Glossary

Hardcover Library and Hardcover Trade bindings are publisher hardcover books. The Library binding is the best available binding and has been specially reinforced to last longer. It is intended for high-volume library use and is made to withstand the rigors of repeated checkouts. A Trade binding is a standard hardcover and is most often what you find in a local bookstore.

MackinBound titles are prebound paperbacks that are a cost-effective alternative to publisher hardcover books and carry a lifetime guarantee against defects and binding failure. Many paperback books can be converted to a hardcover binding called a MackinBound (commonly called a ‘prebound paperback’). Our MackinBound process uses polyvinyl covers to provide protection, while using the original paperback cover or a professionally scanned version of the original artwork when bound to heavy binder boards. With both covers, the book is rebound; glued or sewn, depending on the thickness of the book and/or the density of the pages to meet or exceed all industry standards, resulting in a durable, hardcover book. All MackinBound books are fully guaranteed against manufacturing. Click here to learn more.

Paperbacks are a publisher’s soft cover binding. Mackin is able to laminate these paperback titles for an additional charge per book. Laminate covers can be applied to the entire cover to provide protection for the book. We can also provide a Colibri cover on any book for an additional charge per book. These charges are not reflected on website lists.

Flexi titles are sewn books wrapped in flexible, turned-edge covers that provide more durability, flexibility and the ability to lie flat. The cover itself is often comprised of a printed sheet turned over a thick cover stock, then film laminated for extra rub resistance. Cookbooks, catalogs, field and travel guides, and directories are popular flexi-cover applications. They are often bound this way to offer ease of use and transport, and offer a less expensive option than a hardback binding, while offering higher quality than a traditional paperback.

MASS titles are paperback titles that are produced by the publisher for the mass market. These books are generally smaller and contain lesser quality paper than the traditional paperback. This is indicated by the MASS heading underneath the Title field on your list or search results.

TIE-IN titles are special editions of books or audiobooks that are connected to a movie, videogame, or other media.

These plastic covers are transparent, custom-fitted, durable, and provide a protective covering to books of any binding type. There is an additional charge per book to apply these covers.

• Class Set: 1 Student Copy License: Only one student can use a copy of this title for the license term, and the copy will be used up once the term ends.
• Single-user License: Only one person can use this title at a time.
• Multi-user License: Simultaneous access is provided so more than one person at a single site can use this title at the same time.
• Subscription Access: This digital resource is available for a limited period. At the end of the subscription period, you must renew your subscription to continue access. Subscription periods are noted for applicable titles and may be based on timeframe (such as one year) or number of checkouts (such as 26 checkouts).
• Perpetual Access: You only need to purchase this digital resource once and will have perpetual access.
• Worldwide Rights: Worldwide Rights (WWR) indicates the title is eligible for distribution outside of the United States in all foreign countries.

Irene Fountas and Gay Sue Pinnell, two experts in the area of reading, developed their own system for teaching reading that involves placing children in groups by reading level. The reading levels, which range from A to Z, are on a continuum and based on a number of factors, such as predictability and pattern of language, text structure and genre, vocabulary and context, and supportive illustrations.

Not all titles have F&P levels and titles are continually added. Mackin regularly receives and updates the website as new titles are added. F&P information is provided in the MARC record as requested and F&P reading labels can be provided upon request as well (contact customer service at 800.245.9540 or customerservice@mackin.com).

Book titles can be searched by Fountas & Pinnell level in the Advanced Search menu.

Select either Books or Ebooks & Digital.

Choose the desired reading level range to search.  Select Search: Books.

What does the flower icon () mean next to some titles on the website?

Best of Mackin is a professionally compiled collection of the most recent, highly-reviewed K-12 titles — created exclusively for Mackin customers and provided free of charge. All selections have been culled from the nation’s acclaimed review sources. Rather than you reading thousands of reviews, our expert librarians do it for you. Titles included in our Best of Mackin are denoted with a flower icon when you perform a search on Mackin.com.

On the Home page, go to Title Lists > Best of Mackin to view current and past selected titles.  You will find titles for elementary, middle school, high school, and nonprint.

This is a clear laminate that is applied to the entire cover of a paperback book to provide added protection to the book. Mackin is able to add laminate covers to paperback titles for an additional charge per book.

Lexile refers to the measurement of an individual’s reading ability or difficulty of a text, as determined by Metametrics, an educational measurement and research organization. A student gets their measure from a reading test or program, and uses it to match with leveled materials to find books with an appropriate level of difficulty to comprehend a text. The measurement is provided in numeric format and can range from below 200L for beginning readers to above 1700L for advanced readers. A person’s Lexile range is from 100L below to 50L above his or her reported Lexile measure, and allows the reader to encounter some level of difficulty with the text, but not enough to get frustrated.

While Lexile is largely displayed in numeric format, there are Lexile codes for some titles that relate to its developmental appropriateness, reading difficulty, and common or intended usage. They are as follows: AD (Adult Directed), NC (Non-Conforming), HL (High-Low), IG (Illustrated Guide), GN (Graphic Novel), BR (Beginning Reader), & NP (Non-Prose). More detailed information can be found at http://lexile.com.

Lexile information can be displayed in your search results by selecting the Lexile column. See Display More Item Information for further details.

Not all titles have Lexile levels and titles are continually added by Metametrics. Mackin regularly receives and updates the website as new titles are added. Lexile information is provided in the MARC record as available, and Lexile reading labels can be provided upon request.

Book titles can be search by Lexile level in the Advanced Search menu.

Choose either Books or Ebooks & Digital tab.

Choose your desired Lexile level that you would like to search by at the bottom of this page. The select Search: Books or Search: Ebooks & Digital (depending on which tab you are on).

On-Demand or Print On-Demand is a printing technology used by publishers to print copies of a book only after an order is received. This is an easy and cost-effective way to produce books one or two at a time or in small lots, rather than in larger print runs of several hundred or several thousand. This reduces the need for maintaining a large inventory, allows little or no waste of unsold product, and enables older titles to maintain availability to the consumer.

PPR refers to DVD/Blu-Ray materials with Public Performance Rights. This designation is used to indicate copyrighted entertainment movies that can legally be shown in schools without risking copyright infringement.