The Books for June and July, 2007

The books I plan to start, complete, and/or purchase in the months of June and July have been listed below. The books that I am in the process of reading, wanting to start, and plan to purchase for future reading have been rightly notated on the list below with corresponding italicized words. Additionally, I typically have four books in the hopper (in the process of reading). These four books always fall in one of the following five categories: children's literature, personal (self-helpish type books), religious, professional development, and Miss Alainius. Although this journey may be a bit tiresome, I enjoy the adventure of learning.

June and July books are:

* The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (completed several times but just need to post) - PD.
* The Book of John (in progress) - R.
* A Day's Journey by Jon Courson (in progress-1 year) - R.
* How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. (completed but just need to post) - SH.
* Why Grace Changes Everything by Chuck Smith (in progress) -R.
* Joy in the Journey by Guy Doud (would like to start) - R.
* Murphy's Trail by Gary Paulsen and Brain Burks (in progress) - CL.
* Teach with Your Heart by Erin Gruwell (would like to start) - MA.
* What's Worth Fighting for in Your School? by Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves(would like to start) - PD.
* Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard (would like to start) -
*The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard (would like to start) - PD.
* 25 Ways to Win with People by John C. Maxwell (would like to start) - PD.
* Secrets f the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker (would like to start) - SH.
*Bridge to Terabitha by Katherine Paterson (would like to start) - CL.
*The Big Book of How to Say It Best by Jack Griffin and Robbie Miller-Kaplan (would like to start) - PD.
* 10 Best Teaching Practices by Donna Walker Tileston (in progress) - PD.
* Group Dynamics by Donelson R. Forsyth - (would like to start) PD.
* Coping with Chemotherapy by Bruning (would like to start) - SH.
*Gulliver's Travels - CL.
* Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies by Carol Ann Rinzler (would like to start) - SH.
*Games Alcoholics Play by Claude M. Steiner, PhD (would like to start) - PD.

Books, intellectual conversations, and casual conversations all have an influence one one's thinking, actions, discussions. I look forward to the journey that lays ahead. Here's to the journey!

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham was the Newbery Medal award winner in 1956. The book is a biography about the man who uncovered and made available the secrets of sea navigation to the common man. Without Mr. Bowditch's efforts and determination, the mysteries of navigation would have remained mysterious and elusive to the common man. Knowledge is power and strength. Thanks to Mr. Bowditch many sailors were given practical knowledge about navigation (and mathematics) and with that knowledge they attained power and strength to become what they dreamed....Captain's of their future.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a detailed biography of the life of Nathaniel Bowditch (a.k.a. Nat). The authors takes you through his childhood well into his adulthood. At an early age, Nat's family realized he would not follow the footsteps of his father and grandfather. A sailor needed to be big, strong, and healthy. Nat was none of those. He was good with numbers but his parents could not afford to have him go to school. His family was poor and struggled to put food on the table and cloth the family members. At the age of twelve, Nathaniel was indentured to two men with a shop in town. He was to be their book keeper as well as work the store for a total of nine years.

During his time as an indentured servant, Nat learned how to use his talent with numbers. His love to learn and discover was the fuel that taught him to read, learn Latin, learn French, learn astronomy, and learn everything there was to learn about ships at sea.

Soon the shop was sold and with it his indenturedship. The new owner kept him through the end of his term. When his service was served, Nat was becalmed. He didn't know what to do. As time passed, he found himself on a ship as the ship's navigator. Soon Mr. Bowditch learned to take lunar readings on the sea. As problems with taking lunar readings presented themselves, he began to resort to the logic's and consistencies math provides. He discovered a new way to take a lunar without occulting the moon. This new discovery continued to fuel the fire of learning new ways to keep sea-traveling men safe.

As Nathaniel travels on the ships, he utilizes the sextant to take readings but during the remaining hours he would study the "Moore" charts as well as teach the deck hands how to take readings. Nat was consumed with numbers and verifying that the charts were accurate. During his voyages he discovered many errors and these discovers bothered him to the core. When Nat was not studying the charts or taking a reading, he was graciously spending his time with those deckhands who "wanted" to learn how to take readings. These men took to learning as a thirsty traveler takes to water. They were thirsty for practical knowledge.

Eventually, Mr. Bowditch gained enough experience to command his own ship. He traveled to ports on the other side of the world to buy and sell cargo. His knowledge of sea routes, navigation, mathematics, French, astronomy, Latin, and deep understanding of human behavior were valuable assets in his travels.

Mr. Bowditch traveled around the Cape and into the eye of a hurricane at sea. He navigated his ship up stream with head winds. He even traveled home in fog thicker than pea soup through areas that have been littered with ships at the bottom of the sea. These feats were all done because of his extreme faith, his extreme belief in the benefit of math. He was a man who saw the power of mathematics. It is consistent, dependable, and reliable. One does not need to see if he/she knows his math. One can simply get from point A to point B if he/she simply follows the mathematical path and does not resort to his/her vision or feelings. Mathematics and the love of learning filled the sails of Nathaniel Bowditch.

TWO CENTS WORTH:

It's no secret, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This was a biography of a man who faced a wide variety of obstacles, yet he overcame them humbly and purposefully. Here was a man who could have gave up early in life and many would have justified his actions. At an early age it was already determined he would not follow in the family footsteps of becoming a sailor. His mother passed away and he was indentured at the young age of 12. Nat's talent with numbers was noticed by many influential people but he was never able to attend a prestigious school (i.e. Harvard). His first love married another man, his first wife passed away, his brother's died at sea, and many of the sailors did not like him. All of these things he overcame, he kept pushing forward.

Mr. Bowditch was a master teacher. He took difficult concepts and made them simple and easy to understand. The common sailors, whom were viewed as unable to learn, were his students. many of them learned to navigate and soon became valuable members of other ships. He was a man who knew if he could teach these sailors to understand navigation, he could teach anyone. Soon he wrote down what he taught so that anyone could navigate a ship utilizing the reliability of math. The book is still used today and can be found in many captain's personal as well as professional libraries. The American Practical Navigator or the Sailor's Bible is the name of the book Mr. Nathaniel Bowditch wrote.

This is a book that can be used in the classroom of any math teacher as well as any teacher trying to communicate to their students (especially those who are faced with multiple economic and social barriers) that with dedication, determination, tenacity, and a love of learning will have a positive impact on your personal, professional, and social life.

I highly recommend this book. It is a journey well worth the time and effort to take. May the wind always come from behind and fill your sails. However, if the wind stops and the fog sets in, the laws of mathematics may be your path to safety.

P.S. There were a ton of tier 2 and tier 3 words. As I read through this book, I kept a dictionary close to my side. The tier 2 words were easy to identify and the context in which they were embedded assisted me with their definition. However, the context that surrounded the tier 3 words did not help much. Although the dictionary was opened frequently with some of the tier 3 words, I still had to consult a few sea-worthy individuals to bring those words to life.

AR QUIZ: 100%

Mr. Grumpy

Mr. Grumpy by Roger Hargreaves was published in 1978 by Scholastic Incorporated. It is one an enourmous selection of fun titles that draw a child's attention to positive and negative charachter traits. The characters, typcially the title of the book or a book within the series, are delightful, entertaining, and provide a powerful yet suttle message.

Mr. Grumpy is a short story about a grumpy rectangle. He is grumpy and mean to everyone he encounters. One day he ran into Mr. Happy. After thier brief encounter, Mr. Happy left a little less happy. He then struck a deal with Mr. Tickle. Every time Mr. Grumpy was grumpy, Mr. Tickle tickled him. Mr. Grumpy did not like to be tickled or experience happiness. Soon he figured out that if he was grumpy he would experience a tickle. At the end of the story, Mr. Grumpy was still grumpy but a little less.

TWO CENTS WORTH:

I think the author has known me since I was a tiny rectangle. Mr. Grumpy could easily be me as a child, as a teen, and now as an adult. There are those times I wish Mr. Happy and Mr. Tickle worked out a systematic plan to change my grouchy behavior. ;)

This simple story provides a wonderful opportunity for character development discussions with students in all grades (elementary and secondary). The characters are easy to identify with as well as the simple plots are identifiable situations that can lead into powerful discussions. As I continue to develop the Ambassador's Club at our school, I plan to utilize some of these Scholastic books (i.e. Mr. Grumpy, Mr. Greedy, Mr. Happy, Mr. Nosey, Mr. Wrong, etc...) as we explore core character traits.

NO AR QUIZ

Bringing Words to Life

Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction by Isabell Beck, Margaret McKeown, and Linda Kucan. The seven chapters of this book provide an explicit rational for a robust vocabulary as well as practical ways to provide effective vocabulary instruction to the students under your care.

The authors spent some time reviewing current research about vocabulary and vocabulary instruction. Through their research, the authors determined that there were simply too many vocabulary words to teach children. Tier research lead them to categorize words into three tiers. Tier 1 words consist of the most basic words - lady, block, sad, run, like, etc... Tier 1 words typically do not need explicit instructional attention within the school setting. Words within the tier 2 realm are typically high frequency words. These are words one would come across in a variety of domains. Tier 2 words are not exclusive to one event, one content, or one situation. Tier two words are tier two because of the enormous role they play in the language user's repertoire. They tend to cross over easily into a wide variety of settings and/or contents. Some examples of tier 2 words are "introduce, introduction, reintroduce, and introducing. Tier 3 words are those vocabulary words that are exclusive to a particular situation and or subject. Tier 3 words are limited in their use. The remainder of the book focuses on tier 2 vocabulary words. The authors cover techniques on how to chose tier 2 words to explicitly teach and practical ways to introduce tier 2 vocabulary words in the elementary and secondary grades.

TWO CENTS WORTH:

Vocabulary usage or the development of my vocabulary has been difficult for me for as long as I can remember. When writing about a subject or writing vocabulary words sentences, I was the kid who "over-used" the following words: live, love, very, cool, and like. Bringing Words to Life was a book I didn't know I would find personally and professionally valuable and meaningful to me. In my world there were only two tiers of words: the simple word tier and the hard word tier. Occasionally a fellow student or colleague would befriend me and dare to take time to explain various tier 2 words that they used. Their patience and nonjudgement I have been grateful for. After reading this book, a whole new world has opened up to me. Utilizing some of the Thinking Maps organizers, I am more prone to take a simple tier 1 words and discover several other vocabulary words that can be used in its place. As an educator, I am grateful for the scientific research that supports the author's premise as well as a wide variety of strategies to build a robust vocabulary in the students one teaches.

For those of us who see vocabulary as a key to understanding and expanding one's knowledge in all curricular areas (i.e. writing, English language arts, science, math, social studies, physical education, etc...), this book will be a valuable resource for administrators and teachers. This would be an excellent book for staff development, staff discussions, and staff implementation. I am confident that the information in this book will have a positive impact on the way teachers see vocabulary and, most importantly, how they develop vocabulary in the students under their care.

I found this book to be empowering, encouraging, and easy to implement into my daily life as an educator. I look forward to sharing this with my staff, students, and colleagues.

NO AR QUIZ.

Alcoholism: The Facts (3rd Edition)

Alcoholism: The Facts is a classic text on one of the most common drugs in the world - alcohol. The book is written for those who share their life with someone who has an alcohol problem and those who have an alcohol problem. The author, Donald W. Goodwin, is a practicing doctor who can skillfully write so that the average layman as well as an up-and-coming medical professional can gain valuable incite into the world of alcoholism.

Dr. Goodwin has organized his book into four major parts: 1) Alcohol, 2) Alcoholism, 3) Understanding Alcoholism, and 4) Treating Alcoholism. Each major part of the book is subdivided into four additional sections.

PART 1: Alcohol - This part of the book introduces the reader to alcohol. It talks about the types of alcohol beverages, how alcohol affects the body, how alcohol influences behavior, and alcohol throughout history.

PART 2: Alcoholism - The author defines alcoholism, provides the reader with explicit symptoms of the alcoholic, explains the typical course the alcoholic travels, and provides in-depth information on women and alcohol.

PART 3: Understanding Alcoholism - Here the author discusses the risk factors related to alcohol, the connection between alcoholism and depression, alcoholism within the realm of heredity, the addictive cycle of alcohol, and several psychosocial theories related to alcoholism.

Section 4: Treating Alcoholism - Dr. Goodwin covers the variety of treatments available for those who struggle with alcohol. Research gathered from treatments in the West as well as research gathered from the East. There was a chapter dedicated to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and one on attacking the problem of alcoholism within the family. The book ends with one of the most widely-used self screening questionnaires for detecting alcoholism. This questionnaire is called MAST or Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. The questions are pretty intense but straight forward.

MY TWENTY DOLLARS WORTH: Typically I loath (tier 2 word) scientific type books with big tier 3 words and pages upon pages of information a doctorate student could only understand. However, this 158 page book on alcoholism was informative, practical, and easy to read. Traditionally, I trudge through non-fiction books especially when they contain a ton of material just to support the author's one main point. This author was gracious enough to trudge through the mounds and mounds of research for us and then summarize his findings. Yes, this book is a summary of Donald W. Goodwin's research. It has been written in a way so that even a lay-person can understand the complexities of alcoholism.

This was a simple read. The book has given me an insight into a world I have chosen to ignore. Alcohol impacts every one's life whether they are the drinker or the non-drinker. Is it good or bad? Is there a good time and a bad time to consume alcohol? Is there a right amount or wrong amount of alcohol one should consume? These are all questions each person must individually resolve within themselves. However, think about this: "If anything (i.e. alcohol, food, pills, lust, etc.) consumes your every thought, find a friend and talk about it. This may be the key to opening the door to a healthier and happier life."

Back in the late 60's - early 70's there was a commercial with an elephant roaming through a house. This commercial seemed to be on every channel, every day, in between every show. The commercial began with the camera zooming in and out of rooms throughout the house. Then the front door opened. A few heads turned towards the door as this huge elephant walked in. As the elephant walked through the house from room to room, each of the family members simply ignored the elephant or moved quickly out of its way. Before the commercial came to an end, the figure of the elephant faded into grey and was replaced with the figure of a man. The picture faded away and some message about ignoring alcoholism was placed on the screen. I wonder how many of us know of an elephant in our house yet chose to ignore it? Or worse. I wonder how many of us are the elephant yet don't realize it or chose to ignore it.

I highly recommend this book for those who want to gain practical knowledge about alcoholism. As I have mentioned previously, it is an easy read and worth the space in your professional library.

AR QUIZ: NO AR QUIZ

The Secret

The Secret was written by Rhonda Byrne and has been a popular topic at book clubs, around the water cooler, and on Oprah. Apparently there is also a DVD that promotes the same concepts in this book. The Secret is a self-help type book that promotes positive thinking, name-it/claim-it, and believe and it will happen concepts. The Secret consists of 198 pages and broken up into ten chapters. The chapters are filled with multiple quotes from past and present day masters of the secret. In each chapter, the author will make a statement or elaborate on a key concept within the secret. Then she has a slue of quotes that support her claim. These quotes are mostly from contemporary "secret" masters as well as some from the past.

One thing I did like about the Rhonda Byrne's book was the summaries at the end of each chapter. It was hard to read her book because of all the quotes. Thus, the summaries were extremely helpful because I could get straight to the point of the chapter.

Rhonda begins her book with an introduction to the secret. The secret is simple, yet powerful. The secret is a concept that when it is put into practice, amazing things can and should happen. The concept is this: "Like attracts like." We all have heard of the saying, "You are what you eat." Well, you are what you think, you are what you read, you are what you practice, you are who you hang out with, etc... If you tend to have a negative outlook on life, you will typically attract others who have the same view. Then that is the only world you see, thus, it supports your belief. It becomes a vicious cycle. The opposite is true also. If you have a positive outlook on life, you tend to attract others like that. Then they contribute to your perception of the world and it becomes a more positive place.

This concept is powerful and can be liberating for many; however, when taken at the levels that Rhonda Byrne suggests, I see it as a destructive and harmful concept. First, according to the author, you must truly believe in the secret for it to work. This sets up an easy out for the author when you have applied the secret and it did not work. If I placed my order with the universe (the author suggests you always consult and request from the universe for whatever you want - wealth, relationships, a job, health, etc...), truly believed I will receive it, it will happen. This type of thinking can be beneficial but overall it is destructive. I have heard of individuals praying for a cure, believing they can be cured, and they were cured. That has happened. But, this is not common place. This does not nor will it ever become common practice among every human being. This is where it becomes destructive and even dangerous. There are many people out there who will read this book and take every word of it as gospel. They will believe that if they simply "place their order with the universe" and believe, they will get their wish. I ask, does that mean the blind man will see, the deaf hear, the quadriplegic will walk? What about all the starving, undernourished, homeless children in America or Africa? Can't we "place our order" so they can all be fed, nourished, or provided shelter?

There are certain natural laws that we can not over come because we are not God. All men have been appointed to death. It will happen some day. The exact day or time I do not know, nor do you. Man can prolong life, heal many illnesses, fix broken bones, feed children, and provide shelter. However, there are things (even with the universe's help) we can not do: grow a limb, cure cancer, remove hunger from the world, remove disease from the world, remove war from the world, remove physical ailments from the world, etc...

Can some of these things happen, absolutely! Our God (not the universe) is a great God and is bigger than any of our problems or situations. However, God's purpose for me in my life is not to grant my every wish or demand.

We can make changes, drastic changes, in our personal life through the simple concept of the secret. However, when one takes this concept to it's deepest levels you may get what you want but at a price you never expected to pay.

ANOTHER TWO CENTS WORTH:

When ever you read a self-help type book, always realize the author and/or publisher are attempting to SELL you a concept. Typically their product will make everything better, make you happier, make you healthier, make you wiser, etc... However, in order for this to happen, you must buy this book, attend this seminar, subscribe to this club, etc... Always try to approach these self-help type books cautiously and look for the bits and pieces that provide help for you. There is no quick fix to any problem or situation. Everything takes time, energy, effort, and determination. Good luck on your journey.

Bones

Bones and the Dog Gone Mysterys was written by David A. Adler.

This is a simple story about a boy, his grandpa, grandpa's dog, and the boy's love of being a detective. Grandpa gives Jeffry Bones a magnifying glass to add to his detective bag. Grandpa, the dog, and Jeffery go to the park. As Jeffery swings on the swing he looses his magnifying glass. Grandpa and Jeffery look for it and then discover that dog was gone. Was it stolen? Did he run away? Detective Bones will find him because that's what detectives do. Detective Bones looks around for clues, asks an old lady questions, and then decides to take the regular path home. Jeffery and Grandpa discover the dog at Grandpa's house. The dog knew his way home and went there as soon as his leash was unhooked. Mystery solved.

MY TWO CENTS:

Not the deepest level book I have ever read but it was cute. My son is into dog but not quite detective work. However, he wanted to read this book together, especially since it had a dog and boy in it.

The Midwife's Apprentice

The Midwife's Apprentice was written by Karen Cushman and was awarded the Newberry Medal in 1996.

The story takes place well before doctors were common place and women had rights. These were the days women bore children, cared for the sick, prepared meals, and did jobs men typically did not do.

The story begins with a young orphaned girl, around 10-12 years of age, sleeping in a dung hill just to stay warm. She is a witty girl, smart, and filled with determination. Other children make fun of her and call her names. She is referred to as "Beetle".

A midwife sees Beetle and takes her in as the midwife's apprentice in exchange for food and a cleaner place to sleep. As time passes, Beetle listens, watches, and learns the trait of a midwife. Her belief in herself and ability to help others has never been nurtured but constantly challenged. Beetle realizes she needs a name and calls herself Alice.

Alice meets an even younger orphan who was destined to thievery and/or death if he was not taken care of. She sends him to the royal courtiers to work in the fields for food and shelter. Alice then takes off to live elsewhere. Beetle gets a job at an inn.

At the inn, Alice begins to see herself as others see her: confident, knowledgeable, smart, and caring. Many people visit the inn on their travels throughout the area. She sees a few familiar faces. The midwife meets up with a man who is writing a book. They talk about Alice, also known as Beetle.

Alice returns to the town to work as the midwife's apprentice. At first the midwife slams the door in her face and tells her she was not needed. Alice remained at the door, gained her confidence and demanded that the midwife open the door (it was more dramatic in the book). The midwife opened the door, Alice walked in, and Alice was once again an apprentice.

MY TWO CENTS:

I enjoyed this story at many levels. First it is a Newberry Medal award book and I am on my way of reading all Newberry Medal award books by June of 2008. Second, I knew little of or about midwife's especially back in the days when doctors were not common place. This story opened up the door to a new world, a new perspective of the days when women had to bring children into the world all on their own. I can imagine the pain, the anxiety, the fear of the unknown, and the helplessness men and women went through when baring children in a barn, out in a field, or on a dirt floor. Lastly, it was absolute joy to follow a character who literally had nothing yet gained everything. Alice was introduced to the reader as she slept in a dung hill. We depart from Alice as she walks into the midwife's house as an apprentice. In the beginning she has no name but the name others have given her, Beetle. As we leave her, she has called herself Alice. In the beginning of our journey with Alice, she is dirty and her hair is not combed. At the end of our journey with Alice, she has cleaned up and combs her hair. Best of all, when we first meet Alice she has no self-confidence and no self-worth. At the end of this story, she has gained confidence and self-worth.

I loved this story. This young lady has more character, heart, and determination than I ever did. I cheered for her throughout the whole book. These are the children you want to win, you hope will win.

AR QUIZ: 90%