We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy, a Very Oral History by Yael Kohen

“It’s better. But there is more journey ahead of us. The theory is that the rise of women in comedy parallels the rise of women in America. The same narrative applies to where society is when it comes to its treatment of women.”

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

“Vowell’s work is the work of historians — untangling fact from fiction, analyzing both, and engagingly communicating their findings.”

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl

“I can, perhaps, imagine myself as a food writer in another life. I used to review restaurants for my college paper. I could picture what it would be like to try dish after dish in Chicago, describing it to my readers — the Trib, of course.”

Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again by Andrea Barber

“You see, Full House (ABC) was popular when I was a kid. The character Michelle and I were around the same age. On Tuesday nights,  I got to snuggle up with my dad to watch the Tanner family in all their crazy antics. So, it’s no surprise that Fuller House filled me with joy and nostalgia.”

The Standards-Based Classroom: Make Learning the Goal by Emily Rinkema & Stan Williams

“From this book, I learned to value the SBL approach because it prioritizes critical thinking and the necessary conditions for students to engage in it.”

Stamped from the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

“However uncomfortable it is, the path to truth, reconciliation, and healing, learning about our history. We can’t eliminate racism, prejudice, discrimination, or injustice until we bravely look it in the face.”

NOW Classrooms Grades 9-12: Lessons for Enhancing Teaching and Learning Through Technology by Meg Ormiston

“Sometimes it’s overwhelming. Sometimes you have no idea where to start. NOW Classrooms is an enjoyable place to start. The authors of this book — teachers themselves — understand this and write directly for teachers trying to meet the needs of their 21-century students in a holistic way.”

How Writing Shapes Thinking: A Study of Teaching and Learning by Judith A. Langer and Arthur N. Applebee

“Unfortunately, even thirty-five years after the research came out, it’s not typical to see students writing unless they are in English or social science class. Creating a school culture of writing still hasn’t caught fire. But it needs to.”

The Loud Minority: Why Protest Matters in American Democracy by Daniel Q. Gillion

“In the book, Gillion presents the research he found when he pursued the question, “How do protests impact American democracy?” He reviews not only the history of protests in the United States but also the data collected from his action research about protests and their various natures.”

How to be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

“I chose the side of “no racism.” But, it wasn’t until the summer after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbury that I realized it isn’t enough to be “not racist. We have to be antiracist.”