The Bill of Obigations by Richard Haass

THE BILL OF OBLIGATIONS by Richard Haass offers a new perspective on the relationship between American people and their government. Whereas the focus has increasingly been on individual rights (e.g., second amendment right to bear arms), Haass explores the concept of obligation of citizens to the country and describes “The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.” He begins that list with “be informed” and “get involved.” Other ideas include staying open to compromise, rejecting violence, valuing norms, and respecting government service. I found the section about teaching civics to be particularly relevant and look forward to sharing this text with high school teachers. Dr. Richard Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations, an experienced diplomat and policymaker, advisor to multiple Presidents, and a prolific author. THE BILL OF OBLIGATIONS is a very accessible text and could prompt numerous discussions (e.g., what examples can students find of placing the country and U.S. democracy above party and person?). Also, the “where to go for more” section is fabulous, with references to the National Archives as well as writings by numerous historians (Hofstadter, Lepore, Schlesinger, Jr., Tuchman, Zinn are just a few), and to presidential speeches and biographies. He cites several texts which we have previously reviewed: Last Best Hope, How Democracies Die, or The Upswing. Plus newspapers, magazines and podcasts. THE BILL OF OBLIGATIONS is definitely worth a look for Haass’s arguments and his sources (notes encompass about a third of the book)!  Here, for example, are some relevant websites he recommends:
iCivics
National Constitution Center and its Interactive Constitution
Common Sense Education
Khan Academy
Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics
American Citizenship test questions

Retro by Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman

RETRO by Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman is a young adult novel that begins with some drama between two long-time friends, the posting of a damning video, and subsequent concerns about mental health and technology use at a Northern California high school. It is a bit difficult to believe that the kids are as mean as they are portrayed to be, but even allowing for that, the clique conflicts ebb and flow in rather stilted ways (e.g., why is a super-popular guy suddenly into a loner girl?). Friendships do develop and it is fun to see a “brat pack” of sorts (think Breakfast Club) trying to support each other in their quest to not use pre-2000 technology for a year. The actions of the tech company, called Limbo, are also rather suspicious and the suspense about who will win the challenge and what will happen next does move the story along. However, the characters are rather unevenly developed. Look instead for Dry, a dystopian novel written by Jarrod Shusterman and his father, Neal, or for the action-packed Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman – that one is older, but still amazing and popular with student readers. 

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

INDEPENDENCE by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Before We Visit the Goddess) is a work of historical fiction which is centered primarily in India during the 1940s and the push for independence from British rule. But the title also refers to the struggles for self-autonomy for three sisters: Deepa who is a beautiful singer thinking about marriage; Priya who passionately hopes to become a doctor like their father; and Jamini who aims for virtue and yet sometimes grudgingly takes on the household responsibilities. Each, in her own way, is a rebel against societal, religious, and family expectations. Their lives change dramatically when their father dies and the sisters struggle with life choices about whom to marry and where to live, but the family bonds are strong.  INDEPENDENCE deals with themes of belonging and acceptance, with duty and betrayal, and with selfishness and sacrifice - all on an individual and on a country-wide level. Like other titles by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, this newest one would make an excellent book group choice. INDEPENDENCE received starred reviews from Booklist ("unforgettable prose") and Publishers Weekly ("This is a must.").

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE by Benjamin Stevenson is a very entertaining mystery that will have readers laughing at multiple points. Stevenson is actually an award-winning comedian and has worked at a literary agency in Australia. His expertise in both areas is evident in this unique mystery involving the Cunningham family who are holding a reunion at a ski resort. It’s not long before the body count piles up and the (unreliable?) narrator, Ernie, shares some family history with at least one chapter EACH about various siblings, parents (and step-father), spouses, and other family members. Hard to follow? Sometimes, but Stevenson offers a recap part way through (one of my favorite flippant parts!). He also recommends dog-earing the epigraph containing Ronald Knox’s 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction, circa 1929, to which he frequently refers. Mystery fans will truly enjoy EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE which was a LibraryReads selection for January and received a well-deserved starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Unraveling by Peggy Orenstein

I loved UNRAVELING by Peggy Orenstein. It is her story of “What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater,” but really it is filled with observations about coping with the pandemic and about the importance of being open and curious about new experiences.  I found this book to be a source of solace and I spun the reading over a few weeks, learning about shearing, dye making, and knitting. Those relatively ancient skills somehow reinforced the idea that modern day readers would also manage to cope and they could begin with some deep breaths and a slower pace. I thoroughly enjoyed turning to Orenstein’s antics at the end of each day and found her wordplay entertaining, too: “We hang by threads, we lose the thread, we pick up the thread, we thread through crowds … Textile analogies loom large in our lives.” It is clear she researched extensively and UNRAVELING includes a 3 page selected bibliography. Orenstein herself commented, “What I didn’t expect was all I’d discover about how clothing has shaped civilization, class, culture, power, or its pivotal role in our environmental future.” Readers, too, will learn much. Highly recommended.

Write for Life by Julia Cameron

WRITE FOR LIFE by Julia Cameron is a 6-Week Artist's Way Program with “Creative Tools for Every Writer.” And Cameron does offer a variety of practical, easy to use tools. The first that she discusses at length is Morning Pages, writing three pages (eight and a half by eleven inches) in longhand (!) before starting the rest of the day. Referring to this as a kind of meditation, Cameron relays her own experiences and those of many other writers. I appreciated her reliance on a spiritual connection and her willingness to be vulnerable and to express concern for her readers. It feels as though she wants to spark success and each of the main six chapters ends with a summary including a short list of tasks and a series of check-in questions. There is very little judgment – in fact, she anticipates that readers will inflict that upon themselves and devotes one section to “Resist your Resistance.” This is a valuable, pragmatic guide and Cameron is extremely knowledgeable; she has published more than forty books and written every day for more than half a century.

Exiles by Jane Harper

EXILES is the latest mystery set in Australia by Jane Harper (The Dry, Force of Nature, and more). Aaron Falk, a police investigator of financial misdeeds, departs Melbourne for a weekend in a small town where he is to become godfather to a colleague’s son. It is a close-knit community and the story centers around the Raco family (brothers Ben, Charlie and Greg) and their long-time friends (like Shane, Naomi, Rohan, Dean, and Kim). Falk actually encounters two unsolved deaths: Dean was killed in a hit-and-run accident near the reservoir about six years ago and Kim, new mother to baby Zoe and to teenage Zara, disappeared in the same area exactly a year ago. In her classic style, Harper lays out the evidence and pose many questions. At one point, Falk says, “I really like that moment when you’ve been untangling something for ages … but then suddenly one thing changes … Everything fits together and it’s so clear. I love that bit.” Harper provides the same sensation for her readers, offering more than one surprising twist in this complicated mystery. She also focuses on relationships, introducing potential romance for Falk and hinting at future stories. EXILES received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly; it is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for January 2023.

Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder

ROUGH SLEEPERS by Tracy Kidder (Mountains Beyond Mountains) is subtitled “Dr. Jim O'Connell's urgent mission to bring healing to homeless people,” described as “a glimpse of a world hidden in plain sight.” Kidder once again provides superb narration about a selfless individual; in this case, he is telling the amazing story of a doctor who has dedicated nearly 40 years to befriending and caring for the homeless in Boston. Kidder himself spent roughly five years researching the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, at times riding along with volunteers and paid staff as they brought medical care to the streets. Writing that “a country-doctor approach for an urban population — this was the kind of doctoring that could bring in suspicious patients,” Kidder emphasizes the importance of listening to the homeless patients (for more, see his piece for the New York Times). Filled with many anecdotes, ROUGH SLEEPERS is both troubling and extremely inspiring; it received a starred review from Kirkus and was selected as an Amazon Best Book of January 2023. 

Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks

MOONRISE OVER NEW JESSUP by Jamila Minnicks is a debut novel and Winner of the 2021 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction which is exciting, but I felt that the preview I saw needed further edits. Minnicks sets the story in the late 1950s in a small Alabama town whose residents are all Black. That means they have more flexibility, independence and freedom (e. g., no “Colored” back entrances) than Black citizens who live elsewhere, particularly in the rural South. That absence of fear is initially a shock to Alice Young who ends up in New Jessup after having to flee an abusive landlord in another small Alabama town. Over time and through the kindness of New Jessup residents like the Pastor and local dressmaker, Alice comes to value the quiet certitude which of her new life, even falling in love and getting engaged. There is tension, though, when her boyfriend, Raymond, and his friends impatiently embrace National Negro Advancement Society (NNAS) principles and advocate for municipality rights for New Jessup. Agitators want to push for full integration and town elders prefer to preserve the status quo. The text felt repetitive and slow in places, but Minnicks ably illustrates the courage which was needed to face opposition from multiple sides and to risk the loss of current rights while fighting for equal privilege. Readers may appreciate a warning due to use some offensive racial epithets.

Study like a Champ (or not!)

STUDY LIKE A CHAMP by Regan A. R. Gurung and John Dunlosky is subtitled “The Psychology-Based Guide to ‘Grade A’ Study Habits.” And while the information might be helpful (more on that in a moment), the text fails to offer an attractive cover or a truly compelling message. The New York Times recently published a guest opinion piece by Jonathan Malesic which commented on how important the desire to learn truly is. Honestly, it seems rarer and rarer as students (and their parents) chase grades instead of learning for its own sake. Gurung and Dunlosky, psychology professors at Oregon State and Kent State, respectively, had an opportunity to address this trend and failed. 

They do cite work by John Hattie which reinforces the importance of self-motivation and the way in which a student approaches studying. However, STUDY LIKE A CHAMP itself is written as though the intended audience is other psychologists (maybe some teachers or education administrators would be curious, but even they would likely tire of slogging through this text). Even though Gurung and Dunlosky say “you” (seemingly addressing student readers) frequently, this manuscript is not geared to a middle or high school student. Explicitly modeling a poor writing style and dryly explaining metacognition or the cycle of self-regulation (in a figure without a memorable diagram) are not going to attract converts amongst the many students struggling with building better study skills. The authors need crisper language and at least some images to attract attention – the preview text references Table 1.1 (a summary of key skills?), but it is not provided. There is a Figure 1.1 and an Exhibit 1.1 which again gives a subtle clue as to how research oriented and unengaging this supposed study guide is. There are attempts to be helpful such as ending each chapter with a summary, plus flowery "key training tips" and "go for the gold with advanced reading." However, consider Chapter 2's suggestion: a thirty-four page scholarly article in the Journal of Educational Psychology. Really?!

We know (especially given disruptions driven by COVID) that students need help/guides/tools now more than ever. Other publishers (e.g., Adams Media, Crown, and DK) produce books on study skills (we also reviewed these), many of which have real-world contributions from educators. STUDY LIKE A CHAMP is a disappointment; even this short 2020 article, also published by the American Psychological Association, is a more accessible overview. Turn instead to Outsmart your Brain by Daniel Willingham (review forthcoming).