Brian Leaf's 'Defining New Moon' releases

October 29, 6:52 AMTwilight ExaminerAmanda Bell

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Twilight Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Photo: Amazon

There really is some undeniable genius at work here with Brian Leaf's Defining Twilight and Defining New Moon - at least where it comes to bridging the gap between kids reading for pleasure and reading for educational purposes.

As you might've read before, when Defining Twilight was just released, it is a vocabulary workbook series that prepares its users for several of the rigorous standardized tests associated with high school.

Needless to say, it is through examination of the vocabulary chosen by Stephenie Meyer that Leaf extrapolates the Twilight series into such a study aid.

With the success and popularity of Defining Twilight, Leaf has just now released Defining New Moon.

A recent press release issued on Defining New Moon explains the features of the text.

Why is Bella desolate and haggard? Will Jacob win her over with his infectious affability? Can Edward dare to flout the rules and summon the belligerent ire of the Volturi?

Test prep expert Brian Leaf is back with the follow-up to his popular Defining Twilight workbook! With Defining New Moon (Wiley; 978-0-470-53299-7; October 2009), students can reunite with Edward, Bella, and Jacob to learn more than 700 vocabulary words and synonyms found on the *SAT, ACT®, GED®, and SSAT®.

After only five months online, the Defining Twilight Facebook page has garnered more than 60,000 fans. Ordinarily you'd have to be Edward Cullen or at least vampy hunk Robert Pattinson to attract that kind of fan base. Why are these study guides so popular with students?

Leaf dishes, "The Twilight books contain a plethora of outstanding SAT vocabulary words, and fans are hungry for anything Twilight. It's a great synergy. When students find out about the Defining Twilight series, they are shocked, 'You mean I can raise my scores while reading Twilight? It feels like cheating!'"

Here’s the lowdown on the most recent guide, Defining New Moon:

* Each chapter of the workbook gives you eight words taken from New Moon, with page references to read the words in context
* Students define the words on their own before turning back to the workbook for actual definitions
* Drills and quizzes help readers review and integrate what they've learned
* Synonyms, Latin word parts, and memorization tools are included throughout the workbook

Just in time for the movie release on November 20 and right before the holiday season, Defining New Moon makes for the perfect gift or stocking stuffer!

Back in August, Leaf described what brought him to compose this Defining series workbooks for the Twilight saga novels.

I was reading Twilight just for fun when I realized how many terrific vocabulary words were in the book, words like myriad, sagacious, ominous, deluge, livid, ostentatious, and urbane. I've always loved referencing popular books and movies when I teach vocabulary, for example when I teach the terrific vocabulary word imperious I refer to the Imperious Curse in Harry Potter. Imperious means domineering, so it makes sense that the Imperious Curse would give the user control over another person. So I saw all these great vocab words in Twilight and thought, "What a fun and easy way for students to learn new words!"

One look at Defining New Moon, even as an adult, and you might come to realize some of the things that flew under the radar with a casual read of Stephenie Meyer's work. So, as a person who isn't even studying for the SAT and what not, it makes for a very unique and interesting perspective on the series . . . and for kids, it's a well done extension of a very clever and useful Twilight study tool.

The book is available on Amazon, and you can also check out Brian Leaf's website here.

• •• ••• ••••
 Twilight Examiner
YouTube • Twitter • Facebook • MySpace
•••• ••• •• •