Summer Book Review 3

Well, summer is quickly coming to an end. So, too, is my binge reading. I have enjoyed it whole-heartedly, and I will miss it dearly. My schedule will get crazy once school starts, so I don't sadly anticipate having much time for enjoyment reading. 

Talk Like Ted: the 9 public-speaking secrets of the world's top minds
by Carmine Gallo

5 stars.

​I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Honestly, I read this book to see if I wanted to possibly include it in my honor's curriculum. However, as I read, I also was personally influenced by the advice this book provided. Plus, it was just an enjoyable and interesting read.

The author goes through 9 suggestions for creating and presenting powerful presentations, speeches, lessons, or pitches. The advice he gave could easily be applied in a variety of business and professional arenas; I even found myself thinking of how I could apply his suggestions in my own classroom. 

I loved all the examples taken directly from successful TED talks. This is definitely a book I will be incorporating into my honors class and into my own presentation opportunities. ​

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1984 by George Orwell

2.5 stars.

Dystopians are seriously a thing right now. Hunger Games. Divergent. Matched. Unwind. Yup, there is a ton of dystopian YA literature, but sometimes you just have to go back to the classics once more to feel the power of dystopian novels.

We read Fahrenheit 451 in my English class, and it is one of my all-time favorite books. So this summer I decided to finally read and finish 1984. 

The beginning of this book hooked me instantly. I read the first 100 pages in about a day, and I was enthralled with Winston's secretly defiant character. But then the book started to drag. I had a hard time getting through the middle of the book....so, I may have cheated.

I am going to confess something to you: I went to Sparknotes to get a summary of the rest of the book. I'M SORRY! Actually, I went with the intent of reading the basic summary and then going back to the book to finish it, but I was horrified to hear how the book ended. It turned me off to reading the rest of it, so I determined that I was already satisfied with what I had read and I had no desire to continue. You may think that makes me a lazy reader (maybe it does), but I believe it's just part of my reading process.  Anyway, those are my feelings about George Orwell's 1984. 

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10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know 
by Jeff Anderson

5 stars.

First of all, if you teach writing in any grade or any way, you need to look up Jeff Anderson and read his books. He is AMAZING at what and how he teaches. I think I have 4 of his books, and they have all been so helpful in making my writing and grammar lessons come alive. 

This book, particularly, is full of strategies to help students understand some vital things as a writer. Things like writing momentum, flow, and voice. These are all difficult things to teach, but Jeff gives great tried and true examples of how to help students practice these skills. 

FYI: Jeff Anderson is also a fabulous speaker. If you have the chance to see him present, don't miss out! I've seen him present twice.

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Mississppi Trial, 1955
by Chris Crowe

4 stars.

Historical fiction books are probably my favorite genre. I love reading about something that really happened but also having the entertainment factor provided by the fictional story. 

Mississippi Trial, 1955 is about the brutal murder of Emmitt Till, a young African American boy, and the trial that surrounded it.

At 16 years of age, the book's main character, Hiram, returns to Greenwood, Mississippi to visit his aging grandfather. Hiram tries to reconcile his beloved (albeit naive) memories of his childhood in Mississippi with the senseless hatred and violence towards Negros that he now notices on his return. He battles with the choices between defending what he knows is right or going along with what is popular and supported by his grandfather and the white community. 

This book was an easy read, but it gave you a little glimpse into an important event of the civil rights movement. I would recommend this book to teens who want to learn about the battle for civil rights in the South. It gave some simple yet important insights into varying beliefs and arguments people had about segregation.

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And thus ends my summer vacation. School starts again this week and I know I will have a limited time for enjoyment reading. Still, I want to try and finish at least 1 book a month and report on it (to my blog and to my students).