Read Like Your Hair's on Fire: An Educator's Summer Reading List

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In my I asked you for some summer reading suggestions for educators. Wow! What a pleasant surprise to see how many people responded with such thoughtful submissions. I'm happy to finally share the results. I am looking forward to picking a few from the list to read this summer. If you responded, THANK YOU!

If you don't see your submission, it's possible that:

1. You didn't leave your name NOR a comment
2. You left only a partial title, no author and no URL
3. You did not provide a URL and I could not find one either

What you'll see here: Title & Author - Survey Respondent (with url to blog), & Respondent's Comments (if any)

• by Deborah L. Ruf - (We are not only NOT REACHING all children, we are doing harm and truly losing many of our brightest minds to any kind of organized school learning because we don't challenge them enough and they are bored STIFF! review to learn more specifics about this book)
• by Clay Shirkey -
• by Kelly Gallagher - (This book should be required reading for anyone that deals with students. It is not just a book for reading teachers; it is a book for everyone in the schooling process.)
• - Don Tapscott - Anonymous (A very current commentary about today's Net Generation. All schools are moving forward into 21st century teaching and learning so this book is a must!)
• by Jay Matthews - Joy
• by Todd Whitaker - Suzanne Whisler
• by Todd Whitaker - Michelle Olah
  
• by John Medina - (This is a great book to help you understand how people learn in general and how to create the best learning environments. Its presented in a straight forward yet easy to read fun way. I highly recommend it for anyone.)
• by John Medina - (This makes a great book study or book club book, with a chapter for each rule, it makes for an interesting discussion.)
• by John Medina - (He has a great website with some free materials. I don't think teachers can learn enough about how children learn.)
• by Neil Postman - (Makes you think about what we teach, what we should teach, how we teach it and how we should teach it, why we teach and why we should teach. Postman writes about the meaning and purpose behind subjects, the importance of connecting learning to our narrative and many other ideas. Provocative and unflinching; Indispensable to any educator.)
• by Louis Sachar - (My favourite book to share with kids - they love it (especially boys)
• by Herbert Kohl - ( is my top-ten list of essential books for modern educators. is a collection of books in my "to-read" pile.)
• by Cris Tovani - (This book made me a better reader, and helped me with my students.)
• by Ron Berger - (Genuine and inspiring. Written by a teacher; as opposed to a "thinker" about education who may not be familiar with the realities of classrooms.)
• by Charles Sykes - Anonymous (Some are very true, others are just funny. Not a completely serious book, but all students should know some of these rules - and the teacher will enjoy reading it themselves :)
• by Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore - (This book takes John Wooden's principles of teaching, learning and coaching and applies them directly to the classroom teaching process. John Wooden's principles focus on developing each individual's personal best and they are geared toward bringing this out in all.)
• by Chip & Dan Heath and by Frank Smith- (Made To Stick: How to make your ideas "sticky". Important for anyone in the "idea sharing" business; aren't all educators in this biz? The Book of Learning and Forgetting: Frank Smith advocates for the "Classic View" over the "The Official Theory". That comparative list is food for constructive conversation for at least a years worth of PD.)
• by Alex Molnar - (This book discusses the role and harmful effects of marketing in schools. Includes a section on junk food in schools.)
• by Kelly Gallagher - James (I used it and loved it (high school English), then my wife got a hold of it and started making plans for her own classroom (third grade). There's a lot to learn from KG.)
• by Forrest Carter - (This book was initially presented as an autobiographical account of Forrest Carter's childhood which was later proven false. Sadly, Carter also had a highly controversial past. BUT this book speaks for itself. I would encourage ALL educators to read it, then ask themselves what constitutes an "education." Check into the controversy and author's background AFTER reading the book. One of my all-time favorites!)
• by Esmé Raji Codell -
• by Steven Johnson - (Fascinating book that will make you re-think videogames, tv, and other forms of popular entertainment.)
• by Ron Ritchhart -
• by Debbie Miller - (This is a great book for those who want to reflect on what they think is important in their classroom. It helps you remember to trust your instincts as a teacher while relying on research-based practices to create a learning environment that is best for your students.)
• by Gary Gordon - (This book encourages us to open our minds and look at what we do to engage students in meaningful learning. What we think and believe is as important as the curriculum we teach.)
• by Marcia Tate - (This book helps to actively engage teachers in professional development through the use of brain-based strategies.)
• by Malcom McDowell -
• by Malcom Gladwell - (This book answers the question: Why do some succeed while other fail? Gladwell presents his views on success by telling the life stories of several outliers.)
• by Eric Jensen - (Over the years, I've come to incorporate a lot of what Eric Jensen discusses in his books. While I know that some of his methodologies have come under fire in recent years, the science is pretty solid. Long Term memory and Emotion ARE in the same part of the brain, and engaging and motivating teaching techniques help to solidify learning in a student's brain. This is his newest book. (It's a year old.) I've also really enjoyed Jason Ohler's book on Digital Storytelling, as well as the fiction book Cross Country by James Patterson--if your teacher's just need something exciting to read that's not school related!)
• by Bobbi Deporter, Mark Reardon, Sarah Singer-Nourie - Anonymous (This book is phenomenal! It incorporates learning styles, student motivation, engaging practices & brain research... I am going to revisit it again this summer :)
• by Trenton Lee Stewart- Lu
• edited by Marge Scherer - (This is a free eBook from ASCD)
• Violet H. Harada and Allison by Zmuda - (April 2009 issue of Teacher Librarian lists it as "simply the best professional book of the year for teacher-librarians....")
• by Stephen Covey - (Excellent look at how the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People have been implemented in schools across the country.)
• by Antoine Saint-Exupery and by John Swift - Elysio Soares (I've noticed that my generation and youngsters (I'm 36) don't know much about Gulliver, for instance. There's much to take into consideration regarding this classical novel, specially the author's view about the undesirable outcomes of advances in science. Teachers would profit from reading good books. Well, The little prince has long been acclaimed as one of the most sensitive stories, which has amused both adults and young children. It all depends on your point of view at different stages of your life.)
• & Kathleen Gould Lundy - Barbara McLaughlin (Great resource for graphic novels and comic genre. Strategies and activities galore.)
• by Alfie Kohn - Hadass Eviatar (Everybody who works with kids should read this book. Keeping people under rigid mind control for 13 years and then expecting them to be independent thinkers makes no sense.)
• - by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin - John
• by Stephen R. Covey - Scott Carter
  
• by Sir Ken Robinson - (In his book "The Element," Sir Ken Robinson highlights the case for differentiated instruction and recognizing the unique gifts/talents of every human being. His book is helpful not only for educators and parents seeking to develop the full potential of the children in their care, but also for adults who may find themselves reinventing themselves or rediscovering themselves in our dynamic economic situation.)
• by Karen Pryor -
• by Rick Wormeli - (I re-read this book each summer to get ready for the next year and to remind myself how wonderful middle schoolers are.)
• by Sue Monk Kidd - Anonymous (Theme: Equal-Rights, Grief, Love)
• by Torey L. Hayden - (I really enjoy reading any books by this author because they inspire me.)
• by Penny Kittle - Mary Rodger (A book we (educators) can all relate to. Stories that will touch your heart. Light reading.)
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• by Will Richardson - Carolyn Rains (This is an awesome book with MANY resources!)
• by Palfrey and Gasser - Sandy Kennedy (While this book is not specifically about technology use in the classroom, it gives good insights into the students we are seeing in our classrooms now.)
• by Kerry Patterson - (Both books are by the same authors and have a lot of insight on how to approach conversations effectively and then utilze these conversations for change.)
• by Eckhart Tolle - (This book teaches you lessons about living in the moment. It is so important to have that outlet to breath during the chaos that sometimes caves in around you as an educator and administrator.)
• by Ellin Olive Keene and Susan Zimmermann - Shannon Bauley (...wonderful for shedding light on teaching kids to think meta-cognitively about reading. If I had to choose just one, it would be Mosaic of Thought. It really opened my eyes to a new and better way to look at teaching reading!)
• by Hayes, Mills, Christie and Lingard - (One from the Antipodes! A wonderfully practical book about bringing authentic learning to life in schools.)
• by Alfie Kohn - (As educators, we need to rethink homework. Kohn does not argue that all homework is bad or that it should be universally done away with, merely that we need to rethink (or for some of us, think about for the first time) our homework policies and the reasoning behind them.)
• by Alfie Kohn - (This book confirms what you already know. Why are you assigning homework? Does it do what you think? Has it ever? As a teacher and parent of a college student and 1st grader, I think it is imperative for teachers, especially elementary level, understand the ramifications of homework intellectually and psychologically and to make research-based decisions. This book presents research from the last century on homework and its effects/lack thereof on achievement.)
• Web2.0 New Tools, New Schools by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum *ISBN 978-1-56484-234-3 (via ISTE website)* - (This book can be purchased directly from ISTE. It does a great job of collecting names, resources, and examples supported by research on how Web 2.0 is positively influencing education today.)
• by Dan Brown - ("Digital Fortress" and "Deception Point" are both great techno-thrillers and give the reader another side of Dan Brown's talent. "Grown Up Digital" is a must-read, increasing in importance the older you are. "Physics of the Impossible" is an amazing journey through the "impossibilities" of certain physics concepts based on what is currently know.)
• by Leo Buscaglia - Wayne Basinger (This books reminds each teacher what they contribute and how to contribute with love.)
• by Lawrence Hill -
• by Jeff Howe -
• by Daniel T. Willingham - Donna Bills
  
• by Schmoker - Marie Bell (Thought provoking...flies in the face of conventional wisdom, aka NCLB)
• by Clayton Christensen -
• by Clayton Christensen - (I just finished reading this book and recommend it to any stakeholder in education (which should be everyone. !) It does a really nice job to contextualizing education in the larger historical and societal background. I think this book is well paired with The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. They both help to shape our understanding of how technology and changing societal norms can drive education in new directions and redefine what it means to learn, what is important to learn, and how to best achieve deep and transferable learning)
• by Clayton Christensen -
  
• by Rafe Esquith -
• by Rafe Esquith - (A very inspiring book for classroom teachers. I read this book last summer and couldn't wait to get back to school to incorporate some of his ideas into my classroom.)
• by Rafe Esquith -
  
• by Seth Godin - (We read this as a tech team. I like the leadership vs. management models discussed in the book.)
• by Seth Godin - (A great read for those trying to swing teachers toward using technology and shifting their teaching.)