What's On Your Summer Reading List?

In her June 29 post on LeaderTalk, Reggie Engebritson encourages all of us to take some vacation time and get away from the stresses of work.  Well, I completely agree with Reggie.  So, we are packing the car and heading off to South Haven, Michigan for a week of R & R.  This is the type of vacation where we do a lot of nothing, and we love every minute of it!  Here is a typical vacation day in South Haven for the Sherman family:
Wake up whenever we wake up;
Eat breakfast;
Go down to the pool;
When hungry, go up and eat lunch;
Walk two blocks to the beach and hang out;
Walk home, clean up, go for dinner;
Go back to the beach for a classic Michigan sunset. 
After we watch the sun fall right into the lake, we go to Sherman's Dairy Bar (no relation to my family, unfortunately) for the best ice cream this side of Wisconsin.
Go to bed, and do the same thing the next day. 

I am planning to read at least two books this coming week in addition to the fun in the sun activities with my wife and kids.  I was planning to use this post to share some of my summer reading, and ask others to share their books for this summer.  So I was pleasantly surprised to read that I was "tagged" by Chris Lehmann who was asking for people to share their summer reading lists. 

In his July 3 post on his Practical Theory blog, Chris wrote about his summer reading list.  I must admit, it is quite an impressive and ambitious list of books for one person to read in the course of a short summer.

My list is much shorter than Chris's list.  It's not that I don't want to spend the entire summer reading, but I have been given quite an extensive "Honey-do" list of projects to complete over the summer!  A guy needs to put his priorities in order, right?  My goal is to read three professional books this summer and at least two novels before school starts up in the fall.  Here's my list.

My Professional Reads:

Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Howard Pitler, et al.  If you are a fan of Robert Marzano's incredibly powerful book Classroom Instruction that Works , then you should like this book as well.  The authors take Marzano's list of the nine most important instructional strategies that affect student achievement, and explain how technology can support and integrate these strategies.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. Dr. Dweck explains how our mindset shapes our goals, our attitudes toward work and relationships, and how we raise our kids.  Everyone has one of two basic mindsets:  a fixed or a growth mindset.  I am interested to learn more about my own mindset.

Schooling By Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. There is a good chance you have read Understanding By Design, the authors' acclaimed framework for curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  In this book, they present a compelling argument for using the same approach to effective school improvement.

My Fictional Reads:

Once Upon a Fastball by Bob Mitchell. I am a huge baseball fan, and I enjoy reading history, so this is a perfect fit for me.  Mitchell incorporates baseball, history, poetry, family traditions, and noble values into his latest book.

Prince of Fire by Daniel Silva. This will be my fifth book by Silva, all of which have centered around a character named Gabriel Allon who makes his living as an art restorer in Europe, but who also is a secret agent for the Israeli government. He is tough and smart, and he is quite the man's man (if you know what I mean!).

Well, we're off to Michigan for the family vacation.  The books are packed, along with the sunscreen, beach towels, and a carload of other stuff, most of which we really don't need.  I just hope the weather cooperates.  I would love to see what others are reading this summer.  I hope you will share.

Comments

[Elizabeth Davis]

Carol Dweck's book changed the way I think, the way I teach and the way I parent. I think it is essential reading for all educators. (I blogged about it last summer: http://tinyurl.com/6py2ma)I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

Thanks for the list.I'm going to check out Schooling by Design, I'm a big Understanding by Design Fan, not that I need to add more books to my list...
-Liz

[Tammy Rasmussen]

Great choice of books. I would suggest that folks check out www.shelfari.com. You can set up an electronic book shelf that tracks the books you read. You can even engage in discussions with folks who enjoy the books you read.

I am in chapter 2 of Mindset and am struggling to put it down. What a great read and incredibly thought provoking. It partners well with Marzano and effort based ability. Good stuff.

[Tammy Rasmussen]

Here is a link to my shelfari....

http://www.shelfari.com/o1518321682/shelf

[Tom]

What a jolt to sit at my desk in Ankara, Turkey, catching up on education blogs, and read about you going on vacation to South Haven. I grew up on a cherry/peach/blueberry farm in Bangor, about 10 miles inland. How I ended up in Turkey is a long story, but I still miss those sunsets, and trips to Sherman Dairy after a long day working on the farm!! Enjoy some u-pick blueberries for me.

[Kevin W. Riley]

Check out this new book about a charter school: "The Lights of El Milagro: How One Charter School's Revolt Could Transform Public Education." www.thelightsofelmilagro.com