Adult

Amazon says that this book is 272 pages, but my copy is 260 and includes a lot of blank pages. Regardless, I have boasted about this book to too many people to leave it off my recommended readings. This is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever read (I’ve read it twice  in the last three months), as it chronicles 103-year-old Dawson’s life and how he learned to read at age 98. Try reading the first chapter without crying (by the way: if you want to focus just on how he learned how to read at age 98, skip ahead to chapter 21).

I noticed that I was including a lot of “heavy” books this month, so this is for those interested in a book for pure entertainment purposes. If you love his show, you’ll enjoy the book.

While the earthquake hit Haiti in January, many Americans have forgotten of this tiny country’s struggles. Trost’s remarkable journey to feed Haiti’s needy takes place before the earthquake, but I urge people to read this tale to learn more about the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation. To learn how you can help, visit childhope.org, one of my favorite charities.

Have you ever read the real Grimm’s Fairy Tales? They’re pretty creepy, and Knipfel does a fine job of providing his own mischievous tales. I grabbed the book for its title and came away a big fan of Knipfel. I cannot wait to read more of his work.

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts has always seemed to be one of the most refreshing personalities on television, so it was disheartening to find out she had cancer. In her typical fashion, though, Roberts has taken on cancer with a positive outlook, and I always like to read inspirational books by nice people.

Why not start off the new school year by creating healthier, heartier meals as a family? Daulter shares her family’s own experiences going organic, and what I appreciate most are all of the lovely photographs accompanying her recipes (don’t you hate cookbooks that don’t feature pictures?).

Baseball season is winding down, and the boys of summer are battling for spots in the Fall Classic. This book hit me like a brick, as it tells the remarkable story of Jim Gullo and his son as they sadly watch as their baseball heroes are exposed as cheats – only to rediscover together why baseball is such a great part of American life. What can I say? I still cry at the end of Field of Dreams, even on the 83^rd viewing.

This book is one of the most honest and intriguing accounts of professional football I have ever read (and I have read a lot of them), as it tells Jackson’s story as a six-year NFL veteran who battled from practice squad to starting, only to endure an incredible amount of pain. Fascinating and gripping.

If you cannot finish this book in under three hours, you never opened it. One of those annoying books that you cannot put down because you HAVE to know what happens next. I loved the story of a reluctant IRA sniper-turned Spanish freedom fighter. Great characters.

Irritable? Pick this up. If you don’t laugh, the problem is you – not everyone else.

I only caught one episode of the TV version of Tony Danza’s experiment as a teacher at Philadelphia’s Northeast High, but what touched me about the show and book was Danza’s recognition and admiration at the hard work teachers struggle with every day. If only the Secretary of Education would read this book (I promise not to give him a standardized test on it afterwards).

I just read this book last month, and it is delightful. Madame Esme gives all sorts of humorous anecdotes, practical teaching tips and heartfelt observations, all based on her teaching experiences.

So what if this book just came out, and I tend to always read books that are sent to me from publishers for free? While Joel Best can often bore with statistics (he wrote the wonderful Damned Lies and Statistics), his point of this book is intriguing: Americans often fall for scams. He is not talking about the guys that buy Ab Rollers sold on late night infomercials (which I own, pitifully). Best is talking about how smart people in business, medicine and education cling to the next 7-step approach or easy-to-use carb diet. Education, in my opinion, suffers from this disease more than any other profession, as the pendulum has swung most recently to drilling letter sounds and endlessly assessing students as a part of the government’s No Child Left Untested program. If nothing else, this book will get you thinking. I’ve attached an anecdote from my own teaching experiences on this month’s blog (click here).

When I see an endorsement on a book from one of my favorite playwrights, David Mamet, that reads “too funny, too sad, too short,” I have to grab that book. This one did not disappoint. If you think your family is dysfunctional, check in on the Wentworths. The payoff at the end is superb, and the book is filled with laughs along the way.

While I am recommending inspirational teaching stories, there’s none better than this classic. Great movie adaptation, as well (sorry, Twiggy and Poitier do not appear in the book).