Mind Over Grind (Guy Winch)

 

This was good. After watching a couple of his TED talks, I liked him even more. He has some good tips in this book. I think he should do teachers next. So much of teacher's work, to me, is much more complicated than he got into here. Or maybe I'm just too self-absorbed. I don't know. A couple of his tips that I could really implement right away are changing my clothes when I get home to get a real sense of 'work is finished' and leaving work sooner.

Goodreads says:

Clinical psychologist, TED Speaker, and author of Emotional First Aid offers a guide to combating the many stresses modern work imposes, based on recent research and the stories of patients Winch has helped to thrive after burnout.

Whether we like it or not, work is central to our lives. Most of us define ourselves by our work; it gives us a purpose, it enables us to maintain our lives, our homes, our nourishment, our recreational pursuits, and it puts us often among like-minded people who share and appreciate our skills and achievements. No wonder we feel it is so important. But the dark side is that it intrudes on our lives and unconsciously takes over our thoughts, our priorities, and even our coping mechanisms. Especially in recent years, the separation between work and home is blurrier than ever, and we struggle to maintain healthy boundaries, to restore ourselves and recover our attention and energy, to give due focus to our loved ones, and to nourish other essential aspects of our self.

In Mind Over Grind, Guy Winch explains how our enmeshment with work reinforces these unconscious tendencies and reveals to the damage they do to our careers and personal lives, as well as to our emotional health. He argues that attaining a work-life balance involves changing not just what you do in your free time but how you think. And he offers clear, cogent strategies we can use to regain control, change the way we think, bring intentionality back to our lives, and restore the balance we crave.

The Brain at Rest (Dr. Joseph Jebelli)

 

I seem to be on a deep dive into rest and the importance of taking it easy. This book was a great addition to that quest.

Chapter 1: How Overwork Is Literally Killing Us

• Spend at least twenty minutes a day staring blankly into space. Try not to think about anything in particular; simply let your mind rest and wander, breathing slowly and deeply through your nose as your do. This is arguably the hardest way to rest because our society has indoctrinated us into believing it's a waste of time, but it's one of the best ways to activate your default network.
• Try to step away from your normal routines and thoughts for at least a few minutes every day. Your mind needs intermittent breaks to refresh and stimulate default network activity. Don't worry about justifying it - you never need to justify your health. I snatch these precious moments just before getting on my bike in the morning, pausing to look at trees lining my street. 
• In Poincare fashion, go for long walks and spend time sitting on public transport, staring out of the window. Sometimes, when I need inspiration, I take a bus to nowhere in particular.
• If you have a bathtub, have more baths than showers. Besides being better for sore muscles and lowering your blood sugar levels, a bath lets your best thinking happen because it allows your mind ample space to roam. A bath before bed also improves your sleep, another period of high default network activity. Try including some soothing bath salts; I find they give me the best mental relief.

Chapter 2: The Neuroscience of Work

• Take regular, scheduled breaks throughout the day. Follow, for example, the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break), which lowers your risk of burnout, allowing the brain to recover and restore its executive functions, thus maintaining a higher level of performance.
• Try the time-blocking technique, where you simply divide your day into blocks of time, which prevents task-switching and multitasking (known productivity killers) and ensures focused effort on one thing at a time. This method harnesses your executive network's preference for structured tasks. By focusing on a single activity, you reduce cognitive overload and help your prefrontal cortex optimize task management.
• Implement email rules - that is, set specific times for checking and responding to emails. This prevents consistent interruption and helps preserve focus on more important tasks. Ceaselessly checking your email fatigues the prefrontal cortex and depletes your executive network's resources for focused thinking and decision-making. It's like trying to walk a tightrope while someone keeps tugging on your rope from below, throwing you off-balance with each pull.
• Establish criteria for accepting work meetings. Ask yourself, Is this meeting relevant? How long is it? Do I really need to be there? Then propose alternatives like email updates or condensed sessions to preserve time. Streamlining meetings helps your executive network enormously. When meetings are short and relevant, they make better use of our attention and working-memory capacities.

Part 2 Rest

Chapter 3: Mind Wandering

Practical tips to help your mind wander:

• Try a technique called positive constructive daydreaming (PCD) which involves tempting yourself into a controlled fantasy, helping your mind wander and thus engage your default network. For example, imagine it is one year from now and you're living the life you want, or imagine yourself in an earthly paradise. This intention kind of mind wandering, as opposed to the unintentional kind we often slip into, may provide even more protection from stress and anxiety, according to a recent study by the American Psychological Association - and this is especially true if we find what we're thinking about particularly interesting. So the next time you feel guilty for wandering off from work to muse about the fact that whale song can be used to map the ocean floor, or that there are 4 quadrillion quadrillion bacteria on the Earth, or that there are fossilized plants in Greenland under 1.4 kilometers of ice - don't.
• Try something new at least once a week. Every time you put your brain in a novel situation, it quickly learns how to process the new circumstances using the inferior prefrontal cortex, a hotbed of creativity-enhancing default network neurons. If it's hard to try something new, try something you usually do in an unusual way; take a different route to work, write paper notes instead of typing, pause while in your neighborhood and soak in all the multisensory impressions
• Listen to sad music. Not only does it improve your mood when you're feeling down (yes, really), but it's also associated with stronger mind wandering and greater default network activity.
• For employers, do yourself and your company a huge favor by removing teh stigma associated with mind-wandering. Discuss its benefits with your employees and allow them time to explore its creative powers.

Chapter 4: The Science of Tree-Hugging (Why Nature is So Good For Your Brain)

Some tips to activate your default network with forest bathing.

• Walk slowly through the forest. This isn't a hike or jog; it's a leisurely stroll.  The goal isn't to get to the finishing line. Move at a pace that allows you to observe and connect with your surroundings.
• Hugs a tree whenever you can. As well as reducing cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate, it releases oxytocin and activates your brain's default network.
• If at all possible ,go camping a few times a year. This will raise your natural killer cell count nicely. If you can go more frequently, even better.
• As well as in the forest, spend time on the beach or near the sea. People who live near the coast tend to have better physical and mental health than those who don't. Believe it or not, a big reason for this is that the color blue actually changes our brain waves and induces a sense of calm and peace. The sea air is also remarkably good for our mood.

Chapter 5: Mindful Solitude

1. Start small (10 min/day) Just sit and breathe.

2. Schedule solitude. Plan a specific time each day to be alone.

3. Disconnect to reconnect. No digital devices during your solitude time.

4. Engage in solo activities (walking, journaling, yoga)

5. Reflect and reassess. 

• Just go. Sometimes the simplest advice is best, especially when it comes to rejuvenating your brain's health. Planning a solo trip or retreat can seem daunting at first, with concerns about loneliness or boredom creeping in. But the act of stepping away from your daily routine and immersing yourself in a new environment can be incredibly liberating. It forces you out of your comfort zone, stimulates your senses in unexpected ways, and provides the perfect backdrop for introspection and creativity
• If you can't plan a big trip and are tied down by work and family commitments, just go to a quiet room alone; even a brief respite in a tranquil space can be a powerful form of solitude. By making the effort to find peace in the midst of a busy life, you're taking a vital step toward maintaining mental well-being and enhancing your brain's health.
• Understand that doing nothing, even when it involves not being social, is no bad thing. The social circuits within your brain's default network need time to rest and replenish. In fact, studies show that too much socializing may even cause harm, including high stress and greater mortality risk. Though isolation and loneliness are not good for our health, we still need solitude, so set boundaries and leave space for alone time.
• Ensure that when you do socialize, it's meaningful, good quality socializing. Many of us spend time with people we shouldn't - bad friends, frenemies, a toxic family member - but we do it because we feel obliged to. This raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol int he brain, which damages our social circuitry and harms the good-quality relationships we should be enjoying.

Chapter 6: Sleep On It Your Brain's Master Healer

- Broadly speaking, sleep has two functions: it's cognitive enhancer and a restorative powerhouse. The cognitive side of sleep nurtures our capacity for learning and memory. (p. 123) Note to self: Re-read pages 123-127

Napping: it lowers stress by reducing cortisol levels in the brain; it encourages the regeneration of damaged brain cells; and it triggers a new kind of thinking "that we have yet to understand." That final point presents an intriguing mystery. We know that napping improves memory, creativity, and cognitive function, yet there could be other, less understood aspects of brain function and benefit from napping. (p. 129)

• Every night before you go to bed, spend ten to twenty minutes staring blankly into space. This will activate your default network at the critical hypnagogic phase, the period between wakefulness and sleep. After doing nothing during your hypnagogic phase, write down your thoughts in a journal. It's a key moment for your best insights and ability to solve problems.
• When you wake up the following day, don't immediately roll out of bed and begin your day as usual; instead, spend another ten to twenty minutes doing absolutely nothing. Just stare into space. At this point, the period between sleep and full alertness, your brain's hypnopompic phase is active, which is another golden opportunity to active your default network.
• Try to nap for thirty minutes daily. This short rest during the day will make your brain bigger, reduce stress, and regenerate damaged brain cells.
• Sleep  for as long as you feel like sleeping. Your brain doesn't care about arbitrary work hours or overbearing bosses. Your brain needs as much asleep as it tells you it needs. Listen to it. And know that the usual amount of six to eight hours' sleep is often not enough. To ensure your default network is thriving, aim for eight to ten hours.

Chapter 7: Playology

Re: Video games: My partner has noticed an improvement in my mood ever since I started gaming a little each day, a hobby I hadn't indulged in since my early twenties. Like many, I feared it could negatively affect my well-being, especially given the moral panic that video games can harm our brains or incite violence - theories now thoroughly disproved. In fact, video games can positively impact mental health and well-being, providing a sense of achievement and a safe escape from everyday pressures. (p. 148)

Play personalities (p. 149) (or ways to engage in play...keeping this list for when I feel at a loss for something fun to fill time with:

The Collector - finds joy in the hunt, whether it be for books, plants, antiques or rare Pokémon cards;

The Competitor - thrives on sports and winning, and loves a five-a-side football match and the teamwork of a basketball game

The creator - finds deep satisfaction in the hours spent filing, painting, composing music or tending to a garden

The Director - has natural aptitude for leadership and wants to change the world by organizing and inspiring others

The Explorer - driven by an insatiable curiosity, always on the lookout for new experiences, be it a new forest or a spontaneous hike in he mountains

The Jokes - loves to laugh, using wit hand humor among friends and injecting levity into life's darker moments

The Kinesthete -loves to move - to dance, to swing, and to reap all the brain benefits of active rest

The Storyteller - the ultimate raconteur and who loves to transport their audience to other worlds; using mediums like writing, acting or teaching

• Find micro-moments of play throughout your day. Whether it's dancing to your favorite song while cooking dinner or singing out loud on your cycle home, these small acts of joy will lighten your mood and significantly improve your brain health. Embrace these snippets of spontaneity to weave a tapestry to playfulness into the fabric of everyday life.
• Advocate for a shorter workweek. Explore the feasibility and benefits of a four-day workweek in your workplace or community, inspired by the successful trials in Iceland, to create more time for rest and play. Now, more than ever, is the moment for workers around the globe to unite and reclaim their time for leisure, wellness, and personal growth.
• Make downtime and play sacrosanct. In our rush toward short-term productivity we completely overlook the value that comes from moments of leisure and play, not just for children but for adults as well. This sacred time, carved out from the demands of our daily lives, is vital for the resting brain. Value it like sleep, a cornerstone of life itself.
• Resist the urge to share your playful activities on social media. True play is for your enrichment, not for external validation. This approach helps maintain the purity and personal significance of the experience, ensuring that it remains a genuine source of joy and rest.

Chapter 8: Active Rest

• If you can, introduce some high-intensity exercise - anything aerobic - into your week. This will strengthen connections in your default network
• Aim for thirty minutes of exercise a day, five days a week. If you're struggling to fit this in, remember, your brain doesn't need quite as much to see benefits: just twenty-five minutes of exercise per week, a mere four minutes a day, can enhance your brain size and health. Even gentle physical exercises like walking and yoga can increase your brain size.
• Harness the brain benefits of sex if you can. Whether it's once every few weeks or several times a week, incorporating this form of active rest benefits adults of all ages, stimulating the brain's default network and improving memory, thinking ability, decision-making, and emotional processing.
• Ultimately, the crucial thing to remember is that active rest lowers your risk of developing a devastating neurological disorder. Just as stopping smoking lowers your risk of cancer, embracing active rest lowers your risk of Alzheimer's disease, stroke, PTSD, and depression, to name a few. So create a sense of urgency about active rest - because it is urgent.

Chapter 9: Just Do Nothing

• Carve out time every day to just be. I find the best way to do this is to simply sit in a chair and stare out the window. In doing so, your brain is no longer focusing on the details of an action; it has entered the perfect zone for default network activity. A great resource for helping people just be is www.donothingfor2minutes.org. Try it
• When you feel that you've had enough niksing, try combining it with an easy, semiautomatic activity such as knitting, This will keep your mind occupied without deactivating your default network. If knitting's not your thing, explore other semiautomatic activities: draw, do a jigsaw puzzle, sort things by color, create a family tree, look for stones and shells on the beach, stargaze, fold and refold paper, peel the labels from bottles, pop bubble wrap. There is no one-size-fits-all. Try whatever form of rest fits you best.
• Try what's called the Black marker test; jot down all the things you plan to do this week, then take a black marker and cross out all the tasks that can be postponed or, better still, canceled. You'll be amazed at how cluttered your free time really is.
• Push through the initial discomfort of doing nothing and work up to longer stretches of doing nothing. Reach a stage where you have a few days a week without any obligations or appointments. Dare to be idle. It is a quiet kind of revolution, but your brain will thank you in the end.

He had some great quotes in the book too. I just had to note them:

Burnout is not the price we have to pay for success. (Arianna Huffington)

How much better is silence; the coffee cup, the table. (Virginia Wolf)

How we spend our days is, of course, how se spend our lives. (Annie Dillard)

The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience. (Emily Dickinson)

Everybody should be quiet near a little stream and listen. (Ruth Krauss)

Without great solitude, no serious work is possible. (Pablo Picasso)

The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, 

Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,

Chief nourisher in life's feast.

 (Macbeth 2.2.36-38)

Leisure is the mother of philosophy (Thomas Hobbes)

I have always believed that exercise is the key not only to physical health but to peace of mind. (Nelson Mandela)

Just act normal, that's already crazy enough (Dutch proverb)

How much better is silence; the coffee cup, the table. (Virginia Woolf)

Goodreads says:

From Joseph Jebelli, PhD, neuroscientist and author of In Pursuit of Memory, a narrative exploration of the science of doing nothing and its benefits for the brain and body.

We are constantly told to make the most of our time. Work harder, with more focus. Stop procrastinating. Optimize. To be happy, creative, and successful requires discipline. The most important thing is to be efficient with every precious hour. 


But what if all that advice was wrong, and letting the brain rest, and the mind wander, could improve our lives? Dr. Joseph Jebelli proves this surprising and fascinating point in The Brain at Rest, blending science and personal stories with practical tips about using the brain’s “default network,” which turns itself on when we turn off the constant need to always do and achieve. By activating our default network through long walks, baths, and spending time in nature, we can all be more content, less stressed, and actually more productive.


Perfect for anyone interested in science and creativity, or anyone feeling overwhelmed in their day-to-day lives, The Brain at Rest is a deeply researched and entertaining antidote to overwork and burnout, showing readers the way to happier, healthier, and more balanced lives.

Don't Trust Fish (Neil Sharpson)

 

I'll read any Dan Santat book....even if he's the illustrator and there's a different author. This book is so great. It starts by simply stating facts. When it gets to fish it talks about all the ways fish are absurd...and it's hilarious. 

This would be great book to talk about genre. Everywhere I look it says it's fiction, but I'd be willing to teach that it's informational non-fiction!

Also, when stating the facts, every sentence is a subject opener. It would be fun to re-write this book using different types of openers. 

Goodreads says:

An absurdly laugh-out-loud funny picture book about the villainy of fish, illustrated by National Book Award-winning creator Dan Santat

Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish?

1) They spend all their time in the water where we can’t see them.
2) Some are as big as a bus—that is not okay.
3) We don't know what they're teaching in their "schools."
4) They are likely plotting our doom.

This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water.

Before Happiness (Shawn Achor)

 

Notes:

The author says that we can create positive realities...and when we do that, we are happier. Happiness actually comes before success, not from it.

His TedTalk is worth watching.

1. Reality Architecture

- Realize that multiple versions of reality exist. Some will always see the negative and a few will see the positive. 

- Whichever one you choose to focus on, you can dramatically reduce the affects of stress.

- If you change your viewpoint, you can see different advantages
- Pursue the most advantageous reality

2. Mental Cartography

- Highlight meaning markers along the way

- Find many meanings and different ways to look at how you can achieve success - this is called reorienting your map for success

- Map your success routes before you look for escape routes

- Don't start at zero. Show yourself some progress you've already made and start there.

- Find points of progress you can celebrate along the way

3. Cancel the Noise - boost the signal that points to greater

- Noise check your life: is information coming in unusable, unpractical, hypothetical and distracting - cancel it out!  

- Do the 5% experiment. For two weeks, try to decrease your information intake by 5%. Cut out information that fits some of the information on "noise"

- Keep a car radio off for the first five minutes of your commute, limit TV news, and limit articles that report on negative events half a world away

- Create active noise canceling by posting a sign next to your desk listing the 3 waves of positive energy

    - I will keep my worry in proportion to the likelihood of the event

    - I will not ruin 10,000 days to be right on a handful

    - I will not equate worrying with being loving or responsible

- Fact Check - keep your worrying in proportion to the likelihood of the event by asking these two questions:

        1. How often has this negative event happened in the past?

        2. How often has this negative event occurred to me personally?

- Do a 5-minute writing exercise. Anytime you hear doubting voices, take 5 minutes to write about things you feel passionate and positive about (your children, your sports, your values, your faith). By actively canceling such noises, you can increase your performance by 10-15%.

- Exercise! Add exercise to your routine. It decreases anxiety by as much as 20%. 

4. Creating Positive Inception - transfer your reality to others

- The person who speaks first is often perceived to be the leader. Set the tone by saying something helpful first.

- The social script has to be written by someone. Why not you?! 

- Make your tone and look fit your words. Nod and smile when others are sharing to make your non-verbals positive.

- Change the script from tragedy to comedy. Humor wields more social influence.

- Share stories from people who have benefited from what you do to inspire others.

- Start each conversation with a compliment or encouraging comment

- Add 3 smiles: flex your powerful positivity muscle 3 times a day

- Write down funny things you hear and find a way to share it in the next 24 hours (but not with a FWD email or post!)

- Create a narrative - develop a shared positive narrative about a time you or your team overcame something. Write out a real story with climax, conflict and resolving action.

Working on your humor

- keep lists of jokes and funny stories

- watch comedy shows to work on your timing

Goodreads says:

Why are some people able to make positive change while others remain the same?

In his international bestseller, The Happiness Advantage, Harvard trained researcher Shawn Achor described why happiness is the precursor to greater success. This book is about what comes before both. Because before we can be happy or successful, we need to first develop the ability to see that positive change is possible. Only once we learn to see the world through a more positive lens can we summon all our motivation, emotion, and intelligence to achieve our personal and professional goals.

In Before Happiness, Achor reveals five actionable, proven strategies for changing our lens to positive:

· The Most Valuable Reality: See a broader range of ideas and solutions by changing the details on which your brain chooses to focus
· Success Mapping: Set goals oriented around the things in life that matter to you most, whether career advancement or family or making a difference in the world
· The X-spot: Use success accelerants to propel you more quickly towards those goals, whether finishing a marathon, reaching a sales target, learning a language, or losing 10 pounds
· Noise-Canceling: Boost the signal pointing you to opportunities and possibilities that others miss
· Positive Inception: Transfer these skills to your team, your employees, and everyone around you

By mastering these strategies, you’ll create an renewable source of positivity, motivation, and engagement that will allow you to reach your fullest potential in everything you do.

His TedTalk is great:

Enigma Girls (Candace Fleming)

 

I was especially struck that these girls/women did not say anything about their experience for 30+ years! This is another example of women's stories going untold. They were compelled to be silent about their experience because of the war - but it is interesting how long they maintained their silence! At Bletchley Park there were over 8000 employees, 75% of which were female.

The stories are compelling. The chapters are short. It fills a gap in our understanding of World War II. This would be an okay book for some of the best readers in grade three. Imagining someone they know that is the same age and comparing their life experiences to what these girls were doing is eye-opening. These are ordinary teenagers who are entrusted with detailed and top secret codes. 

All this got me curious to see if there were Canadian women involved in code-breaking. There were. There is a CBC article here about Elsa Lessard.

Olive Bailey, who lives in BC and Marjorie Stetson in this video:

Goodreads says:

From award-winning author Candace Fleming, comes the powerful and fascinating story of the brave and dedicated young women who helped turn the tides of World War II for the Allies, with their hard work and determination at Bletchley Park. Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future. "You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in four days time....That is all you need to know." This was the terse telegram hundreds of young women throughout the British Isles received in the spring of 1941, as World War II raged. As they arrived at Station X, a sprawling mansion in a state of disrepair surrounded by Spartan-looking huts with little chimneys coughing out thick smoke—these young people had no idea what kind of work they were stepping into. Who had recommended them? Why had they been chosen? Most would never learn all the answers to these questions. Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret during World War II, operating under the code name Station X. The critical work of code-cracking Nazi missives that went on behind its closed doors could determine a victory or loss against Hitler’s army. Amidst the brilliant cryptographers, flamboyant debutantes, and absent-minded professors working there, it was teenaged girls who kept Station X running. Some could do advanced math, while others spoke a second language. They ran the unwieldy bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most know how to keep a secret. Candace Fleming is the award-winning and highly acclaimed author of Crash from Outer Space , The Curse of the Mummy , and many other nonfiction books for young readers. With her canny and compelling narrative voice she makes history come alive. Thick with tension and suspense, this is an extraordinary and relatively unknown story of World War II that will fascinate readers who will be thrilled to see young people playing such an important role in the wartime effort.

Born To Be Giants (Lita Judge)

 

This book is packed full of information about dinosaurs and animals today that they could be compred to. The illustrations perfectly show them as darling babies and fierce adults. 

Goodreads says:

TOO TINY TO BE TERRIFYING. The fascinating world of baby dinosaurs―in amazing pictures! What did a dinosaur look like sitting on its eggs? What kind of parent was a Tyrannosaurus rex? How could an Argentinosaurus, who probably hatched from an egg no bigger than 18 inches long, grow up to weigh more than 17 elephants? It's a sure bet that kids―always fascinated by dinosaurs―have wondered about these questions.BORN TO BE GIANTS, with its glossary of dinosaurs, easy-to-
understand text, and full-color illustrations, shows little readers how baby dinosaurs grew up to be GIANTS.

Tonight on the Titanic (Mary Pope Osborne)

 

I decided to change my approach for read-alouds for a while and try to read books that are really accessible for my students. I'm hoping it will inspire them to continue and read these books together. They really enjoyed this one. The countdown to 2:20 when the Titanic sank really had them on the edge of their seats.  I love that they love the facts this series teaches while still reading fiction. 

Goodreads says:

Jack and Annie are in for an exciting, scary, and sad adventure when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the decks of the "Titanic." Is there anything they can do to help the ill-fated ship? Will they be able to save anyone? Will they be able to save themselves?

The Wisdom of Trees (Lita Judge)

 

I've read a few things about how trees seem to communicate. This is a wonderful addition to that topic.

Goodreads says:

With lush illustrations, poems, and accessible scientific information, The Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge is a fascinating exploration of the hidden communities trees create to strengthen themselves and others.

We clean the air and seed the clouds, we drench the thirsty land with rain. We are like wizards.

The story of a tree is a story of community, communication, and cooperation. Although trees may seem like silent, independent organisms, they form a network buzzing with they talk, share food, raise their young, and offer protection. Trees thrive on diversity, learn from their ancestors, and give back to their communities. Trees not only sustain life on our planet―they can also teach us important lessons about patience, survival, and teamwork.

A New York Public Library Best Book of 2021
A New York Public Library Top Ten Book for Kids
Green Earth Book Award Longlist
An ALA SustainRT Top 10 Sustainability-Themed Children’s Books 2022

Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live (Lita Judge)

 

I wish we still did the life cycles unit! This would have been perfect for the parenting part. Beautiful illustrations and LOTS of information in this non-fiction book.

Goodreads says:

As informative as it is lovely, Homes in the Wild is an adorable nonfiction picture book from author/illustrator Lita Judge that shows that wild creatures―from beavers to bobcats, and sloths to squirrels―aren't so different from us after all.

Just like us, every baby animal has a home. Some live in complex burrows deep underground, others in simple nests high in the treetops. But all homes, regardless of where they are or how they're built, serve the same providing shelter where a baby can eat, sleep, learn, and stay safe while growing up.

Animal lovers will delight in this gorgeously illustrated peek inside the homes―from burrows deep underground to nests high in the trees―where baby animals live and grow.

A 2020 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12

Bird Talk (Lita Judge)

 

Beautiful illustrations! Fascinating information about how birds communicate.

Goodreads says:

A gorgeously illustrated tribute to birds of all kinds and the fantastic, funny, fascinating things that they do.

Birds have lots of ways of They sing and talk, dance and drum, cuddle and fight. But what does all of the bird talk mean?
Filled with gorgeous illustrations, this fascinating picture book takes a look at the secret life of birds in a child-friendly format that is sure to appeal to readers of all ages - whether they're die-hard bird-watchers or just curious about the creatures in their own backyards.

Science Comics: The Brain - The Ultimate Thinking Machine (Tory Woollcott and Alex Graudins)

This is amazing! They don't dumb things down at all and everything is taught so well. The graphics are amazing. A great book!

It starts off with the history of brain studies....right back to the Egyptians who would keep all sorts of body parts, but throw the brain away. They thought the brain was just for cooling the blood!

Goodreads says: nothing!! There is no summary on Goodreads. Weird!

This is the summary on the back of the book:

Make Connections with the brain!

Fahama has been kidnapped by a mad scientist and his zombie assistant, and they are intent on stealing her brain! She'll need to learn about the brain as fast as possible in order to plan her escape.

Think fast! The Brain: The ultimate thinking machine

How did the brain evolve? How do you senses work in relation to the brain? How do we remember things? What makes you, YOU? And why do neurons need an unlimited texting plan? (Because they send a lot of messages!) Get an inside look at the human brain, the most advanced operating system in the world....if you have the nerve!

Squidtoons: Exploring Ocean Science with Comics (Garfield Kwan and Dana Song)

Non-fiction graphic novels are a win! Lots of funny stuff and plenty of facts to satisfy kids. This one is a winner!

Goodreads says:

Dive deep into the latest, most interesting (and weirdest!) science about underwater creatures with Squidtoons!

These educational comics combine fun science facts about marine life and a strong environmental message. From whale vomit to bone-eating worms, narwhals to sea dragons, Squidtoons presents real ocean science in a series of easy-to-understand comics. Venture from the seashore to the deep sea, and learn about the ocean’s diverse life forms straight from the experts.

The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney (Alice B McGinty)

Who would have thought it was a little girl that named Pluto? Great story!

One of my favorite As it Happens stories on CBC was the one where people vented their anger over Pluto no longer being a planet. This book even addresses that in the afterward.

Goodreads says:

An empowering, inspiring--and accessible!--nonfiction picture book about the eleven-year-old girl who actually named the newly discovered Pluto in 1930. 

When Venetia Burney's grandfather reads aloud from the newspaper about a new discovery--a "ninth major planet" that has yet to be named--her eleven-year-old mind starts whirring. She is studying the planets in school and loves Roman mythology. "It might be called Pluto," she says, thinking of the dark underworld. Grandfather loves the idea and contacts his friend at London's Royal Astronomical Society, who writes to scientists at the Lowell Observatory in Massachusetts, where Pluto was discovered. After a vote, the scientists agree unanimously: Pluto is the perfect name for the dark, cold planet.
Here is a picture book perfect for STEM units and for all children--particularly girls--who have ever dreamed of becoming a scientist. 

Outer Order, Inner Calm (Gretchen Rubin)

I'm a big Gretchen Rubin fan. I've read The Happiness Project, The Four Tendencies and Better Than Before  (which I try to re-read about every six months). Since I enjoyed all of those so much, I pre-ordered this and was happy to get it as soon as it came out. I think it's definitely one to re-visit annually.

This one is different than the others. It's a quick read with a really narrow focus: lots of tips for organizing. One thing I love about Gretchen Rubin is that she doesn't get stuck on one way to do things. I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and didn't love it because she was too prescriptive with one right way to de-clutter and organize. Gretchen Rubin recognizes that there are a lot of good ways to accomplish the same thing. I especially connected with the section on the importance of the words we use (instead of apologizing for being late, thank people for waiting....instead of mindlessly wandering, explore and so on). She had some good tips. I read it while we were driving on a family trip and found myself anxiously looking forward to getting home to implement some of the strategies.



Goodreads says:

Bestselling author of The Four Tendencies and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin illuminates one of her key realizations about happiness: For most of us, outer order contributes to inner calm. In a new book packed with more than one hundred concrete ideas, she helps us create the order and organization that can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. 

In the context of a happy life, a messy desk or crowded coat closet is a trivial problem–yet Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of the stuff of life makes us feel more in control of our lives generally. By getting rid of things we don’t use, don’t need, or don’t love, as well as things that don’t work, don’t fit, or don’t suit, we free our mind (and our shelves) for what we truly value. 

In this trim book filled with insights, strategies, and sometimes surprising tips, Gretchen tackles the key challenges of creating outer order, by explaining how to “Make Choices,” “Create Order,” “Know Yourself–and Others,” “Cultivate Helpful Habits,” and, of course, “Add Beauty.” 

When we get our possessions under control, we feel both calmer and more energetic. With a sense of humor, and also a clear sense of what’s realistic for most people, Gretchen suggests dozens of manageable steps for creating a more serene, orderly environment–one that helps us to create the lives we yearn for.

Two Truths and a Lie (Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson)

This book is fabulous. It should be required reading for every adult before the post anything on Facebook (my current pet peeve is the STUPID falsehoods people put on Facebook). This would be a great book to use to start off a unit teaching students who to discern information that is useful and information that is not useful, especially online. This book would be a great way to teach kids to question what they read and seek back up information. The vocabulary in the book is quite impressive and might be tricky for younger grades.

I can't wait for the next volume to come out!


Goodreads says:

Two Truths and a Lie is the first book in a new series that presents some of the most crazy-but-true stories about the living world as well as a handful of stories that are too crazy to be true—and asks readers to separate facts from fakes! Did you know that there is a fungus that can control the mind of an ant and make it do its bidding? Would you believe there is such a thing as a corpse flower—a ten-foot-tall plant with a blossom that smells like a zombie? How about a species of octopus that doesn’t live in water but rather lurks in trees in the Pacific Northwest?

Every story in this book is strange and astounding. But not all of them are real. Just like the old game in this book’s title, two out of every three stories are completely true and one is an outright lie. Can you guess which? It’s not going to be easy. Some false stories are based on truth, and some of the true stories are just plain unbelievable. And they’re all accompanied by dozens of photos, maps, and illustrations. Amaze yourself and trick your friends as you sort out the fakes from the facts! 

In a Sunburned Country (Bill Bryson)

Before this, I didn't know about Bill Bryson. When I was carrying this book around people would comment, "Oh! I love Bill Bryson. Have you ever read...."

I definitely have some more reading to do.

I really didn't know anything about Australia before this. His book was a great way to learn about Australia. I learned that you could die there. They have some seriously unique animals and plants and a lot of danger. I think I'll stick to the coastal areas, if I go there. Although, the lure of undiscovered gems and minerals in the wide open outback is a bit of a temptation!

I really enjoyed his humour. I found myself chuckling often. I read this while hanging out in the lodge on our school's ski days and my friends around me would often ask what I was chuckling about. We enjoyed it together. I was glad I had those two days to sit and read. I wouldn't want to spread this one out over too many more days...it could take forever to read this one, if you let that happen. Instead, I totally immersed myself. It isn't that long, but the font is quite small....very dense!

It is interesting to me that so many countries have a part of their history where they were abusive to the indigenous people that were there when they arrived. There doesn't seem to be much shame in that on the part of Australians though. I found that quite curious.

I did find him a little more verbose than necessary. He does like to go on and on and on. Mavericks was the same way. (I never did finish that one...it's more of a long term project type book) It had a lot of great information, but there was just so much of it! I wondered if more people would read these kinds of books if only they were a little more succinct. He also likes to use crazy words. At first I'd look them up. Then I just started making a list to look up later. Most of the time I discovered that there was usually a word that would be just as effective that he could have used.

Goodreads summary:

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

The Story of Salt (Mark Kurlansky)

My student's laughed when I told them that salt has a great story. They couldn't imagine that there have been wars over salt, or that people have stolen it and had to go to jail over it. Salt is so common now! Fascinating story!

Goodreads summary:

From the team that created the ALA Notable Book The Cod's Tale comes the fascinating history of salt, which has been the object of wars and revolutions and is vital for life. Based on Mark Kurlansky's critically acclaimed bestseller Salt: A World History, this handsome picture book explores every aspect of salt: The many ways it's gathered from the earth and sea; how ancient emperors in China, Egypt, and Rome used it to keep their subjects happy; Why salt was key to the Age of Exploration; what salt meant to the American Revolution; And even how the search for salt eventually led to oil. Along the way, you'll meet a Celtic miner frozen in salt, learn how to make ketchup, and even experience salt's finest hour: Gandhi's famous Salt March.