And the reading is eeeeeasy.<\/h1>\n

Time to pull out your bicycle, kayak, or barbecue. Or curl up in the hammock, on a lounge chair, or with your beach towel and READ! \u00a0<\/em>It’s easy to lose yourself in a book as you relax, rejoice and rejuvenate after a long school year.\u00a0We’ve got some great summertime book suggestions for you. And we’d love to hear what you are reading for summer 2019 (because our lists are not quite long enough<\/em>). So, get out your library cards, here we go!<\/p>\n

Katy Farber<\/h2>\n

I read aloud Other Words for Home<\/a> <\/em>by Jasmine Warga to my daughters. We loved meeting Jude, who moves from Syria to Cincinnati to live with relatives, leaving behind her older brother and father. Jude\u2019s spirit is humorous, inspiring, and contagious. I particularly loved the safe and supportive culture the ELL teacher established at Jude\u2019s school, and Jude navigating growing up, a new school, and wanting to be seen and heard, all at the same time.<\/p>\n

I am reading aloud The Benefits of Being an Octopus<\/a><\/em> by Ann Braden to get ready to meet the author and have a book club discussion at the Middle Grades Institute which we are all very excited about. We are currently cheering for Zoey and her family as they make some big decisions.<\/p>\n

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I’m also reading Troublemakers: Lessons in Freedom from Young Children at School<\/em> <\/a>by Carla Shalaby. This book is truly transformative in terms of framing education as<\/p>\n

teaching love and learning freedom<\/h3>\n

and a place to imagine school as a<\/p>\n

deeply human, wildly revolutionary site of possibility.<\/h3>\n

It is a close look at classroom cultures, structures, and teacher practices and how these impact students that are outside of the \u201cnorm.\u201d It unflinchingly illuminates what this does to them, over time — how compliance and punishment cultures can harm our most vulnerable students, often for a lifetime.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to listen to the Ani Difranco read her book No Walls and the Recurring Dream<\/a><\/em>. Ani\u2019s songs were transformative for me as a woman in my 20s and still resonate today. I look forward to hearing about how and why she wrote many of the songs that impacted my life and understanding about finding my voice, speaking up, and artistic expression. And, if you haven\u2019t heard it, she released an album <\/a>with the songs mentioned in the book, redone, acoustically, and it is a stunning thing of beauty.<\/p>\n

Jeanie Phillips<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I loved\u00a0The Overstory<\/a> <\/em>by Richard Powers, which made me look at trees differently, and summertime is a great time for looking at trees! \u00a0What begins as a series of short stories centering trees becomes a complex ecosystem that was so compelling I may just have to read it again.<\/p>\n

When I interviewed VT students about the books they love I heard two messages loud and clear: books with diverse representation AND fantasy! \u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n

Once & Future<\/a><\/em> meets both of those requirements. It\u2019s a retelling of King Arthur set in a future without homophobia, racism, sexism, or reliance on the gender binary. BUT also without a viable earth or checks on the Mercer Corporation, Capitalists in Chief. Ari Helix is the 42nd incarnation of King Arthur. With the help of Merlin and her motley band of knights, she finds herself on a quest to find her parents, avenge her home planet, defeat Mercer, and unite the universe.<\/p>\n

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Finally, teaching is hard work! \u00a0I need all of the resilience I can get, so I\u2019m spending some time this summer with Elena Aguilar\u2019s Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators <\/a><\/em>and the Onward Workbook<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Life LeGeros<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ivy Aberdeen\u2019s Letter to the World<\/a><\/em> by Ashley Herring Blake is written in simple yet elegant language that expresses complex ideas beautifully. I have never read a book that so perfectly captures what it feels like to have a crush. Almost everybody in my family read it separately but I bet it would make a wonderful read aloud.<\/p>\n

Small Spaces<\/a><\/em> by Katherine Arden is on this coming years Vermont Middle Grades choice award list<\/a>. This book, written by a Vermont author, has become one of my daughter\u2019s favorites. She says it is super scary and very cool. I can\u2019t wait to read it!<\/p>\n

Black Appetite. White Food. Issues of Race, Voice, and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom<\/a><\/em> by Jamila Lyiscott is a book that I look forward to reading, savoring, and then re-reading many times. I saw the author speak last fall and was deeply moved by her insights about education and systemic racism. The book interweaves critical analysis, poetry, and practical tools to inspire and support transformation. Ever the teacher, Dr. Lyiscott even includes optional exercises at the end of each chapter to deepen understanding.<\/p>\n

The City of Brass <\/a><\/em>by S.A. Chakraborty is a whirlwind of adventure, magic, and hilarious dialogue. The author calls her work \u201chistorical fan fiction\u201d or \u201cspeculative fiction.\u201d She draws on Islamic lore to vividly paint a fascinating world (or city, rather) of the djinn. The main character is morally ambiguous, brave, and did I mention hilarious? She\u2019s the best protagonist I\u2019ve met in a long while. I can\u2019t wait to dig into the rest of the trilogy this summer.<\/p>\n

Rachel Mark<\/h2>\n

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I\u2019m reading two highly recommended new YA books that come with rave reviews. \u00a0The first book is The 57 Bus<\/a><\/em> by Dashka Slater, based on recommendations from so many great reader friends. The second is Hey, Kiddo<\/em><\/a> by Jarrett Krosozcka. This graphic novel was my gift to my fifteen-year-old son, but I want to read it myself.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m looking forward to reading the newest book by Daniel Pink, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing<\/em><\/a>. I love Pink\u2019s readable psychology, and I think there are always great transfer and applicability to education settings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m really excited to read Educated<\/em><\/a> by Tara Westover. I have literally been saving this book for summer 2019. Memoirs always interest me, and this one unites with my love of education.<\/p>\n

Susan Hennessey<\/h2>\n

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The image above is of my pleasure reads…at least a second if not third run through of Anne Lamott\u2019s book Almost Everything: Notes on Hope<\/a><\/em> on the top of the list, because who doesn\u2019t need more hope?! \u00a0The Nightingale<\/a><\/em> is historical fiction set in France during the second world war and promises to sweep me away to another time and place.\u00a0 Jennifer Egan\u2019s Manhattan Beach<\/a><\/em> is also set during WWII, but is more of a thriller. And speaking of thrills…Denise Mina’s Conviction<\/a> <\/em>is described as a wild weird suspense tale whose main character is a podcast addict (reminds me of someone I know). Thrilled to escape with her.<\/p>\n

Jay McTighe & Judy Willis\u2019s Upgrade Your Teaching: Understanding by Design Meets Neuroscience<\/a><\/em> combines two of my professional interests: the science of learning AND thoughtful instructional planning.<\/p>\n

Audrey Homan<\/h2>\n

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I’m continuing a long-standing policy of doing absolutely nada<\/em> in terms of work-related reading during the summer vacation.<\/h3>\n

(See also: vacation, winter).<\/h3>\n

My plan is to positively wallow in crime. First order of business? Catching up with Jessica McDaniels, Manchester-based detective inspector and troublemaker extraordinaire. The latest three books in the 13-book series are Nothing But Trouble<\/em><\/a>, Eye for An Eye<\/em><\/a>, and Silent Suspect<\/em><\/a>. No, you can\u2019t read them out of order. At this point in the series, some very old chickens are coming home to roost and it\u2019s all a bit nail-biting. Speaking of sins of the fathers, Rebus may finally have run out of rope in Ian Rankin\u2019s latest, In A House of Lies<\/em><\/a>. I\u2019m much more agnostic about reading this series in order. Just grab one and knock yourself out.<\/p>\n

Out of order and proud of it is #3 in Val McDermid\u2019s new Edinburgh-based series: The Skeleton Road<\/em><\/a>. It\u2019s lovely and terrible and filled with buildings and weather, which I heartily approve of, and long sins of war, which I don\u2019t. Still, a really good read. Passes the Bechdel Test.<\/p>\n

The new Logan McRae isn\u2019t out until next April and the next Vera Stanhope mystery\u2019s set in November, so that leaves me with Dervla McTiernan\u2019s The Ruin<\/em><\/a>, with its promise of both gritty mystery and a potentially haunted house. Victories all around!<\/p>\n

Should I mention the rest of the large stack of fictional criminal endeavors I have cued up to read this summer? Or are we already all worried enough? Oh, all right, one more: Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of the Founding of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Purloined Basketball Team and the Dream of Becoming a World-Class Metropolis<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s that, you say? Sounds more like American history than crime?<\/p>\n

Buddy, do I have some bad news for you about Manifest Destiny<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Emily Hoyler<\/h2>\n

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I\u2019ve got at least two purely professional books in my stack this summer. \u00a0I\u2019ve never read Parker Palmer\u2019s classic The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher\u2019s Life<\/a>,<\/em> but it keeps getting mentioned, so I\u2019m going to give it a go. I\u2019m also very interested in how we cultivate growth cultures for both students and<\/em> adults, so I\u2019ve also got An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Developmentally Deliberate Organization<\/a> <\/em>by Bob Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey in the stack. \u00a0This one was recommended at a workshop I attended at the Deeper Learning<\/a> conference at High Tech High.<\/p>\n

I feel a little bit like Chicken Little lately, as my concern<\/span> panic about climate change (i.e. the apocalypse) has really ramped up after diving more into the current science and politics.<\/h3>\n

(Especially as summarized in this paper, Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy<\/a><\/em>, by University of Cambria sustainability leadership professor Jem Bendell). \u00a0My Facebook feed has become a horror show of climate change headlines. I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about what to do with my climate reckoning. \u00a0So, obviously, I\u2019m going to do some reading.\u00a0 My penchant for dystopian literature comes in handy here, and I\u2019m currently reading Octavia E. Butler\u2019s Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1)<\/a>.<\/em> This story follows a young woman living in an eerily familiar near-future world wracked by climate tragedy as she navigates the nature of change itself.<\/p>\n

Inspired by Butler\u2019s musings on the nature of change, adrienne maree brown\u2019s Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds<\/a><\/em> encourages us to embrace and dance with change rather than futilely resist. I\u2019ve also been grappling with how to connect with others around these concerns, so I\u2019ve collected Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Non-violent Communication<\/a><\/em> by Oren Jay Sofer and Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work that Reconnects<\/em> <\/a>Joanna Macy & Molly Young Brown as texts to help me navigate these conversations. \u00a0Finally, inspired by numerous recommendations by friends, I have Richard Powers\u2019 The Overstory<\/a><\/em> on my nightstand so that I might touch some beauty in all of this.<\/p>\n

Scott Thompson<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The above books capture my excitement for exploration and travel. My last trip driving cross country was in 1997 and I think it\u2019s time for another. I have been specifically reading about the Northwest. I was there 3 years ago to visit a friend and was amazed by the beauty. If you are looking for a destination, please consider the Northwest<\/a>. My other \u201cNorthwest\u201d interest is, and has been, Alaska<\/a>. It\u2019s a bit of a wish but maybe one day it will happen.<\/p>\n

As a self-confessed foodie, I love to try my hand at pretending to be a chef. I\u2019ve been following Chef Jamie Oliver<\/a> for a few years now and get excited every time I get a new cookbook from him. I was raised by British parents, thus British meals, and can connect with Jamie as his cooking represents the Brits very well. He has a rustic and simple style and he\u2019s quite a character as well. Also wanted to keep it local! The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook<\/a><\/em> brings it a little closer to home with a similar style to Jamie but with a Vermont infused menu.<\/p>\n

What are you reading this summer?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And the reading is eeeeeasy. Time to pull out your bicycle, kayak, or barbecue. Or curl up in the hammock, on a lounge chair, or with your beach towel and READ! \u00a0It’s easy to lose yourself in a book as you relax, rejoice and rejuvenate after a long school year.\u00a0We’ve got some great summertime book … <\/p>\n

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