[Ohiogift] Reading recommendations

[Gifted and Talented in Ohio Discussion List]

            Friends:
  
  It's that time of the year when many of us look for book and other reading recommendations (perhaps for gift-giving), so I thought I'd offer a couple of them.
  
  One of the best I've read is Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty, by Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff. This account of working with impoverished students to help them focus their energy and intelligence to overcome their backgrounds and to gain admittance into college (and other post-secondary options) is inspiring and instructive, as well as eye-opening (for many). Lots of specifics bring the students' tales to life.
 
 Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, by Neil Postman (1985). In paperback in 2005, this study on the corrosive effects of show biz on the public intellect and academia is as pertinent as ever.

The Concord Review. At http://tcr.org/tcr/index.htm, this quarterly journal is the gold standard of student writing (on an array of topics) from around the world. I've read this journal for years, and it makes a top-notch gift for students. It's also perfect for high school teachers of writing and history who wish to inspire their best students to submit essays to be considered for publication. Why? The experience develops and hones their skills, and college admissions officers view the journal as the epitome of academic excellence.

Other resources: Below are lists of other book suggestions for teachers, students, parents and others keen on education and reading in general:
Gifted education: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/gifted_books.htm
 New York Times recommendations: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/reading-list-the-top-100-best-selling-education-books-of-2014-so-far/comment-page-1/?_r=0
 Washington Post recommendations: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/daniel-willingham/the-decades-best-education-boo.html
 NEA recommendations: http://www.nea.org/grants/teachers-top-100-books-for-children.html
 Principal recommendations: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin246.shtml
 New-teacher recommendations: http://www.topmastersineducation.com/50-best-books-for-new-teachers/
  
  If you yourself also have any book or other reading recommendations, please let us hear from you on Ohiogift.

Best wishes,
Art Snyder
artsnyder44 at cs.com
  
     
  
     
      
  

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