#30: Mrs. Timmons, Science

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by Dave Sedaris

I posted a review on Dave Sedaris not too long ago, so I apologize if I sound a little redundant. Dave Sedaris writes short stories, and his books carry with them a quirky and quite funny sense of humor. When you read Sedaris's books, it's like you are getting an opportunity to listen to his thoughts. His thoughts can be somewhat demented and the dialog between himself and the characters within his life are many times laugh-out-loud. There are times where his thoughts mirror those of your own, allowing you to say to yourself, "Yeah! I wonder the same things sometimes!" While in other instances, his thoughts/analogies are NOTHING like the ones your personal mind experiences. You can tell that his stories are also taken from his real life. From shenanigans while growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina to living next to this grouchy old woman in his apartment building in New York City. None of his stories seem too far fetched or ridiculous to be true. Mary Newcomb (IB 7/8 Math) can vouch for some of the stories from Raleigh, as her brother actually lives in the house Dave Sedaris grew up in.

If you would like a great book that will literally have you laughing out loud and is convenient (you can read a few chapters and then set it down for a month without losing your place), then this is a book for you. I would recommend his other books as well, as the stories are all intertwined and build off of each other. His other books include Barrel Fever, Me Talk Pretty Someday, Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and a personal favorite, Holidays on Ice.

#29: From Ms. Rodriques, Media Specialist

I'm am not a scientist by training, usually skip reading the instructions on electronic equipment I buy, and am not all that enthusiastic when Scientific American comes in, but I have found a true gem of a book called E = mc2: a Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David Bodanis.

It was not only easy to read but was stock full of really cool information- did you know that their are pieces of German ships on the moon? This is a book we can recommend to those with high reading skills- 1170 lexile- but it is of great interest for those with limited reading skills as well. This writer put the equation into a real world perspective. First, he tells us about the origin of "E". How does the concept we now know as "energy" come to be?

The story winds itself around scientific history from Newton to how Einstein got his job in the patent office through the misunderstood relationship between Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner, physicists who helped to solve the mystery of the equation. Which one got the Nobel Prize? How do we decide the toll we take for the "greater good"? One violinist? The future health of millions of people? Count to 43 seconds- how long it took between the release of the first atomic bombs and the initial impact. How do we treat the scientists from Germany who were developing the same type of explosion? Were they "guilty" of war crimes or just furthering scientific discovery?

There are several biographic representations within the book- Newton, Einstein, Oppenheimer- and a slew of notes that give details about information within the chapters.

It's a great book, is in the media center and is ready to get checked out.

#'s 27 & 28: From Mrs. Lyons, 8th Grade Language Arts

# 27: The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

This is a continuation of the Gold Coast story. A family on Long Island is hounded by Mob neighbors and this picks up the lives of the husband (who got dragged into being a Mob lawyer) and his wife (who got “involved” with said mobster and ended up shooting and killing him). The mobster’s son wants to re-involve the lawyer in Mob business and get revenge for the murder of his father. Nelson DeMille has a knack for creating wise-guy characters that I really enjoy (does this have something to do with the kids we teach?). Purely for entertainment value – not a brain-stretcher.


#28: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

This is the story of a Baptist missionary family that heads to the Congo in 1960 to “save” the locals. It is a tale of how Americans charge in and botch things up without a clue as to the way of life that currently exists in a foreign country. The US government was very involved in the assassination of the elected leader, Lumumba. The American choice for his replacement was Mobuto, who was a cruel thief who built palaces for himself while the African people starved. The missionary children all were deeply affected, in entirely different ways, by their early experience in the Congo. In a way, this is also an environmental tale as well as a good story and commentary on US foreign policy. Thanks to Jen Powell for recommending it during our CAR-PD class!

#26: From Mr. Kohler, Data Coach

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, is a gem of a book. The story is told from the point of view of the dog. Sounds quirky but it works. The dogs name is Enzo, and he is named after none other than Enzo Ferrari. If you love, dogs, racing, family and tales of redemption this is the book for you. This book if very poignant and at the same time is very funny. I highly recommend it!
http://www.goenzo.com/

#25: From Mrs. Pelosi, Reading Teacher

Any Small Goodness A Novel of the Barrio by Tony Johnston is a novel about learning from life experiences and then turning that learning into service for the community. Arturo is a Mexican immigrant to L.A. who is trying to find his way in the world of a not always nice city. From trying to fit in at school where the teacher changes his name to something easier for her to pronounce, to not having books in the library, to gang problems in the neighborhood, this is a story about a young man who chooses to do good after some not so good experiences. When his family is targeted by a local gang, he decided to start his own gang and calls it the "Green Needle Gang". Read this really good story to find the twist in the plot!

I highly recommend this book to anyone working with immigrant students or service learning. It shows the experiences of a child trying to learn his way in a new world and turning what he learns into good for others. Learning and Serving!

#24: Ms. Connery, 7th Grade Language Arts

Please Stop Laughing at Me…, by Jodee Blanco, is a memoir that gives the reader an insightful and frightening view of the effects of bullying. Ms. Blanco’s depiction of the physical, verbal and emotional abuse she endured throughout her school career leaves the reader wondering how and why something so horrific could continue for so long. The author’s perseverance through the bullying at times was admirable yet also self-inflicted.

As I read this memoir, I continued to question how a child could suffer at the hands of other children at school and have no authority witness these acts. My thoughts then led me to question myself – what have I not seen happen to my students in my own classroom. This unknown answer sickens me. Ms. Blanco’s story ends on a very positive note, but to think how she endured the beatings, being spit on and ostracized for so long still makes the rainbow bittersweet.

This is a must read for all educators.