The Vincent Van Gogh Atlas

 

The Vincent Van Gogh Atlas by Nienke Denekamp and René van Blerk is for people who like history, geography or biographies. Although the word atlas is in the title, this book is a biography of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. It is organized by the places Van Gogh lived during his brief, turbulent life. The ample illustrations and graphics in the book make it a short read despite the 150 pages it contains. With an intended audience for older children, the book includes explanations of things that were common in that time period like travel and mail delivery to put things into perspective. Both students and adults interested in Van Gogh’s life would find it engaging. Art teachers could use it as a resource when students are learning about the painter’s life.

The Teacher of Nomad Land

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri is a novel I would highly recommend. Set in Iran during World War II, it is about Babak and his little sister who want to stay together after the death of their parents. I enjoyed this story because of the author's skill in telling a story, but also because it is a perspective of World War II that I never read about. Though it is considered a juvenile novel, most adults would appreciate the story as well.

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser is a book that I enjoyed. Han Yu is a young man who lives in China in 731, while Luli Lee lives in Chinatown, New York in 1931. Both have families with big challenges.  Han Yu’s family community is affected by illness and he wants to help his sister.  Luli’s family is suffering financially because of the stock market crash.  Though more than one thousand years separate them, Glaser does a great job showing the parallels of their stories. Chapters alternate between the two characters, so it easy enough to keep the stories straight.  If I had time for a chapter book read aloud with my students or nieces and nephews, I would read this to someone. Glaser also wrote A Duet for Home, which I also highly recommend. 

summer reading suggestions

Here are a few of the books I recommend anyone over the age of 10 to read. Most likely you would find them among juvenile novels in a library or bookstore, but the stories also have a strong appeal to adults.

Olivetti by Allie Millington is one I read this winter/spring. The story is told partly by Olivetti, who happens to be a typewriter. It is about friendship and family.

A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser is about June and Tyrell, who live at a homeless shelter. Tyrell has been there for a few years, but June is new. A book that gives a person reason to think and also understand better the life of children in such situations.

Twenty and Ten by Claire Bishop is a story of some children in France who help hide Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II. My sixth-grade teacher Miss Milner read this to our class.

The Winter King by Christine Cohen is a book I wrote about here. I plan to reread it this summer.

Do you have any recommended books for summer reading?

The Bletchley Riddle

 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin is a juvenile novel that adults would also enjoy.  Lizzie and her brother Jakob live in England at the start of World War II.  Lizzie is supposed to be go to America to be with her grandmother.  She figures out how to remain near her brother Jakob so she can also try to find out what happened to their mother.  This book has adventure and mystery rolled together to give readers another perspective on World War II that I haven't seen in many novels.  It would make a decent read aloud to older elementary or middle school students.

The Art of Talking with Children

 

If you work with children or have children or grandchildren, The Art of Talking with Children is worth reading.  Rebecca Rolland has done a great job at giving suggestions on how you can have conversations with children that will make them think and grow.  She addresses children from preschool all the way through adolescence.  

Forward Me Back to You

Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins is the best book I read this month.  Kat and Robin are teens from very different backgrounds who meet at a church youth group.  They end up becoming friends and going on a service project to Kolkata for two different reasons.  This story delves into international adoption and human trafficking.  Though written with the young adult audience in mind, most adults will also enjoy the story.  I appreciated the way the author dealt with two series topics.  Perkins also does a good job showing how being authentic with others is a way to heal.  

these 6 things

These 6 Things by Dave Stuart Jr. is a book for every teacher.  Though geared to educators in grades 6-12, any teacher who wants to get better at the art of education will learn something by reading this book.  Chapter 2 about Cultivating Key Beliefs is something that would be the place to start.  I had heard Stuart speak before and this gives some concrete ways to build credibility, belonging, effort, efficacy and value in your classroom.  It gives strong reasons to teach knowledge along with ways to increase the amount of reading, writing, listening and speaking in your class, no matter what content area you teach.    

I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys is a book that is worth reading.  Set in communist Romania in 1989, Cristian learns the harsh reality of living there.  He is blackmailed by the secret police because he wants to help his grandfather.  Sepetys does an excellent job with creating realistic characters and setting the scene so you can get the view of what life is like under communist control.  It made me grateful that I do not live in such a place.  It is cataloged as a book for young adults at my library, but good for all adults.

 

The Nature of Yosemite

 

The Nature of Yosemite: A Visual Journey by Robb Hirsch is a book for all ages.  This oversized book has landscape photos of Yosemite, as well as close ups of plants and animals.  The photos make me want to go back to Yosemite, or at least get to some of the other national parks that are closer to me.

The Winter King

The Winter King by Christine Cohen is one of my recent reads.  Cora lives in a kingdom where winter makes things even more difficult for everyone.  She is tired of being cursed and poor so she tries to find some answers in hopes that her family can survive.  This book is worth reading if you are 10 or older, even if don't usually read fantasy.

Norway

Norway by Udo Bernhart, Rasso Knoller and Christian Nowak is a book for anyone who enjoys a good photography book or anyone who would like to travel to Norway.  There is very little text and lots of high quality photos.  This is only one in the series of Spectacular Places.  Some other titles in the series include Sweden, Guatemala, The Alps, Switzerland, and The Mountains. 

50 Little Gifts

50 Little Gifts complied by Susanne Woods is a book worth looking at if you are interested in sewing some hand made gifts.  I have made some of the projects.  

One idea that was unique to the book was the memory game.

This little basket is another project that went together quickly.

I also made a water bottle holder.  

More projects in the book are a checkbook cover, a variety of bags and pouches, a baby bib, and a few pincushions.  

The Secret World of Weather

The Secret World of Weather by Tristan Gooley is a worthwhile read.  If you live in a place where the weather changes often, the people talk about the weather, or the weather affects your daily activities, you would learn something useful.  It would also be a good book to read if you are a science teacher or a naturalist.  Parts of it was easier to understand than others, but I plan to reread parts of it, especially the parts about clouds, trees, and precipitation.  It made me realize there are a lot more things that an average person can pay attention to and understand about the weather without listening to a forecast. 

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck is a decent summer read.  Set in New York City, the story has five prominent characters-Lexa, Jett, Chuck, Ed, and Coral.  Each receives an invitation to the story society at a small library, though no one knows for sure where the invitations came from.  The characters end up meeting each week and become important to one another.

I liked the book because it was not predictable.  There were enough surprises to make me keep reading, and it didn't seem like the standard formula for a love story.  The characters were very human and likable, too.  It's a good book to read for a book club.  

Searching for Minnesota's Native Wildflowers

Searching for Minnesota's Native Wildflowers is written by Phyllis Root with photography by Kelly Povo.  I know some of Root's books for children, so when I saw this book by her about Minnesota's wildflowers, I checked it out from the library.

This book has the information you need if you are going to go looking for native wildflowers in Minnesota or if you want to be able to identify the ones that you see.  I now know what a rough blazing star looks like thanks to the great photos in the book.  (There is a field of them outside of town).

The main part of the book is organized by habitat and season, while the end has a color guide to wildflowers if you want to identify a certain flower.

I recommend anyone living in Minnesota take a look at this book...you could learn more about different flowers here, and you may enjoy learning about different places worth visiting.  It is a great book  for science teachers, a nature center's resource library or anyone who appreciates nature.

Gist

Gist: The Essence of Raising Life-Ready Kids by Michael W. Anderson and Timothy Johanson is for anyone who is a parent or works with children between the ages of 8 and 18.  The book has three parts: Foundational Principles of Life, Core Development, and Unintended Parenting.  It would be a good book to read with another parent or teacher so you could discuss it.

The Read-Aloud Family

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie is a book written for parents, but I found it interesting to read from a teacher's perspective.  Mackenzie encourages parents of all ages of children to read aloud to them.  She mentions that it will help them in school, but she also believes reading to your children will make your relationship with your children stronger.
If you want to improve your read aloud time with your children, she offers encouragement and ideas.  Another chapter gives suggestions on how to have good conversations with children about books.  The last chapters of the book are sorted into age groups (0-3, 4-7, 8-12, and the teen years) with book recommendations for good read aloud choices. 

Sing a Song of Seasons

Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon is a book any English teacher or poetry lover is sure to enjoy.  Waters selected 365 poems, one for each day of the year.  Some are well-known, others not so much, but it is a fun way to put a little bit of poetry into your day.  Preston-Gannon's illustrations make the book worth looking at over and over again.  If you need a book for your coffee table or someone who likes poetry, this would be a great book to buy.   

The More of Less

The More of Less by Joshua Becker is a book I came across at the library a couple of weeks ago.  Becker has written the book to help people get rid of things, not simply for the sake of having few possessions, but to allow you to have room for the things that are really important to you.  Becker's journey began when he realized the amount of his belongings caused him to spend time dealing with them instead of spending time with his son.  If you want to live a simpler life, a more intentional life, or just a less stressful life, I suggest you look for this book at your library.  Even if you don't agree with everything he says, you will find some of his suggestions worth doing. 

If you don't have time to read the book, or want to know more about Becker's thoughts on minimalism, you can also look at his blog called Becoming Minimalist.  If you like this book and need other ideas for living lighter, I would also recommend Peter Walsh's book  It's All Too Much.