If you’re an educator now or were within the last 15 years or so, you’re most definitely familiar with these letters...AYP... Adequate Yearly Progress, and if you’re familiar with that terminology, I have NO doubt you’ll be equally familiar with every aspect of this book by the same name...the people….the plot line… the personalities....the politics...it’s all in there! While Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanna Elden is a piece of fictional writing, educators across this nation will immediately get the sense that Ms. Elden had some hidden cameras in every room of their own school buildings while writing this book! As an educator working in the same public school system for over 28 years now, I’ve either worked with every fictional educator (teachers AND administrators) in this book OR I’ve been some of them myself! In addition, I LOVE how Ms. Elden (a veteran teacher herself) throws some serious shade on the ever-changing “learning initiatives” educators have to deal with based on what’s popular at any given moment. She is SO on point with every piece of this writing! I enjoyed this book very much. I found the story to be hilarious in some parts, while very deep and thought-provoking in others parts. I read somewhere that some school systems actually use this book as a “staff book study,” and I can certainly see how it would make for some very open and honest dialogue from everyone involved! Whether it’s required reading or not, every educator should read this book. In addition, if you’re not an educator but curious about the nitty-gritty of the profession, this book is a must-read for you as well. Adequate Yearly Progress may be fiction, but it’s the most realistic look at teaching I’ve ever read! It's fun...but honest! Get it….read it! You won’t be sorry! Bravo to you, Ms. Elden! When can we expect your next gem?
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My son, a first-year high school English teacher, suggested this book to me, and based on that alone, I ordered my own copy and read it. Just a chapter or two into the book, my thought was, “Oh, this is just another version of Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle” (which happens to be one of my all-time favorite books and one I still recommend to people often...even 13 years after its publication). However, upon completing Tara Westover’s Educated: A Memoir, I can say this book was nothing like what I expected to read, and it will stay with me for a very long time! Tara Westover is the youngest of seven children. She and her siblings were raised by survivalist fundamentalist Mormon parents on a mountain in Idaho. Because her father had convinced himself that the government was out to get them all, the children were not allowed to attend school, they didn’t use hospitals (her mother is an herbalist), and several of the children were not even documented at birth. The children weren’t home-schooled in the traditional sense, but instead they were educated on how they as a family would prepare for the end of time when it happened. An older brother made the decision to educate himself as best he could and take the ACT with the hopes of being admitted to Brigham Young University. When he was successful in doing so, young Tara made up her mind to try her best to do the same. Her parents, particularly her father, took it as a direct insult to their beliefs and began to see Tara as a demonic being that desperately needed an exorcism. He strongly believed that there was no need for formal education...particularly for women...since it was all just government propaganda anyway and anyone who was interested in learning that information was in cahoots with those forces working against God. Besides, Mr. Westover fully intended to keep all of his children (and any spouses and children they might have) right there on the mountain with him! And so, this book, Educated: A Memoir, is an incredible account of the struggles she faced internally as well as externally as she tried her best to balance her love for her parents & siblings with her desperate desire to be free of the endless emotional and physical abuse she endured from several of her family members over the years. Tara was simply looking for a better way, but that would mean making hard decisions that are much easier said than done. As I scroll through the lengthy list of other reviews for this book, I see that many are skeptical of the memoir’s validity. To some, the account seems far-fetched in many ways. I don’t even want to attempt to place judgement on this woman’s account of her own life. Even IF the story isn’t 100% accurate, Tara Westover’s writing style...her skill for putting personal memories into beautiful, yet haunting prose... is worth picking up a copy of this book and reading it from cover to cover. Be prepared, though. Yes, she ends up with a PhD (and very successful first book), but happily ever after isn’t always real life when choices have to be made along the way for survival. It is my hope that she is able to be happy in her life as it is now, and I wish nothing but a future full of joy and peace for her. Heaven knows she deserves it! Tara Westover’s Educated: A Memoir will now be on my must-read list for all who ask me for a book suggestion. I highly recommend it to everyone!! Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book: “First find out what you are capable of, then decide who you are.” “The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.” “You are not fool’s gold, shining only under a particular light. Whomever you become, whatever you make yourself into, that is who you always were. It was always in you.” “It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you.” “To admit uncertainty is to admit to weakness, to powerlessness, and to believe in yourself despite both. It is a frailty, but in this frailty there is a strength: the conviction to live in your own mind, and not in someone else’s.” “I talked and he listened, drawing the shame from me like a healer draws infection from a wound.” https://goo.gl/MRd9Zm Did you read George Orwell’s “1984” (copyright 1949) back in high school? I know I sure did (in the mid-80s!), and I remember my takeaway from that book as being…that’s some scary stuff to think about, but it’ll be a while before that kind of craziness can happen in our world. Now, fast forward to Dave Eggers book, “The Circle” (copyright 2013). As ashamed as I am to admit it, I have just finished reading it four years after its original publication because it’s about to hit movie theaters next month. (shame on me…reading a book because of a movie! tsk, tsk) At any rate, it's an incredible piece of fiction that reminds me very much of Orwell’s 1984…set sometime in our future… except the ideas in THIS book actually seem like they are within arm’s reach of us in our current society today!
The book centers around Mae Holland, a young woman fresh out of college who is hired to work for The Circle. She is ecstatic because she knows that she has just hit the jackpot since The Circle is the most powerful internet company in the world. Facebook, Twitter, and Google are all mentioned as entities that The Circle has subsumed years before. Their internet tools are “the best”…and free!… but to be able to use them, you have to create a TruYou account: “one account, one identity, one payment system, per person.” Everyone uses their real names with their real bank account information for the rest of your life online. Sounds pretty great, right? How convenient! (I mean, I’m the world’s worst about forgetting my bazillion different passwords, so this seems like the perfect solution!) Mae thinks so, too, and is overwhelmed at The Circle’s work environment and commitment to rid the world of the internet’s problems like complicated payment systems, multiple user accounts, false identities, identity theft, etc. It doesn’t take long, however, for Mae to realize something is just a little off, and it’s starting to trouble her. She doesn’t want to complain, though…she’s made it to The Circle! She’d be a fool to ask questions about their company’s philosophies. Company mottos like “All that happens must be known” and “Secrets are lies; Caring is sharing; Privacy is theft” make it seem like maybe there’s a deeper goal happening here at The Circle. And what about the signs all over the company’s campus hinting at an anticipated Completion? Yes, things are definitely “different” at The Circle, and it doesn’t take long for Mae to realize she’s in the center of it all. While many things in this book may seem a little far-fetched at first, it doesn’t take long for the reader to realize we’re almost there now. Think about it… Two, three, maybe even four computer monitors on one desk in the workplace…. Seeing just how many followers you can attain on social media and how many comments you can make in a day on various posts (except in The Circle it’s not for fun…it’s a requirement)… the ability to video any person doing anything at any given time and publishing it to the internet for anyone to see (but per The Circle’s rules…nothing can be deleted…ever! Remember… “All that happens must be known.”) I’ve read plenty of reviews about his book, and there are definitely two distinct camps…those that love the book and see the clear message that Eggers is trying to convey…and those that hate the book because of the clear message Eggers is trying to convey. Listen, I’m all about technology and having information so readily available at our fingertips, however, I think we’ve already reached a point where we, as a society, really need to take a small step back, be mindful of the privacies we are so fortunate to have, and be sure we’re making wise choices about our quality and quantity of internet use. A few sidenotes here: I think this may be the first book I’ve ever read that didn’t have distinct chapters. That took a little getting used to! The story is comprised of three continuous “books”. Also, I was very concerned that the story would end abruptly with a rushed conclusion all neat and tidy, but I was both elated and freaked out when that was definitely not the case! This is a wonderfully suspenseful book all the way to the very last page. Bottom line…. Find a copy of this book, read it, and maybe even go see the movie in late April 2017. At the very least, I believe it’s a book that should make every reader think, and in my opinion, that’s the best kind of book to read! Some of my favorite quotes from “The Circle”: *“We are not meant to know everything, Mae. Did you ever think that perhaps our minds are delicately calibrated between the known and the unknown? That our souls need the mysteries of night and the clarity of day? Young people are creating ever-present daylight, and I think it will burn us all alive. There will be no time to reflect, to sleep, to cool.” ― Dave Eggers, The Circle *“And worse, you’re not doing anything interesting anymore. You’re not seeing anything, saying anything. The weird paradox is that you think you’re at the center of things, and that makes your opinions more valuable, but you yourself are becoming less vibrant. I bet you haven’t done anything offscreen in months. Have you?” ― Dave Eggers, The Circle *“That’s the vast majority of this social media, all these reviews, all these comments. Your tools have elevated gossip, hearsay and conjecture to the level of valid, mainstream communication.” ― Dave Eggers, The Circle The Invention of Wings is yet another book that I should have held a highlighter while reading it! The depth of "take-away wisdom" embedded in the story is mind-boggling! "Ef oona ent kno weh oona da gwuine, oona should know weh oona dum from." ("If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from.")...a Gullah song within the story that has carried much weight for me as I've contemplated the ideas offered here in this book. Sue Monk Kidd and I were raised in the same small southern town--Sylvester, GA. As small as that place is, I have never met her. Born 20 years before me, Sue was starting the next chapter of her life when my own life was just beginning. I know her parents and brother very well and see them at every wedding and funeral I go back home for. One day, I hope to meet and talk with Sue herself. Just from her printed words alone, I know she is a brilliant forward-thinking woman who still remembers where she came from! Like her other books, this one is beautifully-written and has layer upon layer of thought-provoking content. The story is set in the early 19th century and centers around the real-life Grimke sisters from the elite society of Charleston, SC, particularly, Sarah Grimke. Sarah is definitely a forward thinker and has big goals for herself. Unfortunately, in the early 1800s, women weren't allowed to have goals of their own. To make matters worse, on her 11th birthday, Sarah is given 10-year-old slave girl, Hetty (a.k.a. "Handful) to be her personal handmaid. These two form a bond that will take them through the rest of their lives. The two girls(and later women)have more in common than anyone would ever imagine. Both are strong and determined women who are searching for their own form of freedom. They yearn to be heard and valued. The blending of their lives is simply exquisite! I am actually sad today because I have finished the book. It's one of those stories that pulls you in and when it releases you, you are at a loss for what to do now. I had several "a-ha moments" throughout this complex narrative that I frankly can't ignore. After reading this book, I am forever changed. Thank you, Sue, for reminding me that women have come a very long way and that we must be forever grateful to those pioneers who led the way with bold passion and enormous sacrifice. May they always be honored and remembered so that history doesn't ever repeat itself! I understand Oprah Winfrey/Harpo Studios has already acquired the film rights to this novel. I cannot wait to see it, but I'm just hoping they do Sue Monk Kidd's incredible story justice! Read this book as soon as you can, and then refer it to every woman (and man) you know! It is now officially one of my all-time favorites! I'm pretty sure it will be yours as well! I have read a lot of books in my lifetime, but I can honestly say I don't remember EVER reading a book that has emotionally affected me as much as "Still Alice". I decided to read this book because I just finished "Left Neglected" which was written by the same author. Lisa Genova is an INCREDIBLE writer! Perhaps it's her background in neuroscience (she holds a Ph.D from Harvard). Perhaps it's her obvious desire to help people's voices be heard. Perhaps she's just innately talented when it comes to writing. Perhaps it's all of the above. Whatever the reason, I knew I needed to read "Still Alice". Pardon my "drama", but I don't think I'll ever be the same after reading this book. It's the story (yes, it's fiction, but, oh SO REAL!) of a fifty-year-old woman who discovers that she has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. I watched someone I loved very much wither away from this disease, and I've heard several other's (particulary caregivers') accounts of their own experiences as they watch this disease steal away their loved one a little more each day. HOWEVER, what makes this book SO life-changing for me is that it's told from Alice's own point of view. It was extremely powerful! I felt as if I was right there with Alice...many times as confused and frustrated and, frankly, as scared as she was! I cried many tears while reading this book as I mourned for Alice....still alive with a very physically fit body and yet a mind slipping further and further away from her own life...her husband...her children...her job (did I mention Alice was a highly-respected professor of psychology at Harvard?). Genova gives so much important information about Alzheimer's throughout this book...things I had never even considered before. This book has exhausted me! THAT'S what a "five-star" book does, in my opinion. It makes you think...really think about life, and it makes you question the state of your own. In the author interview at the back of the book, Genova quotes her biggest inspiration, Oliver Sacks: "In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life." She said that's what she hopes to do with her writing. Here's what I say: Mission accomplished, Ms. Genova! Thank you for an incredible story! Read this book! I hope it touches you to your very core just as it did me! This is a really cool book! It's one I brought home with me from the high school library where I work. Here's the synopsis: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9460487-miss-peregrine-s-home-for-peculiar-children I had seen lots of hype about this a while back. (It was published in 2011.) I not a big fan of anything "paranormal", so I haven't had much interest in reading it, but while unboxing books to begin a new school year, (we had major renovations over summer break, and I was instructed to pack up much of our holdings for protection) this book just caught my eye. So, I've been reading it ever since! I'm not quite done, but thus far, I've really enjoyed it! I'll keep you posted! UPDATE: Just finished the book last night. I found it to be a very interesting read, but it seemed to drag out at the end. I hit the highlights and still understood the ending. Overall...I'd give it 3 1/2 (out of 5) stars. |