Category: Book Reviews

Professional books reviewed by educators

Effective Principals Find Their Leadership Edge

Beginning with reflective exercises to help readers identify their leadership tendencies, Brad and Jeremy Johnson offer a nuanced exploration of the tension between assertiveness and compassion in school leadership and then provide actionable strategies to achieve balance.

Improving Opportunities & Outcomes for Black Kids

Baruti Kafele’s motto,”If it impacts the students, we must be willing to discuss it,” really sums up what this book covers and what equity and social justice work is all about. We cannot continue with business as usual and think we will have better outcomes, writes Claire Stein.

Mindsets Are Not Just Found in Our Heads

We all deserve to work towards creating a culture of growth in our schools, and reading Mary C. Murphy’s Cultures of Growth on the science of mindset is a wonderful place to start, writes educator Brad Waguespack. The book applies Dweck’s findings to organizations and groups.

Essential AI Strategies for Every Classroom

Whether you’re curious to bring artificial intelligence into your lesson planning – or the rapid evolution of AI has you feeling anxious – Monica Burns’ “EdTech Essentials: 12 Strategies for Every Classroom in the Age of AI” can help guide you in the effective use of new technologies.

Serving Gifted Students from Low-Income Homes

Tamra Stambaugh and Paula Olszewski-Kubilius provide a guidebook to move forward with gifted programs that meet the needs of students living in poverty. “This will be a resource that shapes our gifted education program a long time into the future,” writes district coordinator Kim Rensch.

Language and Literacy for Multilingual Learners

Andrea Honigsfeld seamlessly integrates theory with real-world classroom scenarios in Growing Language and Literacy. Her emphasis on differentiated instruction benefits the book’s audience: teachers of multilingual learners. Helpful to veteran and new teachers alike.

How Teachers Can Help Anxious Kids in Class

With so many students experiencing stress, David Campos and Kathleen Fad help K-8 teachers understand anxiety and then implement strategies to help anxious students. Other students can benefit, too. MS leader and teacher Kasey Short sees their book as an essential tool.

Changing Harmful Beliefs about Math Education

Delving into commonly held beliefs about learning math and discussing productive struggle and growth mindset are central to Lidia Gonzalez’s Bad at Math?, a thoughtful look into what can be done to make math accessible to all students, writes math teacher Kathleen Palmieri.