Author Archives: Gary Anderson

Review: THE VICTORY SEASON: THE END OF WORLD WAR II AND THE BIRTH OF BASEBALL’S GOLDEN AGE by Robert Weintraub

Posted on May 18, 2013

Robert Weintraub’s The Victory Season: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball’s Golden Age focuses on major league baseball’s 1946 season, notable as the first post-World War II campaign and the beginning of what some call … Continue reading →

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Review: LIVING WITH JACKIE CHAN by Jo Knowles

Posted on May 10, 2013

“Then you have to claim it, Josh. You have to take ownership of whatever happened and learn how to live with it. And you can start by saying –“ Living with Jackie Chan is another excellent novel from Jo Knowles … Continue reading →

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Review: BOB DYLAN IN AMERICA by Sean Wilentz

Posted on May 3, 2013

Bob Dylan in America is historian Sean Wilentz’s study of how various currents and touchstones of American culture directly and indirectly affected the music of Bob Dylan. Not at all a biography, Wilentz’s book examines critical points in Dylan’s career … Continue reading →

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“Does This Need a Title?”: Helping Students Generate Titles

Posted on April 22, 2013

Most English teachers have heard some variation of “Does this need to have a title?” Although it seems like a yes-or-no question, my stock answer is “A title provides an excellent opportunity to set up your readers with some expectations … Continue reading →

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What Students Read When They Can Read Anything

Posted on April 11, 2013

Back in December, I posted a list of books students in my classes were reading. Now, four months later, my students are still reading, and I’ve added two new classes of readers to the mix. Today I made a list … Continue reading →

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Review: BRAIN ON FIRE: MY MONTH OF MADNESS by Susannah Cahalan

Posted on April 10, 2013

Brain on Fire is New York Post reporter Susannah Cahalan’s gripping memoir about her horrific experience with a rare brain inflammation. The attack first manifested itself behaviorally—hallucinations, impulsive actions, anxiety—so Cahalan’s case was misunderstood and misdiagnosed as mental illness. After … Continue reading →

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Adventures with iPads: Three Questions

Posted on April 8, 2013

After using an iPad for the past month, I can say I like it for my personal use. All of the apps that keep me organized, entertained and enlightened are on there: Notes, Kindle, Pulse, Weather Channel, Twitter, Facebook, etc. … Continue reading →

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Review: TWERP by Mark Goldblatt

Posted on April 2, 2013

How many times have we witnessed kids picking on one another verbally or physically and, when challenged about it, defending themselves by saying, “It’s a joke,” or “We’re just kidding around”? In Twerp, Mark Goldblatt shows how “just kidding around” … Continue reading →

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Review: SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR by Matthew Quick

Posted on March 12, 2013

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick My rating: 5 of 5 stars Amber Appleton’s life could be considered miserable. She is homeless and living in a bus. Abandoned by her father, Amber loves her mother, but her mother … Continue reading →

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Now Entering: iPad-Landia

Posted on March 10, 2013

On Friday I received a school-issued iPad, and this opens all kinds of exciting new territory. Our district is rolling out iPads for student use in a big way. We are the largest high school district in Illinois, so this … Continue reading →

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