I asked the teachers about their summer reading and here are some of their responses:
From Ken Rodoff: “I read The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sara Vowell (she has a show on NPR and was the voice of Violet in The Incredibles). Like the weather, a mixed and varied collection of quick-witted essays by a disenchanted young woman who just happens to love football, Abe Lincoln, and underground cafeterias. Tom Cruise, no thank you.”
From Michael Drake: “The book of the summer was of course the Half-Blood Prince. The sixth Harry Potter was not as well written as the last couple but was still a delightful few hours with this group of teenage wizards that some of us have grown to know rather well. And the book has several big surprises in the last hundred pages. I can’t wait for the finale…”
From Chuck Gottesman: “I finally read A Clockwork Orange by William Burgess this summer. I found it to be much more enjoyable than the film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick. It is written in a dialect called “nadsat” that was invented by the author. It is a fascinating book comparing the horrors of ultraviolence to the horrors of a government that seeks total control of its people, even though its intentions are good. I think it is an important work, but with much graphic sex and violence, it is intended for mature readers.”
From George Woehlcke, the English teacher who is filling in for Mrs. Mazurek, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. “Since I was so affected by this author’s unique manner of covering the dark topic of the Holocaust in his first book, Everything is Illuminated, I knew that I would be just as impressed by this new novel, which centers on the experiences of a child whose father was killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center. In both books, Safran Foer displays his ability to show how individuals deal with the knowledge and realization of vastly horrible things by remaining connected to humanity through relationships.”
From Ashley Gibson: “I read the Dan Brown books- DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons…I actually found Angels to be the better of the two. Definitely scarier!”
From Chris Houston: “My summer reading was severely influenced by my MFA program at The University of the Arts. I read countless articles on artistic piracy, legally known as copyright infringement. Beyond my required reading, I did have time to read The Heart of Compassion by The XIV Dalai Lama. I was particularly interested in the two truths. He professed, that all mankind seeks happiness and that all mankind suffers. His advice, in short, was that one finds true happiness by reducing the suffering of others. That advice is not necessarily new news, but his explanation was very enlightening.”
From Deb Whitlock: “I read a national bestseller that a friend shared with me. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?–written by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PH.D and President of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to her appointment at Spelman, she was acting President and Dean, as well as Professor of Psychology and Education, at Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Tatum is a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, race relations in the classroom, and racial identity development in adolescents and young adults.
Dr. Tatum gives insight into why in racially mixed schools all over the country, Black kids as well as Asian, Latino, biracial, and other students. are still siting together in school cafeterias. She uses a conversational approach to help the reader understand racial identity, development and racism in our society. She states ‘That all of the conversations in the book were drawn from her own experiences and in the context of her own teaching about racism and racial identity, as well as from research on black children and families in predominantly white settings. She also discusses the development of white identity—-’I'm not ethnic, I’m just normal.’ This book was not only informative and enlightening, it left me with a feeling that it is okay to self-segregate because it could be an excellent coping strategy. I also learned that building our identities is a complex process and for some it is more complicated than for others.”
From Eric Gershman, who says he read these in between nap times and late nights with his son, Jordan: Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead by Phil Lesh, bassist for the Grateful Dead is an amazing first-hand account of one of the most important and influential musical bands/cultural forces of the 20th Century. Phil Lesh’s engaging and intellectual prose takes readers through a mind-bending landscape of classical, avant-garde, be-bop, and hipster musical genres to create a backdrop for what was to become the early influences of a counter-culture revolution spearheaded by the Dead. This is a must-read musical ethnography and spiritual odyssey for any lover of American roots/folk/rock-n-roll history.
Wonderland by Michael Bamberger: A close-to-home portrait of the archetypal American high school , wrought with personal touches and endearing storylines. Bamberger immerses himself in the culture and ethos of Pennsbury High School in Bucks County (30 minutes from Springfield) and provides his readers with detailed accounts of students from all cross-sections of the school. This ‘Real World-esque’ narrative will leave readers shaken by its brutal honesty and unforgiving truth that can be found throughout this–and any–Americana high school. Readers will laugh, sigh, distance themselves, and may even cry at the many parts for which they are reminded about themselves and the world in which they live.”
From Jessica Nocerini: “My favorite summer reads were In her Shoes and Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner…Both set in Philadelphia, In her Shoes is a feel-good story of two sisters who realize they are more alike than they thought (soon to be a movie starring Cameron Diaz in October, so I wanted to read it before I saw the movie) Little Earthquakes is an equally entertaining story about a group of first time mothers faced with some amusing situations. Although they are not exactly intellectually stimulating, they make for a great beach read and since they are both set in philadelphia, I really felt connected to the setting.”
From Sue Carabba: “My two favorite books were My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult and The Jester, by James Patterson. My Sister’s Keeper is the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who was brought into this world to be a donor for her older sister who has a rare form of leukemia. She is poked and prodded and hospitalized so much that by the time she is thirteen she doesn’t want to do it anymore. She gets herself a lawyer and sues her parents for medical emancipation. It is a heart wrenching story and very thought provoking.”
From Chris Dwyer: “This summer the best book I read was Father Joe by Tony Hendra. This book was recommended by legendary radio personality Don Imus who I listen to in the AM M-F when driving to school. Hendra is a former editor of The National Lampoon and was a member of the cast of the notorious mockumentary about heavy metal, This is Spinal Tap. He also directed John Belushi and Chevy Chase in the off - Broadway smash Lemmings which led to their introduction and celebrity on SNL.
It is the story of Hendra’s close to fifty year friendship with a wise but plain Augustinian monk who believed the only sin was “selfishness”. The author chronicles his struggles with the trappings of celebrity, drug and alcohol dependency, crises of faith and the ups and downs of his relationship with the Catholic faith and the inspirational Father Joe Warrilow. Tony Hendra is an acclaimed satirist, but the book was anything but satire.”
From Tammy Pirmann: “I read quite a few books this summer, but I very much enjoyed Janet Evanovich’s series about Stephanie Plum (the bumbling Bounty Hunter from Camden, NJ). These books have action, adventure, romance and several laugh out loud moments in each one. A very enjoyable read.”
From Al Eickhoff: “I read Woodward’s book, Shadow Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate. This was an interesting presentation published in 1999 so the Clinton impeachment is the conclusion. In fact, Clinton has the most detailed segment. Comparisons of various presidents and their administrations and the problems they experienced is given a more than adequate explanation. The office of the special counsel and presidential and Congressional reactions to it is an interesting aspect of this book.
From our new art teacher, Jennifer Silvius: The Kite Runner, By Khaled Hosseini. This moving and beautifully written story is about friendship, family, and the hardships endured by a warring nation. Author Khaled Hosseini provides readers with an insight to life in Afghanistan rarely seen in today’s headlines.
And Ms. Silvius also enjoyed Shanghai Diary: A Young Girl’s Journey from Hitler’s Hate to War-Torn China by Ursula Bacon. This memoir tells the story of a Jewish family forced to run from Hitler’s brutality in the late 1930s. With most nations closing their doors to Jewish refugees, many found themselves running to Shanghai, China. Ursula Bacon and her family spent eight years living in poverty holding onto the dream of becoming American citizens.
Jeff MacFarland also read The Kite Runner and describes it as an “entertaining story that stretches believability a little too much at the ending. The cultural backdrop and setting make it exciting and worthwhile.”
He also read Monte Cassino: Hardest Fought Battle of World War II, an “eye opening look at the realities of fighting during the toughest stretch of the Italian campaign during World War II. The book balanced the heroic efforts of the international fighting force with questions about the historic notion of World War II as the ‘good war’ with strong leaders.
And Scott Zgraggen wrote with the following impressive list! “Here are the books on my summer reading list:
Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs: Looks at the suspicious deaths of two individuals in New York City and one in Italy, by what seems to be unnatural forces (Satan). A by-the-book NY police officer (D’Agosta) and an unconventional FBI Agent (Pendergrast) solve the case, but not without problems. The cause of deaths involves an interesting use of science.
Dance of Death by Preston and Childs: The sequel to Brimstone in which Agent Pendergrast enlists the help of D’Agosta to track down his brother Diogenese before he can pull off a crime that has been planned for decades. This involves almost all of the characters that Preston and Childs have ever introduced with Agent Pendergrast.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. The sixth book in the series which follows the hero, Harry, through his sixth year of wizard’s school. A surprise ending, which makes me yearn for the next book.
Don’t Know Much About The Universe by Kenneth C. Davis. A whimsical look at the study of astronomy (not astrology) from the beginning to the current big questions (including string theory). It is subtitled Everything you need to know about the cosmos but never asked. Informative and entertaining.
The Sacred Balance by David Suzuki. The book gives concrete suggestions for how we can meet our basic needs and create a way of life that is ecologically sustainable, fulfilling and just. It offers the seeds for a new direction for us all, one in which we can rediscover our place in nature and live in balance with our surroundings. Good book for our Environmental Program.
And Mr. Zgraggen is currently reading: Good News for a Change by Suzuki and Holly Dressel. The authors present inspiring stories about the people who are making positive environmental and social contributions to our world, illustrating the many (hundreds) of working solutions that can help all of us to achieve a more sustainable future. Again, another great resource for our Environmental Program.
Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths: How the Environmental Movement Uses False Science to Scare Us, edited by Ronald Bailey. Put out by the Competitive Enterprise Institute this book explains how many of the major environmental issues of today are not true. An interesting perspective from different authors (most who appear to lean to the far right, politically). Shows a different side to the issues. This could be used as a resource for our Environmental Program if only to see which side’s sources are more scientific.
This list does not contain the numerous books we read our sons this summer from the entire Series of Unfortunate Events books (from the first to the last, The Grim Grotto) by Lemony Snicket to the Alphabet Mysteries, by Ron Roy (which we are still working on), to the Time Warp Trio Books (which we just started).”
Barry Weidner wrote: “One book I read was I Know this Much is True, by Wally Lamb. It is a great study about adult identical twins, one of whom is schizophrenic, as told by the well twin. I highly recommend it!!”
Sara Barter shared: “The River Why, by David James Duncan, was the 7th non-consecutive summer that I’ve read this novel. It’s a wonderful story about finding your true self and being who you want to be. Also, a great reminder not to take life too seriously!”
Chris Mazurek read Steve Martin’s The Pleasure of My Company: A Novel, and writes, “the main character, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, is a quirky LA guy who has obsessive compulsions and phobias, the likes of which don’t allow him to walk across the street except at driveway scoops, never over a curb. He counts cracks or dots or lines or whatever in ceilings and formulates math formulas that “explain them” to himself. The list goes on but all of his compulsions prevent him from re-entering mainstream society and keep him largely shut-in at his LA condo with nearly-as-strange LA neighbors and weekly visits from a shrink. With the help of some accidental freinds, Daniel’s delusionary world, in which he has convinced himself of his own normalcy, is disturbed by love and loss until he emerges a better man employing his bizarre knack for order and patterns but who still enjoys occasional compulsive behavior. It’s very light reading and Steve Martin’s playful use of language is entertaining aside from the enjoyment of both story and characters.
read Steve Martin’s and writes, “the main character, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, is a quirky LA guy who has obsessive compulsions and phobias, the likes of which don’t allow him to walk across the street except at driveway scoops, never over a curb. He counts cracks or dots or lines or whatever in ceilings and formulates math formulas that “explain them” to himself. The list goes on but all of his compulsions prevent him from re-entering mainstream society and keep him largely shut-in at his LA condo with nearly-as-strange LA neighbors and weekly visits from a shrink. With the help of some accidental freinds, Daniel’s delusionary world, in which he has convinced himself of his own normalcy, is disturbed by love and loss until he emerges a better man employing his bizarre knack for order and patterns but who still enjoys occasional compulsive behavior. It’s very light reading and Steve Martin’s playful use of language is entertaining aside from the enjoyment of both story and characters.
Amanda Kirklin read The Historian and shares, “although quite long (too long in parts), this is a fantastic book for anyone who likes to explore other lands through literature. This one focuses on the Balkans and parts of Eastern Europe as the Historian searches for the burial grounds of Vlad Dracula.”
I read David McCullough’s 1776 a book that presented the military events of that turbulent year as an engaging narrative. Through the available documents, McCullough presents Washington as real man. Despite his heroic public image, Washington the man was sincerely amazed the patriot’s cause actually survived the turbulent year. It is surprising how much of their success had to do with sheer luck and the weather!
I also caught up with Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, The Half Blood Prince, and Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex. And I read Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, a fascinating blend of historical fiction and true crime. Set around the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the book weaves the stories of the fair’s architect, Daniel Burham with the story of sinister Dr. H.H. Holmes, a serial murderer of young women and a highly successful cadaver merchant.
Students: Did you read any of these? Any additional thoughts? What did you read this summer?
