Book #24 - have a little faith by Mitch Albom

Wow! I don't know what to say. Mitch Albom stuns me again. Every time I see him on ESPN, I am left in wonder of how he can write such incredible books. After much consideration, I have decided this is his greatest book. Just as when I read Michael J. Fox's book, I am struck with the beauty and wisdom of the Jewish faith. I feel so blessed that through the eyes of Mitch Albom, I got to know his rabbi, pleasantly dubbed Reb. I learned so much about God, kindness, faithfulness, and living life to the happiness measure through this book. Also woven through the story is that of Rev. Henry Covington of Detroit (Christian). It isn't until near the end of the book the stories come together and unite one idea: no matter your religious background, we are here to honor God and through him all things are possible. Through Henry's story, we see the blight of the modern day homeless and the incredible impact of the current economic downturn on the citizens of our country. Just like when I finished "Same Kind of Different as Me," I find myself truly saddened that a country as great as ours cannot afford ALL of its citizens a warm bed, a hot meal, and basic health care services. This book was beautifully written and is filled to the brim with ancient, yet relevant wisdom. I think part of why I find it as Albom's best is because of his shear, raw honesty. To write this book, he took a long hard look at himself, and poured his fears and failures onto paper. I leave you with this discussion that Reb and Mitch were having about whether it was better to be an atheist or feel as though there is a God, but he does not answer your prayers. Albom asks Reb if being an atheist is "worse than an unanswered prayer?" The Reb replies, "Oh yes. It is far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think that no body's out there."

Book #23 - Hot Ice by Nora Roberts

I know, I know, the title makes me laugh out loud too. I know what you are thinking, how could such an educated woman pick a book called "Hot Ice". Actually, I sometimes have a weakness for thoughtless, trashy books with a bit of adventure mixed in. I picked this one to accompany me on a school trip that 4 other teachers and myself took 50 high school students on. We went overnight to Atlanta, and actually had a great time. You need to take a book like this to help you cope with the bus ride. Trust me on this. Also a great book for the beach on Spring Break. This one was pretty good with a hunt for the long lost treasure of Marie Antoinette. Didn't end at all like I thought it would, but I have to say, I had a silly smile on my face at the end. Fun, light reading, but definitely not life changing. Kind of like watching "The Bachelor", just done for the fun of it. Not to worry, my Dad has brought me 3 new books that I'm sure will be more intellectually motivating than this one.

Book #22 - The Excellent 11 by Ron Clark

This is the second book in the required reading for my "Motivating Students who Don't Care" class. I have to put in a blip for University of Laverne Professional Development and how impressed I am with these classes I am taking. I have found all of the books as very informative and helpful to teachers. What a breath of fresh air compared to the education classes I took to acquire my license. I had read Ron Clark's "Essential 55", and was very intrigued about what this book would be about. There is no doubt that Ron Clark is an incredible teacher, and his stories and insight into what needs to happen in our schools is excellent. This book is about the 11 qualities teachers and parents need to have to inspire and motivate our children. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I do a lot of the things he suggests, and it was comforting to hear him talk about how tiring it is to teach the right way. But, it is worth it when you see kids excited to be in your room and pumped about learning. I recommend this book for any level of teacher and any parent with school age children. It is a quick read, but filled with wisdom for helping our children be the best they can be.

Book #21 - Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Sunday afternoon, I went to Target for diapers and saw this book on the Target Club Pick shelf. Out of all periods of time in both World History and Art History, the Egyptians have captivated me the most. So, I thought I'd take a shot on this book. It was absolutely fascinating, and I have been engrossed in it since the first page. As I started to read, I felt like I was being pulled into a very similar set of circumstances as those of Anne Boleyn as displayed in "The Other Boleyn Girl." Both families conniving to be in a place of power, using antics and deception to control the king, and to the point of desperation to produce a male heir. I didn't realize how powerful Nefertiti became and that she and her husband made up their own "god" to set them apart from all other Pharaohs. Just like in Anne Boleyn's story, Nefertiti's ended in crushing devastation. She lost her husband, four children, and the city they built together. Also like in "The Other Boleyn Girl," there was a sister to the powerful woman who wanted nothing but a simple life, and the sister was pulled back into the limelight time and again. Like Mary in "The Other Boleyn Girl," Mutny (Nefertiti's sister) wound up raising the future monarch of Egypt. This is a fantastic book that reads simply but demonstrates the time of the Egyptians in great detail and description. I'm going to have to get the sequel that describes the life of Nefertiti's niece, Nefertiri. A note for anyone who decides to read this, there is a glossary of terms in the back that I did not discover until half way through. It is extremely helpful. I'm so thrilled with this great find!!

Book #20 - Stoner by John Williams

So this book arrives in the mail from Amazon; sent to me by my Dad. I open it up, read the back and begin to wonder why he sent me the "American Classic" written in 1965. I had never heard of it, nor had any of the English teachers at school. So, I called my Dad and inquired. He told me he had read in Rolling Stone that this was one of Jeff Bridges top 5 favorite books, and Jeff Bridges is in my Dad's top 5 actors of all time. This book, though written as a very simple narrative, is exceptionally powerful. As I started in to the book, I was drawn in by the story of William Stoner, a poor farmer who went off to University of Missouri to study agriculture but fell in love with his sophomore English class. What is incredible is the layers of depth in this book. Underlying the entire story is the history of our country throughout this man's life. The impacts of WWI, the great depression, WWII, and the aftermath of the war, as well as how sheltered he was from these things by being in a small mid-western town. The story also takes you through his professional career, the struggles to become a great teacher, and the politics of the university tenure system. All woven throughout is his marriage to Edith and their daughter Grace. We never really find out what is wrong with Edith, but here are some of my theories (totally made up): sexually abusive father, strict over-bearing mother, some form of autism, manic-depressant, the list goes on. Perhaps my Dad will read this book and be better able to give me insight into Edith. What is pitiful is that the circle of craziness continues with their daughter Grace who gets pregnant so she can escape their house and spends the remainder of her life drinking heavily. William Stoner lived a sad pitiful life, with the exception of a short love affair he had with a fellow professor, I don't think he ever lived life but rather succumbed to the daily routine. He only found happiness in his classroom, and only misery in his home. This would be an incredible book to read and discuss in the classroom. So many different directions a good teacher and a group of intelligent students could go in the discussion: history, struggle, heartbreak, love, and the power of circumstances. The author depicts some of the most trying times our country has ever faced, and in the end describes the perseverance of our soldiers who returned from war. All I could think was, they are truly "the greatest generation."

I just want to share some insight the author gives through Stoner during the long years of World War II. "He saw good men go down into a slow decline of hopelessness, broken as their vision of a decent life was broken; he saw them walking aimlessly upon the streets, their eyes empty like shards of broken glass; he saw them walk up to back doors, with the bitter pride of men who go to their executions, and beg for the bread that would allow them to beg again; and he saw men, who had once walked erect in their own identities, look at him with envy and hatred for the poor security he enjoyed as a tenured employee of an institution that somehow could not fail. He did not give voice to this awareness; but the knowledge of common misery touched him and changed him in ways that were hidden deep from the public view, and quiet sadness for the common plight was never far beneath any moment of his living."

Book #19 - The Testament by Eric Van Lustbader

My brother AJ gave me this book almost two years ago. Don't ask me why it took me so long to read it, but it got buried at the bottom of my stack of books. Even more random is that I picked this book that was literally at the bottom of a stack of 20. He told me when he gave it to me that it was great. Classic story of Good versus Evil. One ancient religious group has "secrets that will shake the Christian world to their foundation." They are trying to protect this information from the bad guys that are seeking world domination with these "secrets". Very interesting mix of action and intrigue. Like Da Vinci Code, the main character of this book is great with ciphers and like Sophie from Da Vinci Code, he has been trained to be the Keeper of the secrets from a young age without knowing. What is incredible about this book is that there are several layers of deception and it takes the reader forever to figure out who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. This book had a great ending and the world remains safe for all. In regards to whether I believe an ancient Gospel of Jesus Christ would make Christianity crumble, I don't believe it would. I figure if a gospel that demonstrated that Jesus was more man than God-like would be destroyed by the Vatican before anyone would ever see it. Even if by chance, it would be released and authenticated, I seriously doubt modern Christians would accept it.

Book #18 - Bullying at School by Dan Olweus

I know what you are thinking, random book compared to my other selections. Actually, I'm taking some professional development classes, and this is one of the books I read during the course on Bullying. I have to say, this is an excellent resource for any teacher or administrator. I think part of the reason I found this book so insightful, is that is the entirety of it is based on statistical research. I found some interesting insight about what types of kids become bullies and what types become victims. Children who come from abusive (physically or emotionally) families are very likely to become bullies. Actually, they are simply demonstrating what they are being taught at home. Victims are typically from families where the parents, especially the mother, does everything for them. Also interesting is that it only takes standing up to a bully one time, and the bully will move on to the next kid.