Some of my favorite books

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WHAT THE DEAF-MUTE HEARD
by G.D. Gearino
 

Great story about Sammy, a boy who decides to be a deaf-mute after being abandoned by his mother. As a reader you know that Sammy hears all that is happening in the community but no one in the community knows he can hear and speak.

Since I had a girl in my class once with the diagnosis of "selective mute" I could relate to the story. Hallmark Hall of Fame made this story into a presentation called "What the Deaf Man Heard".

INTO THE BLUE: A FATHER'S FLIGHT AND A DAUGHTER'S RETURN
by Susan Edsall



Three years ago, Susan Edsall's father, a rebuilder and pilot of antique airplanes, suffered a devastating stroke that left him unable to read, write, speak, tell time, understand the alphabet---or fly. The doctors told Susan the best her family could hope for was that he would learn to play checkers. Susan knew if her dad couldn't fly, he'd just as soon not breathe, so she chose another path. Battling the pessimistic conclusion of the experts---and her own looming fears---she and her sister, Sharon, aka the Blister Sisters, decided to take matters into their own hands. With no medical training but double doses of determination, they bushwhacked their own rehab program and got their father back behind the controls of his beloved open-cockpit biplane and into the air.

Susan Edsall's Into the Blue is a powerful family memoir about two feisty sisters from Montana who bring their father back to life---and discover themselves in the process. Inspiring, gritty, and often hilarious, it's also the story of anyone who has ever fought back from a dire prognosis to pursue a cherished dream.
 
REAL BOYS
by Dr. William Pollack

 

When I was teaching Special Education I always noticed that I had more boys in my classes than girls and that it always seemed that boys were in trouble more often. Once I read the work of Dr. Pollack, I understood this phenomenon and what I could do to change it.

 
KEEP YOUR BRAIN ALIVE
by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D. & Manning Rubin

www.neurobics.com

 

This is a down to earth book  explaining the functions of the brain. Katz and Rubin talk about neurobics...much like aerobics only for the brain. When we break our routine, we cause our brain to enter a neurobic state. I feel that many students in public schools are in a constant state of neurobics since the simple tasks of writing and reading are not routine or automatic.
 
PLANE INSANITY
by Elliott Hester
 

 

If you have ever flown on a plane, you will enjoy the humor of this book. Those who travel often will REALLY relate. Fun book.

 
THE FOUR AGREEMENTS
by Don Miguel Ruiz
 

 

This is a book to live by. If you can live by these four agreements happiness and contentment are yours. I find these very useful in the field of education and life.

 
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
by Daniel Goleman

 

Teachers should not ignore no matter what subject they teach. We cannot ignore how students feel about themselves and the world. The more we are tuned into our own and the emotional intelligence of our students, the more effective we are as teachers.

 
THE TEACHER WHO COULDN'T READ
by John Corcoran with Carole C. Carlson

 

If you can get your hands on this book it is a must read for students with learning disabilities and teachers of students with learning disabilities. John's story opened my eyes to the amazing survival skills people with learning disabilities acquire in order to live in a world which does not always meet their needs.

 

Last Updated: October 19, 2004