Here is a welcome title that defines a great deal of educational jargon in understandable and brief definitions. It is a wonderful gift to the professional of education itself, specialists like teacher librarienas, and the general public. We find here lots of definitions we have all heard, but need a bit of clarification: grading on the curve, sustained silent reading, graphic organizer, great books program, leveled library, lifelong learning to cite a few terms. But we looked for a few of our favorites and could not find them: information literacy, professional learning community, free voluntary reading, synthesis to name a few Still others have different meanings than teacher librarians knowsuch as flexible scheduling One thing we do like is that Ravitch does name educational theorists associated with a term so that one can follow a trail to the person who built that concept. However, we wish she had done it more often. I am going to name this book as an essential purchase, not because it incomplete, but it has been awhile since a good dictionary of terms appeared. Teacher librarians need to know the educational jargon. It is good reading when you have just a few free moments and when you have had a conversation with a teacher and are not quite sure about the jargon mentioned. ( )