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May 2007

Hi folks!

I hope you are all doing well. I have had a terrific month, as I have spent a lot of time with my family. While I love speaking around the country, I have discovered that I prefer speaking closer to home. My young son and daughter have reached an adorable stage, and it is difficult for me to ever be away from them (although I am going to be gone speaking for most of the summer, something I have vowed not to schedule again). 

As usual, I am reading an eclectic mixture of titles, genres and age levels. I am currently enjoying The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Just because I speak as a motivational speaker to teachers, parents and students around the country, I still drown myself in lots of wonderful inspirational books like this one all the time to maintain my positive energy. I also re-read a number of books by two gentlemen whom I will greatly miss, Kurt Vonnegut and David Halberstam. After their recent passings I felt a lot like Obi Wan Kenobi when he senses in the Force that the planet Alderaan has been destroyed: there is an enormous emptiness in the galaxy now (yes, I am a Star Wars geek). Anyone who knows me knows I love anything written by Mary Higgins Clark, and her latest book I Heard That Song Before does not disappoint (her books do not qualify to make the Lazy Readers’ lists because they are usually around 330 pages, but they are in big print and flow as easily as a chocolate milkshake). Speaking of milkshakes, I enjoyed every page of Paula Deen’s It Ain’t All About the Cookin’. She has always been one of my favorite fixtures on the Food Network, but this book truly inspired me (and made me hungry for some unhealthy, delicious Southern cooking).

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 May, and enjoy your books!

Danny ;-)
There's a Hole in My Sidewalk

There's a Hole in My Sidewalk

By Portia Nelson 144 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have been in sort of a rut lately, questioning where I am going with my life. My pastor shared with us a passage from this book, and it instantly lifted my spirits. Nelson clearly writes about “the romance of self-discovery,” and this book reminded me to always appreciate the journey and focus on my own choices. A lovely book.
Buy on Amazon
Pictures I Had to Take

Pictures I Had to Take

152 pages Adult

Danny Says

I admit that when I think of Joel Grey, I usually think of the MC from Cabaret or Chiun from Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (one of my guilty pleasures). After watching a wonderful piece on Grey’s photography featured on the best television program on the air, CBS Sunday Morning, I rushed to the bookstore and bought this collection of his photographs. Photography books are the perfect books for truly lazy readers, and, while I do not know a lot about photography, I am always inspired by what photographers focus on. This book touched me by how much I learned about Grey through his photographer’s eye. 
Buy on Amazon
Jack Ruby's Kitchen Sink

Jack Ruby's Kitchen Sink

By Tom Miller 250 pages Adult

Danny Says

Just finished this enjoyable travel book about the American Southwest. I really enjoyed one chapter in particular about John Nichols and The Milagro Beanfield War, as I love that book and the film (even if the film caused havoc in northern New Mexico, which is just about one of the most beautiful areas anywhere). The book also features a favorite locale of mine: Bisbee, Arizona.
Buy on Amazon
Dark Sons

Dark Sons

By Nikki Grimes 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Ah, if only there were more authors like Nikki Grimes out there, I am convinced we would have nothing but passionate readers. She combines everything I am looking for in an author for middle schoolers: poetry, moral messages, hope, multicultural characters…the list goes on. This is her latest in a long line of books that get students thinking about race relations, their spiritual beliefs and their values. The kind of book that teaches the heart, as well as the mind.
Buy on Amazon
Snot Stew

Snot Stew

By Bill Wallace 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Could you come up with a better title to get boys interested in reading? The title is actually a play on words two kittens hear children use when arguing: “Is not!...Is too!” A simple story that is a great way to draw reluctant readers toward bookshelves.
Buy on Amazon
The Night I Flunked My Field Trip

The Night I Flunked My Field Trip

By Henry Winkler 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Treat yourself to any book in the Hank Zipzer, Underachiever series. Henry Winkler is a tireless literacy advocate (he was dyslexic as a child, and students love hearing about his rise to become “the Fonz” and a popular character actor), and these books (co-authored by Oliver) are a wonderful way to get a lot of reluctant and struggling readers interested in reading.
Buy on Amazon
The Fashion Disaster

The Fashion Disaster

By Carolyn Keene 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Let’s not leave the girls out. Since I am talking about series books, I have to include one of the most popular series of all time: Nancy Drew. I have a hunch that the upcoming movie is going to renew interest in the series, and I encourage parents and teachers to lasso that interest with plenty of great titles from the series.
Buy on Amazon
Traction Man Is Here!

Traction Man Is Here!

By Mini Grey 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I love this book! Too many of my students have developed a lack of imagination, and one of the wonders of reading is to enhance students’ creativity. In this delightful tale a young boy takes his new action figure and develops incredible romps with regular household items (e.g. a cup becomes a supersonic space-cup saucer, and Traction Man scuba dives in “the foamy waters of the sink”). This book is great fun.
Buy on Amazon
Mammoths on the Move

Mammoths on the Move

By Lisa Wheeler 32 pages Children

Danny Says

They say never to “judge a book by its cover,” but how do most of us select books? The wonderful mammoth illustrations by Kurt Cyrus forced me to grab the book, and Lisa Wheeler blends poetry and non-fiction in a way that brings science alive to students to keep them interested.
Buy on Amazon
Before I Was Your Mother

Before I Was Your Mother

By Kathryn Lasky 40 pages Children

Danny Says

You need to remember that Mother’s Day is this month. There are a lot of wonderful titles to choose from, but I wanted to include this one for its lovely illustrations by LeUyen Pham and charming store of a mother reminiscing about her own childhood with her daughter.
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