To Read a Good Book

This issue once again offers our readers a number of suggestions of good books to read over the course of the upcoming summer break. There are a variety of reviews and suggestions here. All of the books will provide enjoyment and opportunities for growth. Some are related directly to what goes on in our classrooms and some are more general in content.

We offer an issue focused on books once a year because we believe that all educators should continually be busy sharpening the skills and insights they need to be effective in dealing with their students. Education continues to change, and Christian educators, with their unique calling, should remain current with those changes. We trust that your reading of the books described here will enrich your staff room conversations and your classroom interactions.

At the same time, Gary Riggins’s article, “Confessions of a Poor Reader,” is an urgent reminder that the skill and pleasure of reading is not one that we all share in the same way. For that reason, in our next “reading and books” issue (April 2015) we will try to focus on materials that will be more accessible to educators and students for whom reading is not the enjoyable and enriching experience that it is for some of us. In this issue, there are also references to graphic novels, videos, and podcasts. If you have found such material that you believe would be helpful, please share them with our readers. Your contributions will appear in the next “books and reading” issue.