Kayleigh Donnelly's Blog

Kayleigh Donnelly has a BS in Early Childhood Education and has one semester left in her Masters of Elementary Education program.  She has self published the first of her Addie Addison books entitled The Addisons Go Skiing.  As a teacher, she is highly interested in children's picture books.  In her free time, it is sports books and young adult novels that spark her interest most frequently. 

 

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Interesting but Repetitive

Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won - Tobias Moskowitz, L. Jon Wertheim

Every sports fan has caught themselves yelling at a referee for a "make up call" or for being "home team refs".  Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Won looks into the statistics behind these sports "truisms". 

 

The chapters get repetitive and frequently I found myself skimming the ends of chapters.  The book was very interesting though.  I am keeping the book because the statistics do paint an interesting picture and I may want to peruse again.  

A Creative Way to Get Your Kids Counting

Ten Black Dots - Donald Crews

Ten Black Dots gets children counting and excited to do so.  The pictures used are things preschoolers and young children recognize.  The children I have used it with are always excited to count the black dots on each page and share the number with friends.  It is always a favorite on the math book shelf and in the regular library of my classrooms.  There is even a review in the back of the book which children often use to quiz each other.  

 

I highly recommend this book for parents and teachers.

Dense and Long But Rightfully So

The Price of Silence: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal, the Power of the Elite, and the Corruption of Our Great Universities - William D. Cohan

This is the second book I read about the Duke lacrosse scandal.  It is the denser and more difficult read of the two books and looks at the events that led to everything that occurred in Durham that year from many different angles.  

 

The thing I find most interesting about this book is the fact that to this day it is hotly debated what occurred behind closed doors in that off campus residence.  Both sides are still adament that they know the truth.  I have followed this case for years and am always interested in finding new information and definitely lean one way.  If you peruse the reviews of this book, many feel the book is written in a very one sided manner.  That being said, if you know nothing about the Duke lacrosse scandal it is important you take the information with a grain of salt and investigate from both sides.  

 

I read the book in small chunks while laying by the pool.  It is a lot of information, incredibly long and not always the most flowing book so feel free to break it up into pieces.  This is a lot easier if you do have background knowledge of the case so it is easy to not forget what Mr. Cohan has already shared. 

 

Be forewarned, this book can be very hit or miss.  You'll most likely love or hate it, very few people I know fell in between.  I belong to the love category but completely understand those who gave up after 50 pages. 

The Addisons Go Skiing ~ Combining Literacy and Mathematics

The Addisons Go Skiing - Kayleigh Anne Donnelly

The Addisons Go Skiing is an engaging way to get children interested in math. With an enjoyable plot line that keeps children turning every page, the format allows children to visualize the addition problems, count along, and find the answer on their own! Lastly, the lead character is a young female who loves math which encourages young girls that math isn't just for the boys.

 

I highly recommend for parents and teachers alike.

Nate Jackson Keeps Reader's Coming Back for More!

Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile - Nate Jackson

Nate Jackson does a fabulous job giving readers insight into the life of an NFL player.  As an undrafted player from a D3 school, Nate isn't a big name athlete sharing the glamour side of the NFL.  Nate is honest as he writes about the life of a mid-level contributor to the Broncos.  He is funny and real which keeps readers turning every page.