Adult

This is a phenomenal account of Teddy's life up until he became President. Before reading this, I only knew that Teddy bears were named after him, and for some reason he has his mug on Mt. Rushmore. Now I consider him one of the most fascinating Americans in history. Morris points out that Teddy read nearly 20,000 books by the time he was 30. I am trying to make up ground by reading lots of short books!

Heck – why not begin the new year with a grin on your face? I know no better way than to read Baker’s clever, poignant and funny prose. He is a poet that has delighted me since his book Mezzanine.

I have been doing a lot more speaking with associations and businesses lately about the importance of teamwork and collaboration, and Lundin and Nelson have created an easy-to-read parable based around a wonderful African philosophy. By the way – Bob Nelson gives a wonderful glimpse of this philosophy in his recent TEDx talk.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and basis for the movie "Gettysburg." His son Jeff wrote a prequel (Gods and Generals) and sequel (The Last Full Measure), and, while not as good, they are both very appealing.

The Killer Angels is a must-read, as I have recommended it to nearly 100 people of all ages, races and genders, and all have told me that it is one of the best books they have ever read. I never knew how interesting the Civil War could be, and I would recommend that all high school social studies teachers recommend this book to their students. I would have been much more interested in this time in history (now I read every book on the Civil War that I can get my hands on).

I am all about New Year’s Resolutions (evident from my annual holiday guilt diet that I am currently following), and one of the things I hope to see and attract more of in 2011 is happiness. There are a lot of people hurting out there, and one of my goals is to get more people smiling. Dr. Smith’s book is a good guide for those interested in making small changes that can lead to big results.

Subtitled “New Yorker Covers You Were Never Meant to See,” this wonderful book provides a glimpse into the art selection process of one of America’s magazine mainstays. The examination of current events is both entertaining and thought-provoking, as I have always thought that political cartoonists and satirists are perhaps society’s most influential catalysts of public opinion.

Subtitled “The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life,” this book does a great job of ripping to pieces the current educational programs of America’s top bastions of higher learning. If you – like me – feel like too many of our top students are learning how to fill test bubbles well rather than think critically, you’re in for a treat. Excellent book – almost a “manifesto.”

I’ve been reading a lot of Classics lately that I never got around to reading in high school. There is something about 19^th century French literature that I find marvelously appealing. The writing is filled with wit, pain and social commentary that can be gripping and hilarious – sometimes within the same sentence.

Thought I’d include a Classic, just to mix things up. A lot lazy readers might not realize this, but some of the important literary authors they need to know to impress people actually wrote some shorter works. This is a great introduction to Plath, considered by many to be one of the most important “self-confessional” poets of the 20^th century.

October is the month Nobel Prizes are handed out, so why not impress your friends by reading the work of a Nobel laureate? The fictional narrator in this amazing story recalls surviving one of the worst maritime disasters of all time, the 1945 sinking of the German refugee carrier Willem Gustloff by a Soviet submarine. This one will whet your appetite to learn more about an event I had never heard of before.

The subtitle “Why You Binge Eat and How to Stop” was simply MADE for me. Just when I thought I had problems binge eating, Bulik sobered me into realizing that there are folks with some really clinical binge-eating disorders. Fascinating research.

One of the best books of 2003. Look at these opening lines, and you are bound to buy the book: “The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back.” An intriguing account that is as informative as it is entertaining.

Maybe I am only interested in Elmo because of my 2-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. I think this is a great book for anyone to read, though. Do not let the page count throw you off, as the book is small (I read the entire book in a couple of hours while listening to CDs at Border’s). The book works because it is not some sing-songy drudge but a thoughtful semi-autobiography (I say “semi” because the book offers all sorts of inspirational messages and timely observations). This book just came out, and it is well worth your time.

I thought I’d throw in some classic literature this month. This is also appropriate for young adults, as it deals with a young man’s journey to self-discovery. I thought it was pretty good when I read it in high school; today, I like it even better.

Does it get any better than Charles Dickens? He was basically the John Grisham of his day, popular with everyone but the critics. Whether I am teaching 12th graders or preschoolers, this book is a mandatory read aloud. With young children I like to make the story highly interactive, allowing students to shout “Bah-humbug” whenever I say Ebeneezer Scrooge, “Ahh” whenever I say Bob Cratchit and “God bless us, everyone” whenever I say Tiny Tim. Every child needs to hear this tale of kindness and the true meaning of Christmas.