My Book Recommendations
Book reviews, roundups, and recommendations written by me, as opposed to being crowd-sourced.
Recommendations for a Book Study
Looking for some recommendations for a book study or reading group? Here are some of my favorites (although not necessarily directly about education!).
Book Recommendation: Living Gifted
Lisa Van Gemert gave me a copy of her new book: Living Gifted. Here’s what’s inside…
Four Books I’m Reading
Here’s a round-up of a few books I’ve either just finished or am in the middle of that I thought you might like. Rebellion Alis Wade has finished the third book in her Gifted Potentials series: Rebellion. She sent me a copy and I’m still working my way through it (you can blame the infant!). […]
Books Featuring Gifted Guys
I’ve done a couple rounds of book recommendations featuring gifted female protagonists, so here’s one for the fellas: kid-friendly novels with a gifted male character.
Summer Reading 2017
A handful of books I’ve read recently that stuck with me. Two teaching-related books, a biography, a book about, like, everything, and one great sci-fi novel.
Books with 700, 800, 900, & 1000 Lexile, Recommended By Teachers
A reader was looking for examples of high-quality books for gifted/talented 4th and 5th graders, but she was constrained to a lexile range of 900-1000. Here are the recs I received…
Summer 2016 Reading Recs
Looking for something to read this summer? Here are a few sorta-teaching-related texts I’ve enjoyed.
3 Books I Loved in 2015
One of my goals for 2015 was to read 48 books. Out of those, here are 3 that you might enjoy, and that tangentially relate to gifted education:
Recommendation: Engaging Gifted Readers & Writers
A quick review of Ken Smith’s book “Engaging Gifted Readers & Writers.” Definitely worth checking out!
Summer Reading: Book Edition
Here’s some summer reading recommendations of books you can actually touch! No real theme to these, except that each one challenged my understanding of kids and made me rethink the way I approach learning.
Summer Reading: Digital Edition
The internet is a treasure trove of fascinating and inspirational reading material, but how can we keep track of it all? Here are three tools that I use to tame the wild web and set up digital reading system.
A Book For The Trivia-Obsessed
There’s a type of gifted kid who is simply filled to the brim with “did you know” trivia. If you know a student like this, then have I got a book recommendation for you! “The Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things” explains how objects, customs, and sayings got their start.
A Creative Coloring Book (For All Ages)
A few years ago, my young niece picked up interesting coloring book while we vacationed in Mammoth Lakes, CA. This is no “stay within the lines” book, however. Titled Scribbles, this book is filled with nearly 400 creative, divergent, and open-ended thinking tasks.
Review: Orientation
“Orientation” is a unique sci-fi novel specifically written for gifted children as a tool for learning about their social and emotional needs. I’ll open with my highest praise: I wish someone had given me this book when I was in elementary school!
Books Featuring Gifted Girls as Main Characters
Here are a bunch of books featuring gifted girls as their main characters. Each protagonist struggles to balance her abilities with others’ expectations. None rely on tired cliches or overused school settings. And each novel is so well-written that I read them on my own during summer break!
Review: Challenging Units for Gifted Learners
While at NAGC 2010, the most exciting session I attended was put on by Ken Smith and Susan Stonequist. They outlined a geometry unit in which their students built a working miniature golf course. I was thrilled to hear that this unit was just one part of an upcoming series of books. Last week, I received copies of the series, called Challenging Units for Gifted Learners.
Books for Teaching Thinking
We teach our gifted students to solve math problems, write fantastic essays, and read above grade level, but do we teach them to think? Edward Debono believes that thinking should be taught as a discrete subject. As I start the new school year, I’ve found a few books to help me embed quick “thinking lessons” into my day. These tools make great options for extension menus or creative differentiated products.