image by me. Then Wayne (see above) got hold of it and made a few artistic adjustments on the lighting and color balance to the image I had processed from a photo. Voila, a clip art that I am so proud of. Thanks to Wendy and the other artists that have provided the original paintings and stained glass that I have photographed and turned into graphics for websites and template designs.

Coskrey Biz Bizness 10/15/13

Notes from Val

Ok, so the title is lame. I might be a step up from CB Bizness or Coskrey Biz Bizyness. Newsletter sounds so bland. Should I call it Leaves Falling from the NetworkShrub? Fruit of the Shrub? Falling Leaves? Branches of the Shrub? Any suggestions? Maybe those names should be column names. OK. Let's get this newsletter set up so it can be read...

Talking about This and That

In the last postings of Talking about This and That, I talked about re-purposing furniture. Also, I interviewed a local artisan, Donn Correll of Texas Attitudes, CR 316, Brazoria, TX, who refinishes furniture--so be sure to scroll all the way down to the last half of the post. I plan to write more about Mertie and Donn on Valerie's Soapbox. I will let you know when you can read it there.

At Coskrey Biz

The website for Coskrey Biz is up. There are still some pages not posted, so do not be alarmed if you get to an error page on a few of the links. Also, Wayne has still to put his pages up. You will just have to contact him through me. The services he will be offering are graphic arts, photo processing, art, photography and more. He used to fix computers, so if any of you in our network need advice, call.

For those of you considering a Button for the NetworkShrub℠, take a look at the home page and the NetworkShrub℠ Directory. For a description of how it works, read about it on Websites and Blogs. Remember that information displayed will be only what you ask me to display. Also, your Button will link to whatever page online or email that you want it to.
Wayne is busily restoring old photos as digital images with Adobe Cloud software and a Wacom tablet. He is now ready for orders. If you have old photos that you want stored on CD, if you want them touched-up or restored, call for Wayne, the other half of Coskrey Biz.
I am placing some items for sale at Mertie's This and That on FM 521 just southwest of Brazoria, TX. Next time you shop at Mertie's This and That, take a look at my section. I will be up and running by the end of this week. Mertie's items are so attractive, you just know she sets the bar for fine thrift shops in the area. I hope to learn lots from her while we "partner-up" in her store. She has graciously allowed me add a few comments about my stuff in her blog. Look for next week's posting to mention the types of stuff in Coskrey Corner.

Branches of the NetworkShrub℠

Jessie is the newest member of the network. She is an artist and a photographer. She has a sign company in Sweeny, TX, called Total Graphics.

Blog Memos as Newsletters

©2013 All Rights Reserved;
My logo at Coskrey Biz

It seems a bit redundant to send out emails to subscribers when rss feeds from a blog will work just as well. Or do we send emails to remind people to read blogs?  Are you subscribed to this blog?

Anyway, I plan to re-purpose this blog to include newsletter info for my new business activities. My business and its new website are called Coskrey Biz. I plan to continue freelance activities under this name.

If you want an email, use the "Follow by email" form at the bottom of this page, send info in the comment, visit Valerie Coskrey on Facebook and send a message, or send me an email.  I also have a google+ page.  Eventually I will determine who wants what and shape the newsletter plans accordingly.  If the newsletter idea doesn't fly, then I will make other plans for this blog.

Let me know if you like/don't like this idea.

At any rate, the original purpose for the blog is still viable, I have just been inactive for a bit.

By the way, we decided to change our business name when we moved to TX just over a year ago.  Since the site Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas is being updated and will continue on, and since freelance work I do includes tutoring, the news in the memos will still apply to educational ideas.

7th Grade Math Practice Test from Free Test Online

Want to know how your 7th Grader is doing in math? There is a site online that presents tests in school math matched to the math standards framework. There is also information available on math as taught in each state.

I explored the middle school information and found the test below.

You can get other practice tests from Free Test Online

7th Grade Math Test

Question 1: What is the value of (5 + 3)² + (5 - 3)²?

68

70

72

77




Question 2: What is the value of the expression: 2² - 3² + 4²

6

8

11

14




Question 3: Which group does not contain equivalent fractions, decimals and percents?

10%, 1/10, 0.1

40%, 2/5, 0.4

50%, 1/2, 0.5

25%, 1/4, 0.2




Question 4: Find the square root of 3²×4⁴?

64

24

48

44




Question 5: Calculate the expression (|x - 3| + 5|x|) if x = -1.

-3

9

10

0




Question 6: The cost of taxi trips versus distance is shown in the graph below. What is the cost of a 1.5km trip?



$2.5

$3

$3.5

$4




Question 7: The right triangle in the figure below has AC = 13 and BC = 5. What is the length of side AB?



17

9

12

10




Question 8: 3x² - 4x + 12 = 9 is an:

equation

inequality

expression




Question 9: The medals won by United States, United Kingdom and Russia during a gymnastics competition are shown in the table below:

United States	United Kingdom	Russia
5	1	4

Out of the medals won by these three countries, what percentage of medals did the United States win?

50%

40%

10%

90%




Question 10: 24lb of flour are divided into 1/3lb portions. What is the number of 1/3lb portions?

8

12

48

72




Press the Submit button to see the results.

Free
middle school math quizzes provided by Free Test Online

A Practice Test for 8th Grade Math from Free Test Online

Want to know how your child is doing in math? There is a site online that presents tests in school math matched to the math standards framework. There is also information available on math as taught in each state.

I explored the middle school information and found the test below.
You can get other practice tests from Free Test Online

8th Grade Pre-Algebra/Algebra Test

Question 1: | 3x - 2 | = 8 and | x + 1 | = 1

What value of x satisfies both equations above?

-1

2

1

-2




Question 2: The sum of three consecutive integers is 63. What is the lowest of the three integers?

17

18

20

21




Question 3: What is the slope of the line described by the 3y - 4x + 5 = 0 equation?

4/3

-5/3

5/4

3/4




Question 4: Let f(x) = 2x² - x + 5 and g(x) = 3x² - 3x - 2. Calculate h(1), if h(x) = f(x) + g(x).

-1

4

5

6




Question 5: The inequation 3x - 2 > 4 is equivalent to:

x < 6

x > 6

x > 2

x < 2






Question 6: What is the slope of the line perpendicular to the equation 2y - 3x = 2?

3/2

2

2/3

-2/3




Question 7:



3

7

4

1




Question 8: Solve for the numbers x and y from the equations 3x - 2y = 5 and x + y = 5.

x = -3 and y = -2

x = -3 and y = 2

x = 3 and y = -2

x = 3 and y = 2




Question 9: Which list shows numbers in order from least to greatest?

0.4, 1/2, 0.6, 4/7

1/2, 0.4, 4/7, 0.6

0.4, 4/7, 1/2, 0.6

0.4, 1/2, 4/7, 0.6




Question 10: What is the sum of all the digits in the sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,...49, 50?

66

91

101

124




Press the Submit button to see the results.

  

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middle school math quizzes provided by Free Test Online

A Classroom Idea: Magnetic Slime and Silly Putty -- Perfect for Science Fairs

Read about slime, silly putty, and magnetic forms of each: Magnetic Putty and Slime: A K-12 Classroom Idea.

The blog post refers to the sites that teach how to make each. All that is needed now are comments on ideas for science fair projects.

Suggested Readings for K-12 From the Golden Duck Reading List

Reference URL:
http://www.sff.net/rff/readlist/goldduckRL.htm

Last month,I posted a book list at a local library in TX while visiting my parents, Smithville Public Library. The book list was based on the Reading List provided by DucKon the sponsors of the Golden Duck Awards and the Hal Clement Awards. I did this as an Reading for the Future volunteer.

The Golden Duck Awards and the Hal Clement Awards are given annually for quality science fiction written for youth.

I share the book list with you as it was submitted to the Smithville, TX, library -- minus the formatting and the RFF illustration.

(When the actual award-winning book is not in this library--but other books by the author are-- then either the author or the author with another book is listed in parenthesis.)

The Golden Duck Awards, one per age group and a few other categories, are given annually to science fiction and speculative books for children. The Golden Duck Awards team recommend these. ( http://www.goldenduck.org )
For Grades preK - 6
For YA: Grades 6-10
(Dinotopia: Land Apart by J.Gurney)
Twenty-One Balloons by W. Du Bois
(My Brother, Ant by B. Byars)
Citizen of the Galaxy by. R. Heinlein
(Rasco and the Rats of NIMH by J. Conly)
Farmer in the Sky by R. Heinlein
My Teacher is an Alien by B. Corville
The Star Beast by R. Heinlein
Aliens Ate my Homework by B. Corville
Time for Stars by R. Heinlein
Aliens Don't Wear Braces by D. Dadey & M. Jones
Invitation to the Game by M. Hughes
The Girl with Silver Eyes by W. Roberts
Wrinkle in Time by M. L'Engle
Me, Two by M. Ryan
Wind in the Door by M. L'Engle
(Peter David) (Stephen Kroll)
Swiftly Tilting Planet by M. L'Engle
(Pamela Service) (Mark Teague)
Ring of Endless Light by M. L'Engle

Drangonsinger by A. McCaffrey
More on next page, including
Drangonsong by A. McCaffrey
A list of Golden Duck Award Winners in this library
Drangondrums by A. McCaffrey
Adult Titles to be enjoyed by Young Adults
More Gr 6-10 (B. Bova) (A. Clarke) (A. Sloate)
The Handmaid's Tale by .M. Atwood
Golden Duck Award Winners
Nightfall & other stories by I. Asimov
The Hunger Games by S. Collins
The Invisible Man by H. Wells
Baby Brains and RoboMom by S. James
The Time Machine by H. Wells
Found by M. Haddix
The War of the Worlds by H. Wells
Genius Squad by C. Jinks

Here's just a few from J. Gunn, author & teacher from New York and others (ref. Web site below)

Gravity buster: Journal #2 of a Cardboard Genius by F. Asch
Basic Science Fiction Library http://www2.ku.edu/~sfcenter/sflib.htm
George's Secret Key to the Universe by L. Hawkings & S. Hawkings
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Quantum Prophecy: the Awakening by M. Carroll
(Glory Season by D. Brin)
(Harry Turtledove)
(Darkover Series by M. Bradley)
Shape Changer by B. Brittain
Ender's Game by O. Card
Taking awards for young adult science fiction:
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and The Policemen's Union by M. Chabon
From the Hal Clement Award for Young Adult Winners List
Rendezvous with Rama by A. Clarke
Baloney by J. Scieszka
American Gods by N. Gaiman
Time Flies by E. Rohmann
Dune by F. Herbert
Feed by M. Anderson
The Left Hand of Darkness by U. Le Guin
Invitation to the Game by M. Hughes

Valerie says, “As an RFF, Inc. volunteer, it is my mission to foster a love of reading among our youth through quality speculative fiction.”

“Suggested books have been either published especially for youth or have been read and/or recommended by teachers, librarians, parents, and professors as age appropriate for grades K-12 and college freshmen. There are hundreds more that are fantastic, but these plus just a few more are in this library. Ask me about my favorites!” says Valerie.

This list is provided by an RFF, Inc. volunteer and is not an official action of the RFF, Inc. Board of Directors
For more information, contact valeriecoskrey@gmail.com

Comments from a Teacher

Today's post on Knee Jerk Reactions is by a teacher who is frustrated by the frequent push for educational reforms. Check it out.