Master the Basics Japanese

This guide is packed with good fundamentals, but this can also be overwhelming. Especially with the chunky page layouts and odd spacing. Before you buy it, consider Japanese Verbs & Essentials of Grammar by Rita L. Lampkin. Both have almost the same content, with Lampkin's having slightly less perhaps, but is better laid out and organized in my opinion. Flip through and compare them to see which better suits your purpose.

I just found out the very same authors and the very same publisher published this book 11 years ago under a different tittle "Japanese Grammar". These two books are extactly the same, except the "Master the Basics" adds one test at the beginning to test the readers' knowledge before they read the book and one at the end to test how much do they learn from it. If you think the tests are worth a few more dollars, get the "Master the Basics". If you don't, get a copy of "Japanese Grammar". They are both great to read, but the latter is a pocket-size book and comes with a transparent jacket.

"Master the Basics Japanese" by Nobuo Akiyama and Carol Akiyama, Barron's Educational Series, Inc. covers everything from self-tests, grammar, reviews. The Hiragana and Katakana character table is a plus. It's everything I need as a newbie