Books Books Books Books
Recommended Children's Books and Magazines
Magazines for Reluctant Readers
Top Kids' Magazines With Links
Recommended Educational Books For Teachers and Parents
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Kids' top 100 books
This list was tabulated from an online survey that ran at this web site from November 1, 1999 through February 1, 2000. The results leave no doubt that America's kids LOVE to read. You might want to compare this with Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children below.
1. Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling
2. Goosebumps (series) by R. L. Stine
3. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
5. Arthur (series) by Marc Brown
6. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
7. Shiloh (trilogy) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
8. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
9. Holes by Louis Sachar
10. The Giver by Lois Lowry
11. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
12. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (series) by Judy Blume
13. Sideways Stories from Wayside School (series) by Louis Sachar
14. The BFG by Roald Dahl
15. The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
16. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
17. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (series) by Beverly Cleary
18. Pokemon (series) by Tracey West, Maria S. Barbo
19. The Babysitters Club (series) by Ann M. Martin
20. Ralph S. Mouse (series) by Beverly Cleary
21. Little House on the Prairie (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
22. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
23. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
24. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
25. Clifford the Big Red Dog (series) by Norman Bridwell
26. Stuart Little by E. B. White
27. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
28. The Adventures of Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
29. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
30. The Berenstain Bears (series) by Jan and Stan Berenstain
31. Animorphs (series) by K. A. Applegate
32. The Witches by Roald Dahl
33. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene
34. The Hobbit (series) by J. R. R. Tolkien
35. American Girls (series) by Susan Adler, Valerie Tripp, Connie Porter, Janet Shaw, et al
36. Matilda by Roald Dahl
37. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
38. The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
39. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
40. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
41. Junie B. Jones (series) by Barbara Park
42. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
43. Falling Up by Shel Silverstein
44. A Wrinkle in Time (series) by Madeleine L'Engle
45. Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen
46. Amber Brown (series) by Paula Danziger
47. The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds
48. Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks by Mick Foley (Mankind)
49. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
50. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Chicken Soup for the Soul (series) by various authors
53. Curious George (series) by Margret and Hans Augusto Rey
54. The Teacher from the Black Lagoon (series) by Mike Thaler
55. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
56. The Bailey School Kids (series) by Debbie Dadey, et al
57. The Hardy Boys (series) by Franklin W. Dixon
58. The Mitten by Jan Brett
59. Amelia Bedelia (series) by Peggy Parish
60. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
61. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
62. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
63. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
64. The River by Gary Paulsen
65. Magic Tree House (series) by Mary Pope Osborne
66. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka
67. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
68. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
69. The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
70. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
71. Redwall by Brian Jacques
72. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
73. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
74. Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
75. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
76. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
77. Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
78. Sweet Valley High (series) by Francine Pascal
79. The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley (series) by Judy Katschke, Cathy Dobowski, Lisa Eisenberg, Nancy E. Krulik, Nina Alexander, Frances Lin Lantz, et al
80. Garfield (series) by Jim Davis
81. Magic School Bus (series) by Joanna Cole
82. Math Curse by John Scieszka
83. White Fang by Jack London
84. I Spy (series) by Walter Wick, Jean Marzollo, Diana Noonan, et al
85. Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
86. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
87. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
88. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
89. Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircraft and Spacecraft (series) by Lee J. Ames
90. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
91. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
92. The Rock Says by Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
93. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
94. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
95. All About Sam by Lois Lowry
96. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
97. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
98. Hank the Cow Dog (series) by John R. Erickson
99. Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
100. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
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Teachers' PicksTop 100 Books
This list was compiled from an online survey in 1999. Parents and teachers will find it useful in selecting quality literature for children. Compare this with Kids' Top 100 Books -- the similarities and differences may surprise you.
1. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (9-12 years)
2. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (4-8 years)
3. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (4-8 years)
6. Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch (4-8 years)
7. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (All ages)
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Baby-Preschool)
9. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Young Adult)
10. The Mitten by Jan Brett (4-8 years)
11. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Baby-Preschool)
12. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (9-12 years)
13. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (9-12 years)
14. Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein (All ages)
15. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (9-12 years)
16. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (4-8 years)
17. Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
18. Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola (4-8 years)
19. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (4-8 years)
20. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr. (Baby-Preschool)
21. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (9-12 years)
22. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (4-8 years)
23. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (9-12 years)
24. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (9-12 years)
25. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
26. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (4-8 years)
27. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault (4-8 years)
28. Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (9-12 years)
29. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (9-12 years)
30. The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne (4-8 years)
31. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (9-12 years)
32. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (9-12 years)
33. Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (9-12 years)
34. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (9-12 years)
35. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (9-12 years)
36. The BFG by Roald Dahl (9-12 years)
37. The Giver by Lois Lowry (9-12 years)
38. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff (4-8 years)
39. James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story by Roald Dahl (9-12 years)
40. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (9-12 years)
41. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (9-12 years)
42. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (Young Adult)
43. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
44. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner (9-12 years)
45. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (9-12 years)
46. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien (9-12 years)
47. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (All ages)
48. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister (Baby-Preschool)
49. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman (4-8 years)
50. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (9-12 years)
51. Corduroy by Don Freeman (Baby-Preschool)
52. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (4-8 years)
53. Math Curse by Jon Scieszka (4-8 years)
54. Matilda by Roald Dahl (9-12 years)
55. Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls (Young Adult)
56. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (9-12 years)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (9-12 years)
58. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (9-12 years)
59. Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman (4-8 years)
60. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (9-12 years)
61. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (4-8 years)
62. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
63. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (9-12 years)
64. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Baby-Preschool)
65. The Napping House by Audrey Wood (4-8 years)
66. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (4-8 years)
67. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (4-8 years)
68. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (9-12 years)
69. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (All ages)
70. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (9-12 years)
71. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
72. Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus (4-8 years)
73. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (4-8 years)
74. The Cay by Theodore Taylor (Young Adult)
75. Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey (4-8 years)
76. Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox (4-8 years)
77. Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (4-8 years)
78. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson (9-12 years)
79. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (4-8 years)
80. Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (9-12 years)
81. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (4-8 years)
82. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (Baby-Preschool)
83. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (9-12 years)
84. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish (4-8 years)
85. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (9-12 years)
86. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (9-12 years)
87. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (9-12 years)
88. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (9-12 years)
89. Stuart Little by E. B. White (9-12 years)
90. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (9-12 years)
91. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (9-12 years)
92. The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola (4-8 years)
93. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (4-8 years)
94. Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell (4-8 years)
95. Heidi by Johanna Spyri (All ages)
96. Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
97. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (Young Adult)
98. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (9-12 years)
99. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (Baby-Preschool)
100. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch (4-8 years)
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Magazines for Reluctant Readers
If your child finds books daunting, try an appealing periodical that taps into his or her interests and gets him or her into the reading habit.
American Girl
Tap into your child's love of dolls with this attractive publication that presents lifestyle and craft ideas from history and today. Best for ages 8–12
Ask
By combining captivating illustrations and text from award-winning authors, this magazine aims to pique your child's curiosity about great discoveries, inventions, and artistic accomplishments. Best for ages 7–11
Boys' Life
Your child doesn't have to be a Boy Scout to enjoy this publication, which may appeal to boys who prefer the great outdoors to reading. Best for ages 8–14
Boys' Quest
Designed to boost reading skills, these themed issues feature stories, crafts, and entertaining articles. Best for ages 6–10
Creative Kids
This magazine created "for and by kids" may be basic, but it encourages your child to flex her artistic muscle and submit something for publication. Best for ages 8–11
Girls' Life
A lively look at today's teens and tweens, this magazine offers articles and plenty of interactive activities. Best for ages 10–15
Nickelodeon
An irreverent, humor publication with a similar attitude to the cable television network, this magazine combines eye-popping illustrations with basic text that may appeal to reluctant readers. Best for ages 8–12
Ranger Rick
A full-color magazine that introduces animal and nature concepts through illustrated essays, stories, jokes, and riddles. Best for ages 7–11
Spider
While this magazine may challenge your child, its lively fiction, articles, and activities offer plenty of appeal. Best for ages 6–9
Sports Illustrated for Kids
If your child would rather pick up a ball than a book, try this appealing publication that includes athlete interviews, action shots, comics, and more. Best for ages 8–14
Teen People
Starstruck pre-teens are sure to love reading about their favorite celebrities and the hottest trends. Best for ages 10 and up
Time for Kids
Presenting the news in a digestible way, this magazine offers an overview of news while focusing on current events of interest to kids. Best for reluctant readers ages 10–14_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Sports Illustrated for Kids - features news, games, e-cards, fantasy sports, and more.
CyberKids - online magazine for kids that contains stories, artwork, puzzles, and more, created mostly by other kids.
Time For Kids - version of the popular news magazine for children.
MidLink - electronic magazine for kids in the middle grades--generally ages 10 to 15.
Weekly Reader Galaxy - educational magazine with sections for kids, teens, teachers, and parents.
Boys' Life - magazine for all boys.
Kids' Castle - read articles, look at pictures, and post messages about people and topics in sports, history, science, art, dance, and much more from Smithsonian Magazine.
Stone Soup - the magazine by young writers and artists.
Science Made Simple - offering a subscription newsletter with answers to common science questions, projects and experiments, and unit measurement conversions.
OWLkids Online - online home of Chirp, ChickaDee, and Owl magazines for children of all ages. Includes games, puzzles, coloring pages, current events, and more
Children's Literature - publishes a monthly newsletter of reviews, and also publishes bibliographies and other guides to children's literature. Site includes sample reviews and profiles of authors and illustrators.
YES Mag - Canada's science magazine for kids.
Highlights - includes activities subscriptions, customer services, shopping, and parents' corner.
Dig Archaeology Magazine for Kids - children's magazine on archaeology from the publishers of Archaeology Magazine.
World Magazine - fascinating facts, interesting kids and cool games. All you need to bring is curiosity.
Junior Baseball Magazine - devoted to kids and parents who play and love baseball.
Odyssey Magazine - science magazine aimed at kids aged 10-16.
KIND News (Kids in Nature's Defense) - monthly publication for kids who care about people, animals, and the Earth.
Cricket Magazine Group - publishers of Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Cricket, and Cicada. Educational magazines for all levels of readers.
HiPMag Online - HiP Magazine for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids and their pals worldwide.
kidsworld-online - for kids aged 8 - 12. Includes games, puzzles, polls, contests, and more.
Best Interests - news and resources for professionals and volunteers who advocate in the best interests of abused and neglected children.
YO! (Youth Outlook) - news journal published by Pacific News Service, bringing you the world through young people's eyes.
National Geographic Explorer - online edition of the classroom magazine complete with articles, contests, adventures, and archives.
World Kid Magazine - features art, games, family exhibits, and postcards.
Adventure with Posnayko - offers an online educational magazine for junior children featuring games, stories, pictures, jokes, and music for kids and parents.
Kid's Life, A - contains activities, advice and separate moderated forums for boys and girls.
MetroKids - monthly publication with resources for parents in the Delaware Valley.
All Round Magazine - radical magazine for children of all ages who love the Earth.
Magazine, The - offers articles, word play, jokes, and more.
KidsReport.Com - newspaper by kids, for kids. Includes articles about entertainment, sports, life and style, and creativity.
Little People Collection - online South African children's magazine containing activity pages, mom's newsgroups, reviews, and more.
First Word Bulletin, The - short literature by native English speakers, for Spanish speakers learning English as a second language.
Indy's Inquisitive Kids - online and print magazine intended for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers and students.
Fun Room, The - games, crafts, recipes, and other fun and educational things for kids and families to do and see.
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reseñas educativas (Spanish)
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All Else Equal: Are Public and Private Schools Different? by Luis Benveniste, Martin Carnoy, and Richard Rothstein. New York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2003. 206, xv pp. While the authors go to considerable lengths to find holes in pro-choice arguments, they say virtually nothing about mediocre or dangerously negligent public schools. Unfortunately, they also steer clear of the central question underpinning the school choice movement: Should all American taxpayers be free to choose their children’s school—be it one run by the public or the private sector—simply in the name of democracy?
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Books to Help Children Cope with Separation and Loss by Joanne E Bernstein. Describes hundreds of books for children on how to deal with losses in life. Lists price, interest levels in ages, and the reading level.
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Childhood and Society by Erikson (1963) Excellent!
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Developing Cross-Cultural Competence by Eleanor W. Lynch and Marci J. Hanson. Great information about various cultures with insights on how to relate with them.
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Discipline Without Tears by Rudolf Dreikurs and Pearl Cassel. Published in 1972, this is still a book for our times. It is a common sense approach to discipline in the most positive ways. It was published with the permission of the Alfred Adler Institute of Ontario. It flows with the Adler philosophy.
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Educational interventions for refugee children. Hamilton, Richard and Moore, Dennis. (Editors). (2004).Theoretical perspectives and
implementing best practice. London and New York: Routledge Falmer. Pp. x + 144 ISBN 0-415-30825.The authors goals are to present a framework that integrates psychological, cultural, and
educational perspectives of possible educational interventions for refugee children; and two, to describe school-based interventions to help refugee children in their learning and acculturation process.
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Early Reading Instruction: What Science Really Tells Us about How to Teach Reading by McGuinness, Diane (2004). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Pp. xiii + 410,ISBN 0-262-13438-1
The task of reviewing reading instruction research is daunting and McGuinness’ efforts are admirable. Her exhaustive, thorough examination may leave the reader tired and yet her comprehensive analysis has left few if any stones unturned.
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Embarking on a New Century: Mental Retardation at the End of the 21st Century is a collection of 18 essays detailing advancements in public policy and services for people with mental retardation from 1975 to 2000.
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Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. If you want to become a better observer of people, read this book.
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Founding Mothers and Others: Women Educational Leaders During the Progressive Era by Alan R. Sadovnik (Editor), Susan F. Semel (Editor). Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (May 3, 2002) ISBN: 0312295022
About the Author
Alan R. Sadovnik is Professor of Education and Sociology and Chair of the Department of Education and Academic Foundations at Rutgers University-Newark. He is the editor (with Susan Semel) of “Schools of Tomorrow,” Schools of Today.
Susan F. Semel is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the City College of New York. She is the author of The Dalton School, one of the seminal histories of the progressive school movement in the United States.
Interest in progressive education and feminist pedagogy has gained a significant following in current educational reform circles. Founding Mothers and Others examines the female founders of progressive schools and other female educational leaders in the early twentieth century and their schools or educational movements. All of the women led remarkable lives and their legacies are embedded in education today. The book examines the lessons to be learned from their work and their lives. The book also analyzes whether their leadership styles support contemporary feminist theories of leadership that argue women administrators tend to be more inclusive, democratic, and caring than male administrators. Through an examination of these women, this book looks critically at the ways in which the leaders’ administrative styles and behaviors lend support to feminist claims.___________________________________________________________________________________
From Emotions to Advocacy, Second Edition, by Pam Wright and Pete Wright, 2005
The Special Education Survival Guide for parents.
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IDEA 2004 by Peter W.D. Wright, ESQ. $ Pamela Darr Wright, 2005.
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Identity and The Life Cycle by Erikson (1980 Excellent!
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In A Different Voice by Carol Gilligan. Learn about the female personality from the female perspective. "Given the differences in women's conceptions of self and morality, women bring to the life cycle a different point of view and order
human experiences in terms of different priorities."
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Language, Literacy and Children with Special Needs: Enabling Teachers to Enable Children by Sally M. Rogow. (2004)"This book is for teachers ...who are working in primary classrooms with children with disabilities and other special needs," explains Rogow. "Its purpose is to help teachers find ways to enable these children to learn to read and write together with their peers."
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Leadership & Sustainability by Michael Fullan. Paperback: 136 pages, Publisher: Corwin Press (July 22, 2004) ISBN: 141290496X
As agencies have pushed for greater performance and public accountability over the past two decades, we have seen some incremental improvements. But all too often experience reveals that these improvements are temporary. Leadership & Sustainability provides a comprehensive examination of what leaders at all levels of the educational system can do to pave the way for large-scale, sustainable reform.
Building on ideas established in his best-selling publication, The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, author Michael Fullan confronts a question that has never been addressed before: How do you develop and sustain a greater number of system thinkers in action, or new theoreticians? These proactive system leaders are at the heart of the issue of sustainability, for they are the ones to bring about deeper reform while simultaneously helping to produce other theoreticians working on the same issues.
Linking abstract concepts to concrete examples, this groundbreaking work defines an agenda for the system thinker in action, including eight elements of sustainability that can be applied to any public service or corporate institution:
Public service with a moral purpose
Commitment to changing context at all levels
Lateral capacity-building through networks
Intelligent accountability and vertical relationships
Deep learning Dual commitment to short-term and long-term results
Cyclical energizing
The long lever of leadership
Leadership & Sustainability is an engaging and powerful book from one of the world's leading authorities on school change. It provides clear ideas and strategies for achieving deep, sustainable reform in education.
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Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reform by Diane Ravitch August 29, 2000 What's wrong with the system? Why are the bureaucracies so resistant to change and so protective of their own interests? That's a big question with a very long answer. For someone with the time and interest, I recommend Diane
Ravitch's latest book called Left Behind: A Century of Failed School Reforms. Diane does a great job of explaining how and why so many of our children are not getting the education they deserve -- despite the fact that we now spend nearly $7,000 per child in our public schools, almost three times what we spent per student in constant dollars in 1960.
The short answer to the question of "What's wrong with the system?" can be boiled down to one word: choice. There is not much freedom or choice in the current U.S. public education system, and that's having a negative impact on its consumers. Lack of freedom is a pitfall home schoolers naturally avoid. Home schoolers are perhaps the best example we have today of what can happen when you strike the proper balance between exercising rights to
freedom with a deep sense of responsibility.
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Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop. Kenne, Ellin, & Zimmermann, Susan (1997). Portsmouth, NH:Heinemann
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Out of the Darkness and into the Light discusses changes the state of Nebraska has made in its mental retardation policy, a successful model that has been emulated by other states.
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Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development by Herbert P. Ginsburg and Sylvia Opper. One of the best observers of life. Piaget combines his clinical research and his observations of children.
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Raising the Rainbow Generation by Darlene Powell Hopson and Derek S. Hopson. A book about diversity, filled with wonderful stories from many countries.
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Reading With Meaning. Miller, Debbi (2002). Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
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School Choice Tradeoffs: Liberty, Equity, and Diversity by R. Kenneth Goodwin and Frank R. Kemerer. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002. 315, xviii pp. One may leave this well researched book with the sense that it does a far better job at drawing conclusions from the analysis than it does at proposing recommendations emerging from them. To its credit, School Choice
Tradeoffs tries to circumvent antiestablishment challenges by urging legislators to ensure that (1) vouchers go directly to the parents and not the institutions, (2) parents receive a wide range of choice of public and private schools, (3) accountability measures be enforced to safeguard the public purpose of schooling within any voucher-participating school. However, libertarians may see at least two flaws with the authors’ final analysis.
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Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes, Ph.D.My Journey Through Autism; Harmony Books, 2004. ISBN:1400050588; 240 pages.
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Strategies that Work Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Harvey, Stephanie, & Goudis, Anne. (2000). Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
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Teacher Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon. Illustrates how teachers and parents can bring out the best in their children. Orgiginally published in 1974.
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Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen, 1998.Practical, easy to understand, research on learning and the brain.
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The Effects of A Skills and Strategies for School Success Course on Middle School Adolescents At Risk for Failure by Howard Wiedre, 1995. A must read if you want to learn about how to succeed with difficult kids!
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The Men They Will Become by Eli H. Newberger, 1999. Do you want to find out how boys develop character? And what can parents, teachers and society do to help nurture admirable qualities
in young men?
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The New Strategic Direction and Development of the School by Davies, Brent & Ellison, Linda. (2003). Key Frameworks for School Improvement Planning. New York: Routledge/Falmer, Taylor
& Francis Group. 191 pp. ISBN 0-415-26993-8. It is written for the practitioner who wants to make authentic and thoughtful improvements in his or her organization. The frameworks and time
lines explained throughout the book are quite valuable and are supported by the guiding questions for developing a future’s perspective and dialogue.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey."When you are raising your children, you are raising your grand children." 7 Habits worth developing!
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The Quality School by W. Glasser.
You might want to check out the school culture he suggests educators create.
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Voucher Wars: Waging the Legal Battle over School Choice by Clint Bolick. Washington, D.C.: Cato Institute, 2003. 277 pages. For Bolick, the best defense is a good offense. He calls for choice programs large enough to pressure government schools into changing their culture of failure as wells as a diverse approach which includes vouchers in some cases and tax credits in others.
Ultimately, he urges endurance and shrewdness, for he is uncompromising in his belief that government-controlled schools should not be the sole option available to most Americans. Those agreeing with Bolick’s viewpoint will get plenty of talking points from Voucher Wars; those who do not will know the full force of what they are up against.
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Ways with Words by Shirley Brice Heath. A fascinating ethnographic study of cultures in the South and its impact on learning and school culture.
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Wayward Youth by August Aichhorn. Originally published in 1925. August was a protégé of Freud, who writes the foreword. Aside from the language (dated), this is very worthwhile reading. He
analyzes why children behave in the way that they do. There is a lot to learn about how to observe and question.
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Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Describes how to acquire emotional intelligence. Provides interesting strategies and paradigms.
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Wrightslaw: Special Education Law (ISBN 1-892320-03-7) is published by Harbor House Law Press, Inc. Deluxe edition with CD ROM. A great resource for parents and professionals!
