Here are my reading experiences from this past month. This brings my 2016 total to 44. I read 44 in 2015, so I think I will be crushing that goal this year, for #read16in16.

1. Never Go Back (#18) by Lee Child- After a few less-than-exciting books in May, I was ready go back to one of my favorite series for another installment. This one did not disappoint! Reacher finally met the woman he talked to a few books back. It was the usual fast-paced Reacher mystery.
2. High Heat by Lee Child- This short story was a bonus in the e-book from #1. It’s the second Reacher story I’ve ready that is a prequel to all the main novels. I love reading about this character’s history, and what made him the man I know from the 18 novels I’ve read in the series. This one took place when he was 16 years old, which was so different from anything else in the series.
3. The Art of Coaching Teams by Elena Aguilar – I loved Aguilar’s first book and couldn’t wait to start this one. I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I wrote about my core values because of an activity from early in this book. This book is a must-read for educators, especially those in coaching and leadership positions. Aguilar’s advice and resources on emotional intelligence, building trust, and creating functional teams is transformative.
4. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd- I downloaded this book from Audible based on the amazing love shared on this post. I loved listening to this fanciful, fabulous, fun story! It was so sweet, with many lessons for readers of all ages. I love that the main character was a collector of words!
5. When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr – One of my reading friends recommended this YA book to me and I’m so grateful. I didn’t know it was semi-autobiographical when I began reading it, but I enjoyed the history and the author’s perspective. This was such a unique tale about WWII and one family’s experience after leaving Germany before Hitler was elected. I really enjoyed reading this book!
6. Revolution by Deborah Wiles – I’ve had this LARGE YA book sitting on my bookshelf for awhile. I’ve seen it on some must read lists. I was hesitant to pick it up because of the size and the fact that I’ve read so many books about the time period and the topic (the 60’s and civil rights). But this book is different. There is a collection of nonfiction pictures, excerpts from speeches and pamphlets, and realia throughout the realistic fiction chapters told from the perspectives of various characters. This is such an interesting book!                                                                                                  
7. Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani- When Shelley Burgess tells you she thinks you will like a book as she is giving you a copy, you read that book! And of course I enjoyed reading Launch! As I wrote in my post about breaking out of boxes, I was glad to connect the idea of design thinking to the inquiry work I led with a group of talented teachers in my previous district. I love anything that is student-centered and focused on their curiosities and desires for learning.
8. The Classroom Chef: Sharpen Your Lessons, Season Your Classes, Make Math Meaningful by John Stevens and Matt Vaudrey – I picked this up after seeing Dave Burgess blog or tweet about how it’s not really about math instruction, but good instruction. While the cooking analogy got old for me, I enjoyed hearing the authors’ passion for engaging students shine through their storytelling.