The Five Love Languages of Children

The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, M.D. has been an interesting read for me. Over the past year I have taught a graduate level class about leadership, specifically leadership within the realm of education. In one of our class sessions, we were discussing that one of the practices of an exemplary leader is to encourage the heart of others. How does one effectively encourage the heart of others? An exemplary leader, an excellent leader takes the time to get to know, to understand, and to uncover what his/her constituents are all about. This is not done as a means of external and internal manipulation but to enable others to reach their fullest potential.

Love is the foundation and this is the foundation of the book. The authors suggest that there are five love languages of children. In no particular order the five love languages of children are: 1) physical touch, 2) words of affirmation, 3) quality time, 4) gifts, and 5) acts of service.

According to the authors, every person has a love tank that needs to be filled and/or kept filled. The way to fill an others love tank is to discover which of the five love languages is their "primary" love language. This book provides you information on each of the five love languages, examples of each one, and ways to discover your child's primary love language. The authors stressed that it is important to be "mulit-lingual" in your approach of loving your children; however, the love you give to your children will be powerfully felt when given purposefully through their primary love language.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be beneficial to me at this time in my life. As I look at and have conversations with my two children and my wife, I can't help but think about ways to communicate my love towards them within one of the five love language categories. Which love language is their primary love language? Time will tell.

Yes, this was a good book that will change my way of doing business both within the household as well as in my line of work.

Improving Your Storytelling

Improving Your Storytelling by Doug Lipman is a book I picked up to help me sharpen my storytelling techniques. I'm not exactly the most exiting individual to listen to when telling stories but occasionally I have a good one to tell.

Every morning over the PA system I welcome the student body as well as the staff to school. There are days I find myself imitating the radio personality I heard on the way to work or simply mimicking Robin Williams in "Good Morning Vietnam". In staff meetings, I tend to be winded and bore the socks off my staff with my limited presentation and oral communication skills. Thus, I picked up the book Improving Your Storytelling in hopes of building the necessary skills to effectively delivery information through the technique of storytelling.

For those of you who have the gift of telling stories and want to learn some of the tested and true storytelling techniques (i.e. body language, tone, pacing, images, etc...), this is the book for you. However, if you are a beginning storyteller and know little about it, this book is ahead of you.

I must confess that I put the book down after it sat on my bed stand for two months. I picked the book up several times to give it a chance to hook my brain and spirit of learning but it did not happen. Therefore, I took the book off my bed stand and walked downstairs to the dreaded bookshelf. Typically, once a book has been placed on the "bookshelf" it remains there for a very long time. Out of sight, out of mind. Once it is there, the only time I see the sides or insides of those books again will be when I have another uninteresting book or if I have completed a book.

I wonder if there is a book entitled, "Storytelling for Dummies". I need something that will be easy to read, easy to implement, and makes me sound good to my audience (i.e. my staff, the students, the parents, and my family).

Julie of the Wolves

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George was awarded the Newberry Award in the year 1973. The story begins with an introduction to the main character Julie also known as Miyax. Miyax is Julie's name within her Eskimo culture. The author brings you into her life during her 13th year of life. At this time she is traveling the Alaskan terrain seeking her way to the coast so she can catch a ship to San Fransisco. San Fransisco is the place where her pen pal friend lives.

As Miyax travels across the cold Alaskan terrain she discovers that her food supply is nearly depleted, she has lost her baring, and must locate food before starvation sets in. Miyax befriends a family of wolves whose leader has been named Aarmorq (spelling). Miyax learns the ways of the wolves and becomes apart of the wolf family through her ability to observe, mimic, and communicate to the wolves. Eventually, Aarmorq (spelling) adopts Julie (Miyax) and extends his protection and devotion to her.

Miyax finally makes across the Alaskan terrain and discovers civilization. In her travels she becomes closer to her Eskimo culture and ways of her people. As she enters as small town where she heard her father lives. Julie's father left her when she was around age five. The government came in and told him that Julie must go to school. Before he left, he sent Miyax to her aunt's house. Before her father left, he said if she was not happy she could go to his good friend when she turned 13 and wed his son.

Miyax's journey helped her find what she was running from. Her culture, the traditions, and the ways of her people.

Julie and the Wolves was a remarkable adventure of a young adult traveling alone in the Alaskan wilderness. She cooked her own food, learned to communicate to the animals, learned to read the weather, and conquered her fears. This is an adventure many of us have dreamt about from time to time. The big open land, clean fresh air, befriending wild animals, the deafining sound of silence, and the beautiful night sky. No people or evidence of people, just pure land, air and sky.


AR Score: 100%

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices was written by Paul Fleischman and was a Newberry Award Medal book in 1989. This is a book of poetry and consists of fourteen poems about insects. The author intended the poems read aloud by two readers. One of the readers reads the left side aloud, the other reader reads the right side aloud, and they read each line simultaniously.

Although I am not a fan of poetry, this book intregred me. Two readers, same topic. I actually pictured this as I read through the poems in the book. I hope it is not the novelty about how the poems should be read is the reason I am interested in them. I plan to have my Ambassador Club students perform one or two of these poems either at a parent meeting and/or Open House. Either the novelty will wear out or I will, as well as the audiences, see the power in poetry (especially when read by two readers).

AR SCORE:

How Full Is Your Bucket?

How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. is a wonderful book for both professional and personal development. The book was recommended by a colleague and I read it in two sittings (1.5 hours each). The book is filled with simple stories that create images that bring to life the main ideas.

Do you remember the concept of using "put ups" instead of "put downs"? Well, the concept of the filling or depleting one's personal bucket is similar in many ways. The author's theory behind the book is called, "The Dipper and the Bucket". Each of us have an invisible bucket. The contents in the bucket (water) is either being poured into this invisible bucket or it is being taken out. The water represents one's emotional well being and/or positive emotions. A dipper is used to dip into an others bucket and/or to fill an others bucket. Every time you encounter another person (i.e. in person, email, telephone, etc...) you will either fill their bucket or deplete their bucket. Every human interaction has the potential to fill or deplete.

The authors provide plenty of research that suggests the upside of being positive. Positive people or people who tend to live on the positive side of the fence tend to live longer, have more friends, stay healthier, and tend to be more productive (at work and at home).

Some interesting facts notated in this book:

• The #1 reason people leave their jobs: the don't feel appreciated.


• Bad bosses could increase the risk of a stroke by 33%.


• A study found that negative employees can scare off every customer they speak with - for good.


• 65% of Americans receive no recognition in the workplace last year.


• 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they're around positive people.


• The magic ratio: 5 positive interactions for 1 negative interaction.


• More than 13 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction could decrease productivity.

This concept of filling or emptying an invisible bucket is so simple, so visual, and easy to implement. Daily interactions with my family and my staff have me instantly reflecting on what I did. Did I just fill their bucket? Did I just use my dipper to pull out of their bucket to fill my bucket?

I have and will continue to recommend this book to my friends and colleagues. It is a quick read, a light read, and has the potential of creating a positive and better life for all those you encounter....especially for you.

Joseph Pulitzer and the Story Behind the Pulitzer Prize

Joseph Pulitzer and the Story Behind the Pulitzer Prize was written by Susan Zannos. This is a brief autobiography on Joseph Pulitzer who, like Alfred Nobel, wanted to recognize individuals for exemplary deeds and/or actions. Unlike Nobel, Joseph Pulitzer created prizes (or recognitions) in the areas of journalism and the arts.

Joseph Pulitzer was born April 10, 1847, in Hungary and died in his yacht in South Carolina on October 29, 1911. He was a man of many journalistic accomplishments. Throughout Joseph's life, he battled with his health; however, this could have been a direct result of his intense work schedule. Mr. Pulitzer was driven to be successful, a workaholic, and had a passion for accuracy and brevity. In all aspects of his life, it is easy to concluded that Mr. Pulitzer had a need to be in control.

Throughout Joseph Pulitzer's life we was the managing editor of the Westliche Post (1871), purchased the St. Louis Dispatch (St. Louis Post-Dispatch 1878), purchased the New York World, raised money for the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty (1885), and served four months in the U.S. House of Representatives (1885). In 1985, Mr. Pulitzer and his New York World (A.K.A. World) newspaper were engaged in a "newspaper" war with William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal (formally owned by Albert Pulitzer, Joseph's brother). It was well documented that the New York World would put the news out in the morning and then the New York Journal would simply reprint the articles in their evening paper. This infuriated Joseph Pulitzer.

The Pulitzer prize(s) were inspired by Alfred Nobel's annual recognition prizes in the areas of science and medicine. However, Pulitzer specified nine prizes that focused around journalism and the arts (i.e. four in journalism, three in literature, and one in drama). According to Joseph's written requests, the awards were to be given to people who live in the United States and the awards ceremony was to be low key. To this day, any American who has had a piece published in a major media venue (i.e. newspaper, magazine, etc...) can submit their entry in one or two Pulitzer prize categories. If someone is interested they can obtain more detailed information and criteria from their website - http://www.pulitzer.org/.

For some time now, I was interested in the origin of both the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. I aware of both of these prizes but on a superficial level. The Nobel Prize typically has some TV coverage as well as written coverage while the Pulitzer Prize tends to be in the back ground. In comparing the two men, Alfred Nobel and Joseph Pulitzer, I'd have to say that these awards or prizes reflect who they were at the core. Alfred Nobel did not want the world to remember him nor see him as "the man of destruction" but rather as a man who sought out ways to bring peace and value to the human collective. Joseph Pulitzer strove to uncover the injustices and wanted to make things right. He punished those who did wrong (i.e. uncovered their acts and exposed them in the paper, fined or let go journalists who were not accurate with their information, etc...), yet awarded those who strove toward excellence.

Although both of these men made a positive mark within the human collective, I noticed a few similarities that alarmed me. First, both men well of financially when they died; however, they both died alone. Both men were workaholics at the expense of their overall health. Lastly, both men were so driven and obsessed with their passion (their work, their purpose) that it had a negative impact on their family life. Sometimes success from the world's perspective isn't always success on a personal level. Food for thought.

The Whipping Boy

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman was a delightful story about a prince and his appointed whipping boy. The story begins in the castle where the prince lives with his father, the king. The prince plays a practical joke, which is common place, and the king becomes infuriated. The king demands several lashings and the whipping boy is summoned. The whipping boy takes the lashings as the prince looks on. Not a peep comes from the lips of the Whipping Boy.

The prince is a spoiled child who gets everything he wants and does what ever he wants. It is all about him. The prince doesn't write, read, or do anything physical because all is done for him. Then one day, the prince decides to "run away" but he runs away with his whipping boy.

Two thugs, Hold-Your-Nose-Billy and Cutwater, find the two boys. These men believe that the whipping boy, Jeremy, is the prince and that the prince, Prince Brat, is the whipping boy. The thugs end up whipping the prince, run from a scary dancing bear, chase the boys into the sewers, and end up getting bit by sewer rats.

In the end the two boys become friends and live happily-ever-after. strive to do what is right.

This is a delightful story that teaches us that our perceptions of the world are largely formulated through out experiences. Thus, as we experience new things and new adventures, our perception of the world around us will change.


AR SCORE: 90%

Alfred Nobel and the Story of the Nobel Prize

John Bankston wrote this brief biography on Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel, widely known for implementing the "Nobel Peace" prize, was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He patented over 350 products in his lifetime and acquired over 10 million dollars by the time of his death (December 12, 1896). Alfred Nobel invented dynamite (named after the Greek word "dynamis" which means power) by harnessing the explosive power gunpowder and nitroglycerin.

In April of 1888, Alfred had an enlightening experience that changed the course of his life. Up until then, he was a man driven to succeed, a ruthless businessman (especially when it came to his patents), and lonely. During the month of April, Alfred's brother died. Ludvig Nobel died of a heart attack; however, the newspaper reported that Alfred Nobel had died. The obituary described Alfred as the "Merchant of Death". It went on to talk about all the products of destruction that he invented, sold, and became wealthy with. Although this was true, Mr. Nobel did not want to be remembered as "The Merchant of Death". In 1895 Mr. Alfred Nobel moved to San Remo and drew up his will. This document was entitled as Testament. In his Testament, he ordered that his estate to be invested in "stable securities" so that "the annual interest on which shall be awarded as prizes to those persons who during the previous year have rendered the greatest services to mankind." At the time of his death, Alfred estate was estimated at 10 million dollars. Recently, the Nobel prize money reached $1,000,000.

When Alfred Nobel passed away on December 12, 1895, his obituary read, "a gift to mankind intended to further its development and promote its welfare, as well as to serve purely idealistic purposes - probably the most magnificent one of its kind that a private person had the desire and the ability to make."

I picked up this book today at the library because I heard or read of the "obituary" story surrounding Alfred Nobel and I wanted to uncover its truth. I never knew who invented dynamite nor did I know of the story behind the Nobel Peace prize. This was a pleasant biography and story of a man who had an opportunity to change how people perceived him. I, too, hope I can learn from Alfred's story and realize that we all have the opportunity and power to change the way others perceive us.

January and February Books

The books I hope to start, complete and/or purchase in the month of January are listed below. They are not in any specific order nor preference. Although it sounds a bit over compulsive, I typically am actively reading three to four books at a time. No, I don't have four sets of eyes nor do I have three identical brothers. I simply am engaged with four books. This type of reading complements my personality in a hand-n-glove kind of way. When I'm in the mood for fiction, I simply pick up the Newberry Award winning book I'm currently reading and read away. When I am grabbling with a question or questions concerning my field, I pick up a non-fiction book that will hopefully provide me with some insight. When I'm exploring my inner self and trying to come to terms with who I am, why I am the way I am, why I do the things I do, and how can I alter the way I do things, I tend to pick up a book to aid me in that journey. Lastly, I try to pick up the bible to read, study, and to gain insights to guide me through my journey in life. Taking a deeper look at "the moods" for reading, I can basically categorize them into four categories: 1) reading literature for pleasure and literature awareness, 2) work related, 3) personal growth, and 4) spiritual growth.

Over the past few years, I have come to terms with my struggle with reading. Reading has always been a chore for me. I believe this struggle or lack of desire to read was strongly connected to the purpose for reading. In the past, I always associated reading with something you had to do. It was a chore, a requirement, and done simply because you were told. Everything I read as a child and young adult was read because I was told or expected to do so. No enjoyment. No real purpose. Reading was only an act that I had to perform so that I could get what I wanted (i.e. A's and B's on the report, A's and B's on the report card, read so that I can go play, etc...). Now, especially since I am older (not so much wiser) I chose to read for a purpose.

Although this list is not exhaustive, it sets me in motion for the next two months. These books, as well as others that just happen to fall on my lap over the next two months, will influence my short term and long term actions as well as active thoughts.

• The Moral Imperative of School Leadership by Michael Fullan
• Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
• Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? by Michael Fullan
• Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen
• Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
• Improving Your Storytelling by Doug Lipman
• U2 by U2 by U2
• The Book of John
• The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
• The Rhythm of Life by Matthew Kelly
• The Secret by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller
• The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard
• 25 Ways to Win with People by John C. Maxwell
• The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, M.D.
• ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold
• The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

Here's to the journey!

The Ledgend of Bass Reeves

The Legend of Bass Reeves is another excellent book by Gary Paulsen. This book is a fictional autobiography that has bits of fiction and bits of non-fiction. According to Gary Paulsen, there are few documents available for research about Bass Reeves. Gary Paulsen spends a considerable portion of his book on the "early" undocumented years of Bass Reeves' life.

Bass Reeves was born into slavery. He ran away in his late teens because of an incident that occurred between Bass and his owner. Bass escaped into "The Territory". He lived there, traveled every mile, and met many native Americans.

For a number of years, Bass lived with a Native American family deep within the Indian Territory. As the story goes, Bass saved a Native American girl from the mouths of several hungry wolves. In doing so, he was badly injured and nearly lost his life. The Native American family brought him back to health and declared him a member of their family.

In the late 188's, Mr. Bass Reeves became a marshal within the old Indian Territory. This territory was rough, raw, and lawless. He was one of a few marshals who took on the job to help "tame" this territory. Also, he was one of a very small number of African Americans who took on the challenge enforcing the law within the old Indian Territory. He took on the job in his late thirties, early forties and held it for 32 years. At the young age of 70, he brought in his son who had killed his wife. It was said that bringing in his son, was the most difficult thing he ever did. Bass died on Wednesday, January 12, 1910. According to the Muskogee Times Democrat, Mr. Reeves' death was caused by Bright's disease and complications.

For those readers who enjoy early American, western heroes, and semi-biographies, reading this book will bring a smile to your face. Gary Paulsen brings out and celebrates an unsung hero of our American past. Bass Reeves truly was a man who knew what was right, strived to do what was right, and lived the character traits of honesty and integrity.

On a side note: Gary Paulsen is my all time favorite author. After some time thinking about it, it is due to the fact that s to he was the one author that literally "pulled" me into reading. I hated reading up until I picked up a book he wrote entitled "Hatchet". I was a struggling reading in elementary school, I think I read a little in middle school, struggled through high school as well as in college. I picked up Hatchet when I was teaching 7th grade. I had to read because I made my students read daily as well as read aloud in class. They were going to love to read and not turn out like their teacher and hate reading. Reading is the key to a new future. The one thing that I noticed as I began to read book (specifically those by Gary Paulsen) and talk about them, many of my students began to pick up the same books and read them. We need to share the joy of reading with others, especially our young adults.