Category Archives: Books

Here s a list of books written for teachers that are worth reading. Enjoy!

Read inspirational stories about teachers over summer vacation! Terry Lee Marzell recommends…

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Congratulations! You have nearly made it to the end of another school year! Dedicated educators all over the country are busy wrapping up their current instructional programs, grading projects and working on finals, calculating semester grades, and cleaning up their classrooms. Many are preparing for commencement ceremonies, from pre-school to college. So much to do before the onset of summer vacation!

You might be considering buying end-of-year gifts for that favorite co-worker at your school, especially the one that is retiring, the teacher in your family, your child’s special teacher, or maybe that history buff you know. Or you might be thinking about indulging yourself, and stocking up on something inspirational to read during your much-needed time off. The kids aren’t the only ones who can benefit from a summer reading list, right?

Reading the stories of inspirational teachers in American history is a terrific way to reflect upon your successes from the past year. And they can really add that extra oomph that helps you recharge your batteries for the year to come. I have two splendid titles to suggest:  Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers who Educated America’s Disenfranchised Students (available here) and Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and Their Deeds of Valor (available here), both by Terry Lee Marzell. Each one available in print or in e-book formats and is reasonably priced. You can also browse the titles on the Books to Read list found elsewhere on this website.

However you decide to spend your precious time off, enjoy!

Gifting Marzell’s books on Teacher Appreciation Day

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Teacher Appreciation Day is just around the corner! This year, the celebration will take place from May 6 to May 10. When trying to decide just the right gift to give to your friends and family members that are teachers, or that special teacher that works with your child, consider copies of my books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes. Each volume is packed with inspirational stories about remarkable educators in American history and the historical implications of their pioneering work. These books make great gifts for individuals in the teaching profession and those aspiring to become teachers some day. They are also appealing to history buffs and social scientists.

Among the captivating stories in Chalkboard Champions is the story of Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African American born into freedom who volunteered to teach emancipated slaves as the Civil War raged around her. Read the eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee massacre through the eyes of teacher Elaine Goodale Eastman, and educator Mary Tsukamoto, imprisoned in a WWII Japanese internment camp. Read about Mississippi Freedom Summer teacher Sandra Adickes who, together with her students, defied Jim Crow laws to integrate the Hattiesburg Public Library. Marvel at the pioneering work of Anne Sullivan Macy, the teacher of Helen Keller, the efforts of teacher Clara Comstock to find homes for thousands of Orphan Train riders, and the dedication of Jaime Escalante, the East LA educator who proved to that inner city Latino youths could successfully meet the demands of a rigorous curriculum.

In Chalkboard Heroes, read about dedicated educators who were heroes both inside and outside of the classroom, including WWI veteran Henry Alvin Cameron and Civil War veteran Francis Wayland Parker. Learn about teachers who were social reformers such as Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights activist Robert Parris Moses, suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and Native American rights advocate Zitkala-Sa, all of whom put themselves at risk to fight for improved conditions for disenfranchised citizens. Discover brave pioneers who took great risks to blaze a trail for others to follow such as Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space; Willa Brown Chappell, the aviatrix who taught Tuskegee airmen to fly; Etta Schureman Jones, the Alaskan teacher who was interned in a POW camp in Japan during WWII; and Olive Mann Isbell, who established the first English school in California while the Mexican american War raged around her.

All these remarkable stories and more can be shared with someone you know this year on Teacher Appreciation Day!

Jodee Blanco memoir shares her story as a bullied child

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As teachers, we are charged with the well-being of all of our students. In order to ensure this well-being, we are always looking for ways to protect our students from bullying. The memoir Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman’s Inspirational Story by Jodee Blanco, gives us one more reason to renew our efforts. In her book, the author painstakingly describes her personal experiences as the kid who was bullied all throughout her school years.

This powerful memoir describes how one child was mentally and physically abused by her classmates. It offers a bold picture of what it means to be an outcast, how even the most loving parents can get it all wrong, why schools are often unable to prevent the behavior, and how bullying has been misunderstood and mishandled by the mental health community. Her story shines a spotlight on the harsh realities and long-term consequences of bullying, and how all of us can make a difference in the lives of kids.
Within 48 hours of its release, Blanco’s memoir hit the New York Times Best-Seller List. The volume is now required reading and summer reading in hundreds of middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities, and has become part of the curriculum in many schools.
The book was published in 2003 by Adams Media Corporation in Avon, Massachusetts. It can easily be found on amazon.com at the following link: Please Stop Laughing At Me.