Category: Book Reviews

The Nonfiction Guide You Need Right Now

The Nonfiction NOW Lesson Bank (Grades 4-8): Strategies and Routines for Higher-Level Comprehension in the Content Areas by Nancy Akhavan delivers everything the title promises and more, raves reviewer Linda Biondi. Plus 50 lessons and 5 close reading ideas, ready to use.

A New Way to Think about Student Motivation

The new book Motivation to Learn doesn’t just talk about the theories behind motivating learners. Using a fresh metaphor (river rafting), it gives new & veteran teachers “concrete strategies for creating a classroom culture that maximizes student engagement,” says reviewer Tasha Kirby.

Using Science Notebooks to Grow Student Ownership

The authors of Science Notebooks: Writing about Inquiry not only offer a practical standards-aligned guide to helping students gather and assess data in the inquiry classroom, they help teachers envision how science notebooks can promote student ownership of learning.

Hands-On Activities for Math CCSS Learning

The ideas in Teaching the Common Core Math Standards with Hands-On Activities worked when she gave them a test run in her classroom, says reviewer Linda Biondi. The book is teacher friendly and ready to use. “You can tell that the book is written by teachers who are currently teaching.”

A Joyous Vision of the Holodeck Classroom

David Thornburg’s From the Campfire to the Holodeck is not just about blending technology into lessons; it’s about good teaching in learning environments designed for the 21st century, says reviewer Sarah Cooper. Is there a holodeck in your school’s future?