Who is really being left behind? The students or the educators?

No Teachers Left Behind by HBF (Hopeful But Frustrated) Teacher

No Teachers Left Behind is a fictional look inside an American middle school. The story, told through emails, poetry, and scenes of dialogue, is a sometimes funny sometimes infuriating examination of some of the public school systems short-falls. Schools top heavy with high paid administrators who are little more than figureheads. Teachers over worked and over scheduled with meetings before, during, and after school, not to mention additional duties such as sporting events and buses. No time for effective lesson planning. The consequences of overlooking behavioral issues in an effort to streamline. The lack of resources. The focus on standardized test scores rather than meaningful lifelong learning.

To some readers this work of fiction may seem an exaggeration of the problems many schools face. But for those of us who teach in the public school system, particularly at the middle school level, No teachers Left Behind is a poignant reminder of the uphill battle educators face every single day.

But in the end, as this book reminds us, we do it for the children. To give the children the skills, tools, hopes and dreams necessary for a brighter future.

I recommend this book to any teacher and any parent with a child in the public school system.

The NEighbor by Lisa Gardner

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

Boston crime reporter, Jason Jones, has a big secret. A past full of skeletons he is trying to keep hidden away. When is wife, Sandy, goes missing suddenly in the middle of the night, Jason becomes Sargent DD Warren's prime suspect. The mysterious and cold Jones seems the obvious choice. That is until the investigation gets muddled by a host of other possibilities.

I have read all of Gardner's books to date and have really liked every one of them. The past few have been different than her earlier romantic suspense and I like it. I think they have become more disturbing.... in a good way! Love this author. I also love that she is a New England-ah!

Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon

Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon

Ten years ago, four art students met at the small and nontraditional Sexton College in Vermont. Suz, Henry, Tess, and Val/Winnie banded together, forming a renegade group of artists known as the Compassionate Dismantlers, believing that Dismantlement=Freedom. In order to truly understand something it must be taken apart.

Under Suz's misguided direction, the group carried out missions that became more dangerous and reckless with each one until one fateful night when it all came to a crashing halt. Years later, married and raising a smart but odd daughter, Emma, Henry and Tess begin coming apart at the seems as the past comes back to haunt them.

I became a fan of McMahon's after reading Promise Not to Tell and Island of Lost Girls. This book has the same feel to it, slightly creepy and ghosty, a bit of mystery, well-written. I found myself drawn in to the story and the characters. Of the three, I still like Promise Not to Tell the best.

8th Confession by James Patterson

The 8th Confession by James Patterson

Somehow I forgot to add this on here before Just Over the Mountain.

This is the 8th installment of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series. I really enjoy this series and always like catching up with Lindsey, Cindy, Clair, Conklin, and Jacobi.

Just Over the Mountain by Robyn Carr

Just Over the Mountain by Robyn Carr

Just Over the Mountain picks up where Deep in the Valley leaves off. it is the second book in the Grace Valley Trilogy. In this book we catch up with June, her budding romance with undercover officer Jim, the gang at the clinic, and Aunt Myrna has to answer some tough inquiries about the whereabouts of Morton Claypool. I am really enjoying this trilogy and in fact, I think I may have even liked this one more than the first. I enjoy the small town characters and the characteristics of the town itself.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Bruno is a typical 9 year old boy who loves exploring with his friends and hates being teased by his older sister and her friends. Bruno's father works for "The Fury" and he isn't sure exactly what his father's job entails, but think he must be good at it since he is suddenly promoted to "Commendant." The bad news is, Bruno and his family must leave their lovely five story Berlin home for a far away place Bruno knows only as "Out-With." It is a depressing and strange place. There are no neighbors or boys to play with. There are no markets or cafes busy with people. There is only a large barbed wire fence in the distance, where hundreds of people live in huts and all wear the same odd striped pajamas.

This book is another heartbreaking book about the Holocaust, told through the eyes of 9 year old Bruno. One I will definitely use in the classroom.

Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr

Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr

This is the story (the first in a trilogy) about a small town in Northern California known as Grace Valley. Grace Valley only has one doctor, June Hudson, who took over for her father when he retired. As the town doctor, June is replied on for everything and never gets a break. As the town begins to grow, June soon realizes she needs help and hires a talented and handsome young OB/GYN named John Stone. John moves to Grace Valley with his wife Susan and their little girl Sidney.

This story takes you inside the lives of the town's many unique characters. June, her father Elmer, the new doctor John Stone, the eccentric and wealthy aunt Myrna, the Native American police chief Tom, and all of the other regular townsfolk. I probably would not have ever picked this book up on my own but I read it as a buddy read with two friends in May. I have to say, I really enjoyed it. I loved the detailed look into small town lie and the rich host of characters. I will definitely finish the trilogy and hopefully try some of Carr's other books as well.