logo

December 2012

Hi folks!

Merry Christmas! I wish all of you the best during this wonderful season. Please spend as much time appreciating friends and family, and do something nice for a complete stranger.  

This has been a tough year for my family, as my father has been battling a list of different cancers and other ailments. He is not that old, and I have been blessed to have my faith and focus on all of the guidance Dad has given me over the course of my lifetime. He’s the librarian and avid reader who modeled amazing reading habits in front of a rebellious and reluctant reader named after him (Danny), and I am sure he finds it ironic that I have become such a reading advocate. I am so thankful during this holiday season to celebrate some more time with my father and let him know how much he has meant to me. 

Folks – all of us experience trials and triumphs, and we have to teach ourselves to be grateful in all circumstances. Surround yourself with great books to keep your spirits up. I have read a bunch of inspiring books, from Jon Meacham’s terrific Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power to Louise Erdrich’s The Round House to Dr. Seuss’s The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories, which features a wonderfully entertaining and insightful introduction by scholar Charles D. Cohen who traces the histories of these seven little-known Seussian classics.

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 ;-)
Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War, December 1941

Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War, December 1941

By Stanley Weintraub 227 pages Adult

Danny Says

One reviewer called this book “absorbing,” and I would concur, as it devotes a chapter to each of the final 10 days of 1941 and New Year’s Day of 1942. Weintraub does a masterful job of giving the reader a human glimpse into the minds of Allied leaders in the early days of America’s entry into World War II. Not just a book for history junkies – a very compelling read.
Buy on Amazon
The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)

The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)

By Brian Cox,Jeff Forshaw 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

In the interest of living up to my reputation as an eclectic reader, I chose to dive into this look into the world of quantum mechanics, a topic I have about as much knowledge and interest in as Washington politicians have of compromise. Cox and Forshaw do a brilliant job of patiently explaining complicated concepts in a way that laypeople like me can somewhat comprehend. At least I’ll hold my own if I ever get invited to a cocktail reception at M.I.T.!
Buy on Amazon
Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn't Have To): The Only 21-Day Kick-Start Plan for Total Health and Fitness You'll Ever Need

Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn't Have To): The Only 21-Day Kick-Start Plan for Total Health and Fitness You'll Ever Need

By Chuck Runyon 304 pages Adult

Danny Says

Let me get you thinking about your New Year’s resolutions BEFORE you add ten pounds this holiday season. You’ll get a kick out of this funny book designed to inspire you to get off your butt and make some simple lifestyle changes that will have huge benefits. Include all the indices, and this book is over 300 pages long. Take out the acknowledgments and 21-day fitness plan, and we’re down to under 220 pages. Works for me!
Buy on Amazon
Colin Fischer

Colin Fischer

By Ashley Edward Miller,Zack Stentz 256 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

You are going to fall in love with Colin Fischer, the teen sleuth with Asperger’s Syndrome who shines as the protagonist of this delightful story. Colin’s observations of high school are funny, insightful and fascinating, and I especially enjoyed Colin’s listings of many “Cliff Clavin-like” random facts.
Buy on Amazon
Superhero Success: Expand Your CAPE-ability® To Break Through Any Challenge, Overcome Any Fear, And Become A Superhero In Life And Business! (Volume 1)

Superhero Success: Expand Your CAPE-ability® To Break Through Any Challenge, Overcome Any Fear, And Become A Superhero In Life And Business! (Volume 1)

By TW Walker 138 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Great for all ages, this fun, fast and insightful story will have you on the edge of your seat as you follow the characters along the roadmap to achieving success...like a Superhero!
Buy on Amazon
Poor Is Just a Starting Place

Poor Is Just a Starting Place

By Leslie J. Wyatt 196 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Touching story of a poor Kentucky girl during the Great Depression who longs to leave home to attend college. Useful conversation starter on the role of education in America.
Buy on Amazon
Hurt Go Happy: A Novel

Hurt Go Happy: A Novel

By Ginny Rorby 272 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Fascinating tale of a deaf girl learning American Sign Language to communicate with a chimpanzee. This story is filled with layer after layer of messages and will make a good discussion piece for your middle-school class.
Buy on Amazon
Jubilee!

Jubilee!

By Karyn Tunks 32 pages Children

Danny Says

Every year my students and I “travel the United States” through literature by finding books featuring authors and stories taking place in all 50 states. For Alabama, we enjoyed this story of a young girl’s first trip to Fairhope in the 60s, where she witnesses her first “jubilee,” a cool natural event where various aquatic creatures wash up on shore. Inspired my students to take photos of some of the annual rituals that occur in their lives. Great illustrations by Julie Dupre Buckner.
Buy on Amazon
Nimpentoad

Nimpentoad

By Henry Herz,Josh Herz,Harrison Herz 44 pages Children

Danny Says

Inspired by Tolkien’s The Hobbit, this tale of a remarkable “nibbling” adventure should resonate with anyone who has ever been picked on before. I like to use this book with elementary students to model how to write short and compelling chapter books. 
Buy on Amazon
The Gift of the Ladybug

The Gift of the Ladybug

By Carole M Amber 32 pages Children

Danny Says

With lovely watercolor illustrations by Evi Shelvia, this touching story will teach you how to appreciate the precious little time all of us spend on this Earth. If you can read this without crying, you’re tougher than me.
Buy on Amazon

Explore

Act

About

Connect With Us

Join Now