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November 2011

Hi folks!

I hope you are all doing well. I am not sure if you are aware of this, but Congress recently voted to halt funding for Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), an organization that has provided millions of students with reading resources. You know that literacy is near and dear to my heart, and I am committed to ensuring that all students have great books available. Please join me in supporting the efforts of RIF during their ThanksGIVING campaign. Just go to www.rifsocal.org, and for a donation as low as $20 you can have a lasting impact on children in need of books. Many of the authors featured in this month’s book picks have given their time and energy to help RIF get books in the hands of students in under-resourced areas.

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 November, and enjoy your books!

Danny ;-)
Orientation

Orientation

By Daniel Orozco 176 pages Adult

Danny Says

Do you know what I like best about short stories (besides being short)? Good short stories contain some of the quirkiest characters and storylines. I loved this book the moment I read about the bridge painters who talk down jumpers. Quirky, lovely – I wish I could write as well as Orozco. This book is a gem.
Buy on Amazon
Dolly City (Hebrew Literature Series)

Dolly City (Hebrew Literature Series)

By Orly Castel-Bloom 167 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have not read a modern satire this good in a long time. Israeli author Castel-Bloom is irreverent in her portrayal of a warped doctor-turned-mother. While the book is short, the story will linger in your mind for a long time asking questions and trying to re-think what an “overbearing Jewish mother” really is.  
Buy on Amazon
Stone Arabia: A Novel

Stone Arabia: A Novel

By Dana Spiotta 238 pages Adult

Danny Says

I am ashamed to say I had never heard of Dana Spiotta before reading this book. The woman sitting next to me on a plane was reading Stone Arabia, and we had a long conversation about Spiotta. Now I understand why she was a National Book Award finalist, as I found myself wondering whether I should laugh or cry as I plowed through this story.
Buy on Amazon
Playground

Playground

By 50 Cent 320 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled “The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully,” hip hop star 50 Cent’s debut young adult novel makes a great classroom discussion starter about the all-too-prevalent bullying that occurs in schools. 
Buy on Amazon
Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

By Paul B. Janeczko 112 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled “Poems of the Terezin Ghetto,” Janeczko – who has written all sorts of wonderful books for teachers to inspire a love of poetry in their students – creates moving first-person accounts of Jews incarcerated in the infamous Czech concentration camp for “artistic” Jews. Good poetry is meant to be read aloud, and this book is the impetus for wonderful classroom lessons about tolerance and humanity gone awry in world history.
Buy on Amazon
Freewill

Freewill

By Chris Lynch 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Written in second person, Freewill (an interesting play on words) deals with the thoughts of “Will” as he tries to come to terms with the deaths of his father and stepmother. Definitely a page-turner that will provoke interesting class discussions.
Buy on Amazon
Zitface

Zitface

By Emily Howse 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Acne is calamitous for just about every teenager, but for Olivia – an actress – it can spell the end of her career. Howse does a great job of addressing a number of teen issues without belittling them or judging them. Your girls, especially, will flock to this one.
Buy on Amazon
Brodie & The Yeti , The True Tales Of Two Little Dogs

Brodie & The Yeti , The True Tales Of Two Little Dogs

By Dennis Robert Komick 34 pages Children

Danny Says

There are lots of “dog” books out there, but not many about the power of adopting unwanted dogs. This is a story that can be used by teachers and parents to address kindness to animals and the power of pet adoption (child adoption, too – for that matter).
Buy on Amazon
Piggy Nation A Day At Work With Dad

Piggy Nation A Day At Work With Dad

By Richard Rosser 32 pages Children

Danny Says

Are you in need of a resource to introduce little ones to good manners? Rosser provides a fun look at how to curb rude behavior, and kids delight in Shane Sowell’s illustrations.
Buy on Amazon
Nicholas, that's Ridiculous! A Story About Being a Boy

Nicholas, that's Ridiculous! A Story About Being a Boy

By Christa Carpenter 32 pages Children

Danny Says

Carpenter spins a fun poem about her silly son, Nicholas, in this beautifully illustrated picture book by Mark Wayne Adams.
Buy on Amazon

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