Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling, A Review

Amazon          Goodreads          Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million                    Book Depository

Book Description

This invaluable resource book includes everything teachers or librarians need to know for using storytelling in their classrooms. It covers a range of topics known as the 7Cs including recommendations for using storytelling to enliven the curriculum, ways to develop literacy and language skills, models for building character, techniques for learning to tell stories, tips for teaching creativity and ways to build community. It even includes ready to tell tales with useful tips for "tellers" along with valuable references for teachers. It also correlates these learning activities with the Common Core Standards.

Review

I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

As a teacher, anytime you can read a book and end it feeling like you can immediately incorporate action in your classroom - that's a winner.
This book makes it very clear on how to easily and effectively use folktales and stories in the preschool to high school classroom, across the curriculum. Much of this is due to the abundance of included stories along with the practical activities to include alongside them. One of the strengths of this book is the authors commitment to using a select few stories frequently throughout the book to demonstrate the various applications. 
Finally, after instilling the desire to captivate students with stories, they go on to highlight the research that proves that this is an effective teaching strategy and then even pulls out common core standards that are met by using stories in the classroom.

I gave this book: ★★★ (3.5 actually)

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    

★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

True Identity: Finding Significance and Freedom Through Who You Are in Christ by John C. Majors, A Review

Amazon          Goodreads          Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million                Christian Book             Book Depository

Book Description

All teens wrestle with the question "Who am I?" and wonder, What makes me special?Though these questions linger for life, they are most intense in the teen years, where confusion, awkwardness, and a desperate grab for identity reign. So how does a young person answer these critical questions? Where do young men and women find their significance, worth, and value?

True Identity is perfect for parents and youth workers to give to the teenagers (14-16) in their lives to help them in their journey. Drawing on experiences and wisdom from a wide array of experts, the book provides compassionate answers to help teens discover who they really are, emphasizing their identity in Christ above all other ways our culture defines them. As the book walks teens through the steps to make their faith their own, it highlights healthy independence and God-honoring relationships.

The Passport2Identity curriculum launched in April 2016, and True Identity is its trade book companion.

Review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Thank you Bethany House for sharing with me.
Here is my honest review.

First and foremost, this is a book written for teens; I am well into adulthood yet found this book to a relevant and thoughtful examination of major issues that young people face as they race toward adulthood.  As I was reading, I kept thinking "Where were books like this thirty years ago?" If they existed, they certainly weren't on the radar for those in my youth group or the adults guiding us.

With teenagers, broaching honest, thought-provoking topics can sometimes be difficult. Majors addresses one of the critical questions we all ask ourselves: "Who Am I?" and breaks our identity down into four broad compartments before dividing them further in sub-categories. He then addresses each of these elements not from the perspective that is culturally popular at the moment, but rather from the viewpoint of our relationship with Christ.

If you parent a teenager or have a child that will soon be facing these years fraught with angst and confusion, this is a great book to read. Then share it with your son or daughter, inviting them to read it with you and share their thoughts and reactions. It can open conversations in a non-threatening way which is really crucial to having heart-to-heart (two-sided) talks with a young adult.

The four identities explored in this book are: Gender Identity, Spiritual Identity, Relational Identity and Missional Identity. I first thought Majors was too general, skimming the surface even, as he addressed the components of identity. As I continued to read, I realized that it wasn't an in-depth exploration - and that was a good thing. It would be very easy the message to come across as preachy, a sure-fire way to close the door to frank discussion. Additionally, the author is laying groundwork on a topic while allowing room for the reader to continue the thought process and arrive at conclusions that are their own. This is exactly where teenagers are at during this point in their life; they have to determine if they believe what they've been taught and why - or if they disagree and why. This book is a great guide to exploring basic principles of Christianity and how that shapes us and the decisions we make about how we live our lives.

This is not to imply that the book lacks honest, well-laid out truth. It does.For example, True Identity takes a very clear and concise stance on purity outside of marriage with Biblical references as well as psychological reasoning for radical abstinence. With adult perspective and experience, I know that Majors is correct in all the reasons he gives for refraining from premarital sex. Unwanted pregnancy is mentioned but it isn't the strongest case he makes for purity: sex is more than just physical pleasure. His arguments are well-thought out, easily presented and far more compelling argument for teenagers to actually consider than just don't do it.

Personally, there was one area that I found lacking in the book. Majors spends quite a bit of time exploring relationships, which is vitally important to the development of anyone. He is correct in that teenagers are spending more time with peers and other adults in their world than they are with their parents and family. I know that this is part of the process of growing up and is essential to real maturity taking place. But after that explanation, the focus is spent on relationships with peers, finding quality mentors and finally dating. I wish there had been more emphasis placed on maintaining and growing relationship with your parents. While Majors does address specific concerns and advises the reader to discuss it with their parents, there is no significant page space given to the shift that begins to occur in how to relate to your parents at this age and as responsibility and independence grows.

This book will remain on our shelves for a few years until my son is a teenager; it's certainly a book I will encourage him to read and discuss.

I gave this book: ★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    

★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

Rescued by Peter Zheutlin, A Review

Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things

Amazon          Goodreads          Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million                    Book Depository

Book Description

In RESCUED, NYT bestselling author Peter Zheutlin interweaves stories and lessons from families who have welcomed rescue dogs into their homes with his own zany experiences adopting one for the first time in midlife to reveal what we can learn from these animals who were once lost and are now found. Blending keen insights and advice on navigating the complexities of caring for a rescue dog with humorous (and occasionally heart-wrenching) anecdotes, each chapter reveals important life lessons we can learn from second-chance dogs, such as: 
- The truth about living with a rescued pet: it is not one continuous Hallmark moment
- How rescue dogs can heal us just like we heal them
- Surprising new ways they can teach us to rediscover and celebrate our joyous inner child, accept change gracefully, and forgive others and, most importantly, ourselves 
For anyone who loves, lives with, or has ever wanted a dog, this irresistibly charming book will warm your heart and show how the dogs whose lives we've saved can change ours for the better too.

Review

I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

An absolutely delightful and adorable read! Zheutlin was able to bring the dogs to life and showcase their personalities with the written word - a truly remarkable feat. I don't know who wouldn't want to cuddle the sweet, skittish, and lovable Albie after finishing this book. 
Dog rescue is a world of extremes: Zheutlin points to the horrors that many dogs (especially in the South) face and then shifts the focus to the realities of rescuing a dog and giving them a home of love, safety and comfort. The author doesn't shy away from the challenges that an owner could face when rescuing a dog; instead he addresses it in a practical way that inspires rather than discourages rescue. I really enjoyed the way Zheutlin took several "case studies", or rescued dogs and their owners, and used their stories repeatedly throughout the book. Instead of briefly meeting a great number of dogs and owners, we are able to really get to know a handful of great human beings and their dogs. It also gives continuity to the exploration of what one can expect when rescuing a dog.

I gave this book: ★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    

★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

Want to Know More?

1. Read Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway by Peter Zheutlin. 

2. Fostering a Pet: FAQs by Petfinder

3. Finally, get involved. A good friend of mine is actively involved in dog rescue and I know it is a rewarding experience for her.  You can donate money to a rescue or if that is outside your limits, you can volunteer to help a rescue in a variety of ways (post about dogs needing a home, foster a dog, help at a rescue event, transport dogs, etc)  

Zheutlin mentions the vast number of homeless dogs after Hurricane Katrina.  With the recent Harvey and Irma hurricane's, there are many dogs currently needing assistance. There are many dog rescues to choose from. A Google search for dog rescue Hurricane Harvey/Irma should give you multiple charities to choose from. 

Shapes in Math, Science and Nature: Squares, Triangles and Circles by Catherine Sheldrick Ross, A Review

Amazon          Goodreads

I received an eARC copy of this book via NetGalley to review. Here are my honest thoughts.

As a preschool director, teaching shapes is one of the core components of our curriculum. This text is too advanced for a young child. It is however, a wonderful book! Despite the book not being for young children, I do think a preschool teacher would find this a valuable resource tool as they teach about shapes. My favorite thing about the book are the experiments that it includes. I can see many of them working very well in a preschool setting (square bubbles would fascinate young children.

My first grader would love this book and I am putting it on our book wish list. As the other reviewer stated, this book is great for elementary students as they learn more about shapes and how they work. As a teacher and parent, I appreciate that the 3 volumes have been combined into one.

I also recommend this book to parents and grandparents of children who like math.

I gave this book: ★★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    

★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it