One of my professional learning areas this month was around Native American history. In addition to many microcourses, I read a number of books related to the broad topic, both fiction and nonfiction. I also read a number of quick mysteries at the end of the month during my vacation, and have continued my Stephen King Summer book club. This month I read:

• 2034: A Novel of the Next World War by Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis – When I heard this book described on Currently Reading, I knew I would enjoy it! We are transported to the not-so-far future, in 2034, when China and the US are entangled in a geopolitical game of war that quickly escalates. This is fast-paced, yet filled with specific military and historical jargon that keeps you invested and holding your breath to see what these countries, as well as a few others, will do next. I enjoyed the ride!
• Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin – I marked this book as “to be read” in Goodreads 8 years ago. I decided to look back to the beginning of my TBR list and put many books on hold at my library. This is a sweet middle grades book narrated by Jason, an Autistic boy who wants NTs, or Neurotypicals, to understand his life. We live inside his head as he takes us through some tough times in school, and his personal hobby of writing and where that leads him. It’s a good window books for many of us to have a deeper understanding.
• Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle – I love the premise of this sweet romance. Daphne has spent her life knowing how long each romantic relationship she enters will last because she receives a piece of paper with a man’s name and a time period (i.e. Hugo 3 months) near the time she meets each man. This gives her some comfort in the predictability, but she is also waiting for “the one”. When she received a note with Jake’s name and no time limit, she assumes he must be her forever love. But is he? This was a quick and fun read!
• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza – I write my thoughts on this powerful book while on land that is part of Kumeyaay land, which was much vaster before colonization. This book looks at the history of the U.S. from the lens of indigenous people, discussing who was here before colonists and explorers, how the land was taken, how people were treated and mistreated, and how the indigenous cultures, unique and different with each tribe and nation, were ignored and stamped upon over and over again. I learned so much as I read this book. Though it was adapted for young people, because of the nature of the topic there is much talk of brutality. I would not recommend this for a class under 5th grade and would hope that elementary teachers might read this for their own education and share segments with young people.
• Before You Say A Word: A School Leader’s Guide to Clear and Compelling Communication by Erik Palmer – I received a signed copy of this book directly from Erik, the author, as a thanks for sharing some snippets of information with him as we was writing this book. I connected with Erik on Twitter years ago, after loving his book Well Spoken (I still wish I had that book when I was teaching middle school English!). In that book, he teaches educators the importance and value of explicitly teaching speaking skills. In his latest book, he is focused on helping educational leaders improve their communication. He takes us through planning a message, considering authentic, content, what not to say, and how to present. I was so sad, and maybe a little embarrassed, to read that bulleted lists on slides are OUT – I immediately edited a slide deck I was working on! The second part of the book includes advice for delivering a message, with vocal and nonverbal reminders. It was fun to reread the examples I shared with him, and to see examples from so many other practitioners – their experiences are varied and bring depth to his advice. I appreciate Erik include all of those voices and I was honored to be asked!
• Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson – I first marked this book as “want to read” on Goodreads in 2015, probably because it was compared to Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. This is a sweet YA book about three teenage girls who end up stuck together working on a peach farm. Birdie, Leeda and Murphy seem like opposites in every way and it takes them quite a while to form a connection that grows into a beautiful friendship, all while Birdie’s family peach farm is close to going under. I enjoyed this sweet journey.
• The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich [audiobook] – I love Louise Erdrich’s adult fiction and this book has been on all of the lists of recommended books by Native Americans about Native Americans. This is a story set around the same time and place as Little House on the Prairie, but focused on an Ojibwa family, their customs, culture, language and traditions. It’s a beautiful look into a history we haven’t been told enough about, through the eyes of a child.
• We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay: Tips, Tales, Travels by Gary Janetti [audiobook] – I have loved listening to Gary’s other books and this one continued the tradition. Gary has wit, sarcasm, and truth telling down to an art, as he shares some of his favorite travel memories, as well as a few good tips. While I will not be following his advice to only pack a carryon for my next international trip, I appreciate the rationale he uses to explain this. I want a print out of his recommends at the end of the book for my future European trips!
• We Are the Land: A History of Native California by Damon B. Akins and William J. Bauer Jr. – This was a dense history of California and the many Native People who have been here for centuries and continue to be here, in spite of genocide, forced removal, forced service, and more harm across the state. Reading all of this history truly demonstrates the resilience of the peoples indigenous to California, and the depth of my own ignorance of this history. The majority of this book was new information to me, which makes me sad but also glad I read it.
• Turbulence by David Szalay – I used a very old gift card to a local indie bookstore recenty and picked up this tiny paperback for fun. The book is a series of interconnected short stories, where airplane travel is involved. We start in London and then go to Spain, and each chapter title is the airport codes for the beginning and ending destinations. The people’s lives were explored so vividly in such short stories and I was very interested in everything, despite the heavy, weighted topics. Great read for a day of travel!
• Never Lie by Freida McFadden – One of the principals I work with recommended this book, by an author who has penned many suspenseful books I now need to add to my TBR. This was a fun, fast-paced thriller that took place partly in a house in the middle of nowhere, where newlyweds Tricia and Ethan get snowed in over night. Throughout that night, we listen to taped therapy sessions found in the house, that connect many situations and events and lead up to a scary ending!
• You Like It Darker by Stephen King – I read two stories from this collection for our Stephen King Summer Book Club, and then I read the rest becuase they were all unique and interesting. I love King’s writing, but I really appreciate the short stories since he is often sooooo descriptive and detailed. Each of these stories was so different and I liked them all.
• It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison – This was a fun, fast-paced mystery with enough twists and turns to keep me surprised throughout. We meet Olivia on the day of her most recent miscarriage, just as her husband Park learns that he has a biological son who is suspected of a local murder. We soon learn that Park has over 20 biological children from a sperm donation in college, and the plot unfolds from there. The supporting characters, Park’s siblings, the detectives, and the bio children, kep this moving forward and I enjoyed it!
• Picture books – I read a fun collection of picture books that I had in my office, that I received as gifts from a conference, and through equity work.

Favorite Books

Fiction: 2034: A Novel of the Next World War

Nonfiction: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People