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May 2011

Hi folks!

I hope you have all been enjoying some wonderful books. I had the pleasure of spending all of April at home, and I did not waste any opportunities to read with my children. My youngest daughter, Samantha, delights in baby books with thick cardboard pages, and we have been feasting on a lot of Bible stories and nursery rhymes (she loves “The Grand Old Duke of York”). My son Sean enjoys books by Dr. Seuss, Marc Brown, Steve Jenkins and Stan and Jan Berenstain, as well as a steady diet of dinosaur books. My oldest daughter, Kate, has become obsessed with Magic Tree House books (serves me right for buying her a set of the first 40 titles), and we even attended a Border’s bookstore event recently starring the books’ two protagonists, Jack and Annie (and Kate wants to fill her “reading passport” with stamps, proving that she read every title). I have truly enjoyed watching my own children follow their own reading passions, and it serves me well when consulting with teachers and parents.

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 ;-)
Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout

Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout

By Philip Connors 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

Maybe it is because I am getting older and constantly seem to be busy with family or work-related issues or maybe it is my fond memories growing up in the mountains of the Four Corners area, but I immediately connected with this beautiful book by former journalist Connors talking about his experiences as a seasonal “fire watcher” in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico. His prose moved me like no book since Norman MacLean’s A River Runs Through It, and ever since reading it I have felt the need to go on a wilderness hike and soak in the air. Connors also provides excellent insights into forest preservation. Just a really enjoyable reading experience.
Buy on Amazon
True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes

True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes

By Julie Cannon 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

Maybe it is because I spent all of April home (I did not travel for business once) or maybe it is because I am on a diet, but I seem to have done a lot of soul-searching and reflecting recently. Robinson’s lovely novel about dealing with a loved one’s death is both heartbreaking and hilarious. It made me want to dig into the dirt and plant a Southern garden.
Buy on Amazon
Twelve Angry Men (Penguin Classics)

Twelve Angry Men (Penguin Classics)

By Reginald Rose 96 pages Adult

Danny Says

Director Sidney Lumet passed away in April, and he left behind a stunning legacy of celluloid achievements. My favorite, though, is the one that began his career: a movie version of Rose’s powerful play Twelve Angry Men. I encourage you to re-read this play (or enjoy it for the first time), and then watch the movie with one of the most amazing casts ever assembled on screen (I cannot think of one less than stellar performance in the ensemble, headed by the mighty Henry Fonda). This play is timeless.
Buy on Amazon
Keeping the Moon

Keeping the Moon

By Sarah Dessen 228 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I wholeheartedy endorse Sarah Dessen’s books, as she is one of the increasingly rare young adult authors who manages to tell a contemporary story without lots of negative language and graphic scenes. Still, girls are drawn to this book about a modern day Cinderella shedding pounds and a negative self-image in a story that manages to entertain and seem real and honest at the same time.
Buy on Amazon
Runner

Runner

By Carl Deuker 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This is a no-brainer. Sports, suspense – this book has it all. What I like best is the evolving relationship between high school senior Chance Taylor and his Gulf War veteran-turned-alcoholic father, as I am a sucker for redemptive endings.
Buy on Amazon
I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs

By Larry Smith,Rachel Fershleiser 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Want to know how to get reluctant writers to write? Turn them on to one of my favorite websites, smithteens.com (or, for all ages, sixwordstories.net). The editors of SMITH magazine have compiled this book of over 800 teenage six-word memoirs, ranging from the funny “Sometimes, Little Debbie wins. She’s evil” to the painful “Five elementary schools and two obituaries.” This is one of the best motivational tools I have ever used with reluctant writers.
Buy on Amazon
10 Things to Do Before I Die

10 Things to Do Before I Die

By Daniel Ehrenhaft 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

While I cannot say I am a fan of some of the scenarios in this book, I do appreciate how Ehrenhaft employs a variety of literary devices in telling this story that some of the middle school boys I have worked with say is their favorite funny book. And I have a creedo: if it gets boys laughing and reading, I support it wholeheartedly!
Buy on Amazon
Awesome Experiments in Electricity & Magnetism

Awesome Experiments in Electricity & Magnetism

By Michael A. DiSpezio 160 pages Children

Danny Says

If you have not yet read one of DiSpezio’s books and are trying to find a way to get your kids jazzed up about science, you are in for a treat. This book has over 70 experiments for kids, and DiSpezio is truly a gifted teacher in that you catch his infectious passion for all things science. Truly, a wonderful author.

Buy on Amazon
Here Comes the Garbage Barge!

Here Comes the Garbage Barge!

By Jonah Winter 40 pages Children

Danny Says

Winter creates a fictionalized account of the 1987 story of a New York City barge loaded with trash and sent on its way to find a place to dump it. The story is funny and the message is important (“don’t make so much garbage!”), but the artwork by Red Nose Studio is the real star.
Buy on Amazon
You Can Do It!

You Can Do It!

By Tony Dungy 32 pages Children

Danny Says

This month I speak at the International Reading Association’s annual convention in Orlando, Florida, and I am thrilled that Super Bowl champion coach Tony Dungy will be speaking there, as well. This book is pure Dungy, offering inspiration for all children searching for what they are good at, and the illustrations by Amy June Bates are lovely.
Buy on Amazon

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