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December 2010

Hi folks!

I hope you are all happy, healthy, loved and loving this holiday season. I am thrilled to be home for a good portion of December, hanging out with my family. All I needed for Christmas was one book this year. Anyone who knows me knows that one of my favorite books of all time is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. That takes you through T.R.’s life until he became President. Morris followed that up with Theodore Rex, which takes us through T.R.’s two terms as President. Now, I am thrilled that Morris finally completed Colonel Roosevelt, which chronicles T.R.’s life after the Presidency. Between that and reading The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 – I am in HEAVEN!

Anyhow, enjoy this month’s book selections below. I hope you are all reading some wonderful books. Make sure to tell me all about them. If you're an author or a publisher and would like to send me review copies of your book(s), please send them to the address listed for authors and publishers.

I hope you are reading some wonderful books. Make sure to tell me about them by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Have a wonderful December, and enjoy your books!

Danny ;-)
Making Friends: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Friendships

Making Friends: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Friendships

By Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled “A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child’s Friendships,” this book is essential reading for parents trying to better meet the needs of their children. I have three children who all live under the same roof, share the same genes and could not be more different from one another, and I am grateful to Hartley-Brewer for the many practical tips this book offers.
Buy on Amazon
Fallen

Fallen

By Margaret Lind 212 pages Adult

Danny Says

Perfect reading for those interested in an intriguing story about a small town priest who questions his faith, his vows and everything around him. Breezed through this book.
Buy on Amazon
Little Patient Big Doctor: One Mother's Journey

Little Patient Big Doctor: One Mother's Journey

By Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick 170 pages Adult

Danny Says

Maybe this book touched me because of my own children, as Resnick offers a refreshing perspective for parents to be advocates. It is alright to trust one’s instincts and maintain healthy skepticism when doctors prescribe this or recommend that. I think more people need to educate themselves and ask a few more questions before anyone tells them what is or is not best for “their” children. Very informative and easy to read.
Buy on Amazon
Sweet 15

Sweet 15

By Emily Adler 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I loved this story because it is so relevant to the pressures I see so many teenage Latinas go through regarding their “quinceanara,” a traditional coming-of-age party for 15 year olds. There are so many pressures on girls to spend elaborate amounts of money on what many consider an event that reinforces female stereotypes. I thought this was a refreshing take on a story I have seen play out unhappily in many homes.
Buy on Amazon
Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook

Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook

By Beverly Patt 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I am always anxious to make history “come alive” for students, and that is why I really enjoyed this fictionalized scrapbook between two teenage friends (one white, the other Japanese American) torn apart during World War II. This month we reflect on Pearl Harbor Day and the repercussions of that event. Students get a chance to see the real turmoil that war caused on all Americans, notably the atrocities endured by interned Japanese Americans. 
Buy on Amazon
Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories

Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories

By Hailey Abbott,Melissa de la Cruz,Aimee Friedman,Nina Malkin 222 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Four short stories for teens about relationships set around December holidays. These will get the girls in your class reading and – hopefully – understanding what “the season” of December means.
Buy on Amazon
The Christmas Bus

The Christmas Bus

By Melody Carlson 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Teenagers, too, need to understand that the kindness of strangers is just one of the beauties to be learned at Christmas time. A beautiful story.
Buy on Amazon
The Legend of the Poinsettia

The Legend of the Poinsettia

By Tomie dePaola 32 pages Children

Danny Says

Everything Tomie dePaola writes and draws is worth owning. I love this retelling of the tale of the Mexican girl Lucinda who learned that “any gift is beautiful because it is given.”
Buy on Amazon
The Spirit of Christmas

The Spirit of Christmas

By Nancy Tillman 32 pages Children

Danny Says

Okay, I’ll admit: I love Christmas. I do not love what Christmas has become for many Americans: commercialism, bargain hunters pushing one another in department stores and loads of debt. Sometimes a book comes along that reminds all ages of the kindness and joy that Christmas truly represents.
Buy on Amazon
The Polar Express by Van Allsburg, Chris (1985) Hardcover

The Polar Express by Van Allsburg, Chris (1985) Hardcover

By Chris Van Allsburg Children

Danny Says

If you are one of the poor souls who still has not yet read this Classic, give yourself an early Christmas gift. This is one of the rare instances where I love the book, and the movie manages to be just as good (if not, better). Beautiful illustrations and a terrific story for all those who believe. 
Buy on Amazon

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