These are the books I talked
about on the Aug. 1 Fox 6 morning program. They are smart reads to get everyone—young and old—in a back-to-school
frame of mind. These are books pertaining to reading, writing, science and,
even, Home Ec.
Peeled by Joan Bauer
This novel for middle-school readers was required reading for my son going into 7th grade. Hildy Biddle is a high school reporter just waiting for a chance to prove herself and yearning for the big story. But her town’s biggest story stars a ghost—not an easy interview. Hildy must separate the truth from the buzz. She does so with a great sense of humor and lots of inner strength.
The Essential Rumi translations by Coleman Barks
“Out beyond ideas of
wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Words from the 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi have
enchanted readers for ages. His poems, beautifully translated here, transcend
national and ethic borders. Rumi’s work has been translated into many of the
world's languages, including Russian, German, Urdu, Turkish, Arabic, French,
Italian, and Spanish, and is being presented in a growing number of formats,
including concerts, workshops, readings and dance performances. Coleman Barks’s translations
have sold more than half a million copies worldwide, and Rumi is one of the
most widely read poets in the United States.
So You Think You Can
Spell? by David Grambs and Ellen
Levine
Many, many people
actually are good spellers, but a
good many more only think they
are. This entertaining (and educational) book has some 1,500 words and more
than 200 tests and quizzes so you can go one-on-one, pencil to paper, against
hard, harder and heartless words. Forget word lists, pronouncers, classrooms,
auditoriums and judges! This is just you and the letters. The book also
includes a brief history of the English language and an explanation of why it
is so difficult. There’s also a short biography of Noah Webster, the
acknowledged father of American lexicography. This book is due out October 6.
Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart
If only every biology class
were this interesting—and unusual. Amy Stewart has taken more than 200 of
Mother Nature’s most appalling creations in an A to Z roundup of plants that
kill, maim, sicken, irritate and intoxicate. Some of these evildoers might be
lurking in your own backyard (morning glory and English ivy). This book draws
on history, medicine, science and legend to entertain and even alarm gardeners
and nature lovers. It’s great fun!
The Best Recipes in the
World by Mark Bittman
Do schools even have Home Ec
anymore? This book certainly would give the class more global flavor. New
York Times columnist Mark Bittman has
traveled the world to find and bring back the best recipes of home cooks from
44 countries. Many of these easy recipes are ready in 35 minutes or
less—perfect for busy school nights. Also, the book is a fantastic encyclopedia
of food and food knowledge.
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