The Armarium Press Inc. | Books to Educate and Inspire

“All Things Being Equal…” (But They Shouldn’t Be)

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Carmen Madrid

We knew when we published Eddy Kay’s Thriving in the Shadow of Giants: How to Find Success as an Independent Retailer back in 2000 that his message for independent business owners was one with long legs. Twelve years later, Kay’s words are echoed in an article last week by Carmine Gallo at Forbes.com.

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Posted in Books - Business, Scribblings From Madrid | Tagged Carmine Gallo, Eddy Kay, independent retailers, Small Business Saturday | Leave a comment

From Caterpillar to Chrysalis: Marvin Begins His Transformation

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Robyn Larson McCarthy

At last report, Marvin the monarch caterpillar was devouring milkweed at such a remarkable pace, we were sure he was about to move to the next step: hanging in a “j” shape from the highest point in his enclosure, the posture they strike before molting one final time and forming a chrysalis. Three times in the ensuing days, Marvin crept along the highest twig in his large vase, then gripped the mesh screen that sealed the top with all his tiny feet. Come morning, however, he was back to eating Hobbit style (breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses…).

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Posted in Classroom and Beyond | Tagged Antoine O Flatharta, Gotta Go! Gotta Go!, Hurry and the Monarch, Meilo So, milkweed, monarch butterflies, monarch butterfly, monarch caterpillar, monarch chrysalis, monarch larva, monarch life cycle, monarch migration, Sam Swope | Leave a comment

Announcing a New Chaucer in the Classroom Project: Free Downloadable Phonics and Spelling Worksheets

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Web Development Team

With the new school year in full swing, we’re excited to announce the launch of a free teaching resource section of The Armarium Press website–featuring downloadable phonics and spelling worksheets for early readers. This new section will also include free coloring pages with John Clarke’s illustrations from Learning Is Cool… It’s the First Day of School! and other titles in our Chaucer in the Classroom book series.

We’ve launched this online resource for teachers and home-school parents because it’s our experience you can never have enough good phonics and spelling worksheets for beginning readers. Many of the workbooks we’ve reviewed provide just a single practice page on each phonetic concept, sometimes with as few as six questions per page–hardly enough for practicing the fundamental building blocks of literacy.

This section of our site is a work in progress, so please check back often. Don’t see what your students need yet? Suggestions welcome!

Posted in Books - Children's, Chaucer the Dog, Teaching Resources | Tagged artist John Clarke, Chaucer in the Classroom, Chaucer the Dog, downloadable worksheets, fox terrier, free classroom worksheet, phonics worksheet, spelling worksheet, wire hair fox terrier | Leave a comment

Meet Marvin, Our Soon-to-Be Monarch Butterfly

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Robyn Larson McCarthy

I was padding towards the stairs following the scent of coffee brewing when I heard it. A discrete scratching sound, ever so slight but consistent, determined even. A bug struggling against the window screen? I paused at the bathroom door, then tiptoed as hastily as possible over to the large vase on the bright ledge by the window. It was Marvin.

Countless readings of The Very Hungry Caterpillar don’t begin to give you an idea of how much a real-life caterpillar consumes. And here was our little monarch eating through his second milkweed leaf of the morning so loudly I could actually hear his steady, forceful munching. The sound was at once adorable and awesome in its single-minded pursuit of what was needed to move on to the chrysalid stage of his life.

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Posted in Classroom and Beyond | Tagged Gotta Go! Gotta Go!, milkweed, monarch butterflies, monarch butterfly, monarch caterpillar, monarch chrysalis, monarch larva, monarch migration, Sam Swope, Sue Riddle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Leave a comment

Ready for the First Day of School? Chaucer “Talks” Classroom Jitters and More at the Ingalls Memorial Library

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Web Development Team

The first day of school is a really big deal–especially if you’re stepping up from preschool to kindergarten, or from kindergarten to first grade at the “big kids’ school.” Ringing bells, rules galore! And all those new faces to meet. Chaucer and his entourage visited the Ingalls Memorial Library in Rindge, N.H. on Monday to help the little ones in the summer reading program prepare for The Big Day.