2014 Catalog

Front List, Back List, Highlights, and whats in the works.

About us

Mountcastle Company was first established in 2000 as an educational publishing company, focused on exceptional products for teaching children to read. Begining with the companys first (and bestselling) book, The Reading Lesson, the company has been committed to publishing the most effective and original products for young children. Begining in 2012, Mountcastle Company has branched out into books for middle grade readers, teens, and adults. We believe in publishing books that educate, inspire, and entertain. We look for authors that have the ability to present educational content and stories in new and unusual ways. Unlike most publishing companies, an authors past sales figures and history of bestsellers matter little to us - what we care about is the book itself. We welcome all first time authors to submit their writing, as were always looking for bright talent to add to our growing family. Our 2014 catalog showcases our bestsellers and some new projects that are in the works. Were still reinventing ourselves as an independent publishing company, so look out for new and wonderful changes in the near future. We respect all readers, and strive to bring stories to the people that crave them. We believe in books that move you...and keep you still.

We believe in books that move you...and keep you still.

Mountcastle Company
2305 Camino Ramon, Suite 217 San Ramon, Ca 94583 NLevin@ReadingLesson.com (925) 548-5402

www.MountcastleCompany.com

All-Time Bestseller

Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons

Michael Levin, M.D. and Charan Langton
Winner of the Discovery Channel Education Award and ParentsFirst Network Award

The Reading Lesson

The Reading Lesson

$27.95 US| $30.95 CA 448 PAGES, 8 1/2 X 11 TRADE PAPER PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 2002 ISBN 9780913063026

Reviewed by over 50
homeschool and parenting blogs

www.ReadingLesson.com

Huge social media

presence

National online media

The Reading Lesson is reading program for young children (between ages 3 and 7) that uses a combination of phonics and key word recognition to help parents teach their children to read in a way thats painless and easy. The book is broken up into 20 lessons, each using special typography and fonts to effectively teach children to sound out words and recognize their meanings. There are a few other books that are designed to teach children to read, but only the Reading Lesson offers a simple step-by-step approach for parents of preschoolers who want to teach their children to read at home. With its innovative and guided approach, the 20 lessons in the book make teaching young children to read easy and fun. The Reading Lesson is well-loved by families and educators around the world for its simplicity, ease, and effectiveness.

and print advertising campaign (budget of over $5,000)

Consistent 5 star
reviews on Amazon and Amazon UK

Carried by major
retailers, including Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and Target

The Reading Lesson was written by Charan Langton and Michael Levin, M.D. Dr. Levin is a child psychiatrist who used his years of experience in pediatrics to develop a program that teaches children to read in an effective way. Dr. Levin incorporated his knowledge of child brain development and learning to create the Reading Lesson, and tested it on hundreds of children in his practice. Charan Langton is an engineer and MBA who helped develop and create the content for the book.

Over 250,000 copies

sold

In top 1% of phonics
and reading education search results

New for 2014

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 1 (2nd ed.)

Step-by-Step Math Without Pencil or Paper
Michael Levin, M.D. and Charan Langton
A great way to help one's child get a good head start for later grades. Midwest Book Review

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 1 (2nd ed.)

$12.95 US| $16.95 CA 160 PAGES, 8 X 9 TRADE PAPER PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 2014 ISBN 97809130630279

Addresses early math

education - a hot button topic for parents

www.MathLesson.com

Reviewed by over 25
homeschool and parenting blogs

Everyone thinks kids hate math. But the truth is, kids dont hate math - they hate worksheets! Writing down equations takes fine motor skills that young children havent yet developed, which makes the process of learning math difficult and tedious. Math done mentally, or Verbal Math, makes math fun. In the second edition of Verbal Math Lesson, Book 1, handwriting is removed from math problems to help children cement fundamental mathematical skills. problems without having to do any writing at all. The first book of the Verbal Math Lesson series introduces children to the basic concept of adding and subtracting, and works its way up to math problems involving numbers with double digits. The book is best for children between ages 4 and 7.

National Print and

online advertising campaign in Parenting Magazine, Babble Media, and Homeschool Weekly

Incredibly unique and

unusual concept with an innovative approach to math

The Verbal Math Series was written by Charan Langton and Michael Levin, M.D. Dr. Levin is a child psychiatrist who used his years of experience in pediatrics to develop a program that teaches children to do math without the need of worksheets or handwriting. Dr. Levin incorporated his knowledge of child brain development and learning to create the Verbal Math Series, and tested it on hundreds of children in his practice. Charan Langton is an engineer and MBA who helped develop and create the content for the book.

Consistent 5 star
reviews on Amazon.com

The series already has

a huge following in the homeschool community

New for 2014

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 2 (2nd ed.)

Step-by-Step Math Without Pencil or Paper
Michael Levin, M.D. and Charan Langton
The Verbal Math Lesson is one of those books I wish I'd had earlier in the homeschooling process. The Old Schoolhouse Review

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 2 (2nd ed.)

$12.95 US| $16.95 CA 160 PAGES, 8 X 9 TRADE PAPER PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 2014 ISBN 978-0-913063-28-6

Addresses early math

education - a hot button topic for parents

www.MathLesson.com

Reviewed by over 25
homeschool and parenting blogs

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 2 focuses on complicated mental math problems, such as adding and subtracting double digit numbers. The book also introduces the concept ofmultiplication, and briefly goes over the fundamentals of division. The book teaches children tips and tricks for doing these types of problems mentally. As with Verbal Math Lesson 1, this books helps children learn to master difficult problems without any writing at all. Developed as a supplement to traditional math education, the Verbal Math Lesson is completely comprehensive, step-by-step, leaving no area undone. The Verbal Math Lesson is an incredibly unique and unusual product that parents and kids both love. Ages 7 to 8.

National Print and

online advertising campaign in Parenting Magazine, Babble Media, and Homeschool Weekly

Incredibly unique and

unusual concept with an innovative approach to math

The Verbal Math Series was written by Charan Langton and Michael Levin, M.D. Dr. Levin is a child psychiatrist who used his years of experience in pediatrics to develop a program that teaches children to do math without the need of worksheets or handwriting. Dr. Levin incorporated his knowledge of child brain development and learning to create the Verbal Math Series, and tested it on hundreds of children in his practice. Charan Langton is an engineer and MBA who helped develop and create the content for the book.

Consistent 5 star
reviews on Amazon.com

The series already has

a huge following in the homeschool community

New for 2014

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 3 (2nd ed.)

Step-by-Step Math Without Pencil or Paper
Michael Levin, M.D. and Charan Langton
[The] book is filled with story problems that fuel a childs imagination making learning math really fun. Hip Homeschool Moms

The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 3 (2nd ed.)

$12.95 US| $16.95 CA 160 PAGES, 8 X 9 TRADE PAPER PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 2014 ISBN 978-0-913063-29-3

Addresses early math

education - a hot button topic for parents

www.MathLesson.com

Reviewed by over 25
homeschool and parenting blogs

The Verbal Math Lesson , Book 3 helps children master very difficult mathematical problems, such as adding and subtracting triple digit numbers, calculating money, multiplication and division of triple digit numbers, and introduces the concept of fractions and basic algebra. The book is completely unique because it uses simple concepts to help young children calculate these types of problems mentally and without pencil or paper. Developed as a supplement to traditional math education, the Verbal Math Lesson is completely comprehensive, step-by-step, leaving no area undone. The Verbal Math Lesson is an incredibly unique and unusual product that parents and kids both love. Ages 8 to 11.

National Print and

online advertising campaign in Parenting Magazine, Babble Media, and Homeschool Weekly

Incredibly unique and

unusual concept with an innovative approach to math

The Verbal Math Series was written by Charan Langton and Michael Levin, M.D. Dr. Levin is a child psychiatrist who used his years of experience in pediatrics to develop a program that teaches children to do math without the need of worksheets or handwriting. Dr. Levin incorporated his knowledge of child brain development and learning to create the Verbal Math Series, and tested it on hundreds of children in his practice. Charan Langton is an engineer and MBA who helped develop and create the content for the book.

Consistent 5 star
reviews on Amazon.com

The series already has

a huge following in the homeschool community

Backlist Favorite

Step-by-Step Advanced Vocabulary Building

Michael Levin, M.D. and Charan Langton

Big Words for Little Kids

Vocabulary is an incred-

Big Words for Little Kids

$12.95 US| $13.95 CA 150 PAGES, 8 X 9 TRADE PAPER PUBLICATION DATE: September 2007 ISBN 9780913063132

ibly hot issue. Words from this book directly translate to words on standardized tests such as STARR testing, SATs, ACTs, etc.

www.ReadingLesson.com

The style of the book is

light, fun, and informative. It does not have a textbook look, and kids treat the quizzes in the book as a fun game rather than tedious work

Big Words for Little Kids is a unique book that introduces elementary school children to common Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots. This vocabulary primer promotes the understanding of word structure and meaning rather than the tedious memorization of long word lists. Each lesson introduces a new word part, featuring examples of new words with explanations that children can understand. For example, one of the early lessons teaches the root graph, and uses that root to develop and understanding of more complex words such as calligraphy, autograph, and geography. Light informative vignettes, quizzes, and practical exercises support each lesson.

Consistent 5 star
reviews on Amazon and Amazon UK

Reviewed by many
homeschool and parenting blogs Marketing includes pushes for reviews on parenting and homeschool blogs, features in educational publications, and social media buzz via Twitter and Facebook

Big Words for Little Kids was written by Charan Langton and Michael Levin, M.D. Dr. Levin is a child psychiatrist who used his years of experience in pediatrics to develop a program that teaches children to understand difficult vocabulary in an effective way. Dr. Levin incorporated his knowledge of child brain development and learning to create the book, and tested it on hundreds of children in his practice. Charan Langton is an engineer and MBA who helped develop and create the content for the book.

What s Coming up
Childrens

The Little Book for Little Cooks - Dec 2014

Hilary White
The Little Book for Little Cooks is a fun and fresh cookbook for young children that have just started learning to read. The book teaches young children to craft their very own culinary masterpieces while practicing and improving their reading skills. The goal of this book is for children to develop stronger reading skills, while taking a break from the average storybook. Children are more confident about reading when they learn to understand instructions on their own and apply those skills to grown-up activities, such as cooking. Expected release in December 2014.

Robots! - Dec 2014

Joshua Canton
Robots! is a fun childrens picture book with illustrations of famous robots throughout history, such as Douglas Adams Marvin the Paranoid Android, Isaac Asimovs Bicentennial Man, and Ray Bradburys Mechanical Hound. This adorable history of robots throughout the ages is presented in beautiful illustrations and light, fun descriptions of each character. Expected release in December 2014.

Manage Your Money: a Personal Finance Guide for Teens - Mar 2015
(TBA)
Manage Your Money is a personal finance guide for teens and middle grade students. The book is a primer for teens soon entering college and the real world to help them avoid financial pitfalls that so many young people find themselves in. The book is written in an engaging and informative style, and is easily understood by young adults of all ages. The book is packed with important information and light activities to help reinforce concepts and comprehension. Expected release in March 2015.

The Story Maker - Dec 2014

Charan Langton
The Story Maker is an activity book for young children to help them enhance their reading and writing skills. Developed as a companion product to The Reading Lesson, The Story Maker is a fresh and exciting way to help early readers get excited about learning to read and write. Children read a story, and then use the new vocabulary to create stories of their own in their very own activity book. Expected release in December 2014.

What s Coming up
Adults

Arranged - Feb 2015

Candice Grasiola and Ravi Sarin
Written by 2 college students, Arranged takes on the phenomena of arranged marriages around the world - specifically, true, first hand accounts of a couples first week of marriage after meeting only days before the wedding. Filled with fascniating stories, the book also contains insights to the cultural history of arranged marriage, and its relevance to modern day society. Expected release in February 2015.

Why I hate Yoga - Feb 2015

S. Ireland
Why I Hate Yoga is an extremely lighthearted and sweet book about a 20-somethings misguided search for enlightenment in New York City. We follow Sarah as she takes one free class at every yoga studio and meditation ashram in the city, all the while discovering new things about herself and the big city. Why I Hate Yoga is a beautiful take on self-help and chick-lit, simultaneously poking good-hearted fun at the genres. Expected release in February 2015.

The Break Up Book - December 2014

Nina Levin
The Break Up Book is a book of stories from women and men from around the world, chronicling moments of sadness, relief, exhaustion, and ultimately - moving on. Stories vary with accounts from people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Expected release in December 2014.

Upcoming titles also include: The Coolest Girls in History - Julie Sterling - January 2015 The Coolest Boys in History - Julie Sterling - January 2015 Sharks Are Friendly, Flies are Bad - Josh Canton - December 2014

Ordering Information
Independent Publishers Group 814 N. Franklin Street Chicago, IL 60610 P (800) 888-4741 F (312) 337-5985 frontdesk@ipgbook.com www.ipgbook.com Candian Manda Group Canadian Manda Group 165 Dufferin Street Toronto, ON Canada M6K 3H6 P (855) 626-3222 F (888) 563-8327 info@mandagroup.com www.mandagroup.com

Gazelle Book Services White Cross Mills Hightown Lancaster Lancashire LA1 4XS P +44 (0) 1524 68765 F +44 (0) 1524 63232 sales@gazellebooks.co.uk www.gazellebooks.co.uk

Mountcastle Companys books are exclusively distributed by Independent Publishers Group in the US and Canada, Gazelle Book Services in the UK, and other distribution services internationally. If youre interested in ordering any of our products, contact one of our distributors directly.

John Reed Books PO Box 257 / 2/11 Yandala Street Tea Gardens NSW 2324 P +61 (2) 4997 2936 F +61 (2) 4997 2937 sales@johnreedbooks.com.au www.johnreedbooks.com.au