The author never forgot the time his mother, Eileen Levine, stopped an official from cutting down a neighbor's tree in Elmont (Long Island), NY. From that seed, this exciting story germinated, the story of a tough but sweet woman who saves a gingko tree and teaches us how to be a mensch in the world. Pearl and her sisters (Selma, Velma, and Wilma) grew up on Gingko Street (formerly Smith St) -- a street filled with Jewish and other immigrants, shaded by young, wide leafed, gingko trees. As time progressed, the trees grew, and people moved. Pearl stayed and the surnames changed. By the end of the book, Pearl is playing cards and hanging with her neighbors -- neighbors with Asian, African American and Hispanic surnames. They eat bagels and steamed dumplings, jalapenos and iced tea. When someone comes to cut down the last remaining gingko tree on the street, Pearl takes action, involves her neighbors, leverages the media, and gets the mayor to save the tree, plant new trees, and try her warm noodle kugel.

This is a delighfully sublte book that both children and adults will enjoy. It is about justice, about change, about pride, and about community. The illustrations are wonderful and in themselves provide many opportunities for discussion. Every school should have this book and every teacher should read it. Please check it out!

I recently read Mr. Wells' book retelling his experiences in the Pacific during WWII. I was very impressed with his story telling ability and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I have known Mr. Wells most of my life and had no idea that he had been, seen and done the things that he described. This book makes you realize just how great the heroes of WWII are, and how everyday "Joes" rose to the occasion that was presented by just being there. They made us all proud of their tencaity, grit and courage. I am an avid reader and highly recommend this book. I read it on a cross country airline flight..I just couldn't put it down. What a wonderful reading experience.

Art Wells, a Marine on the USS Pennsylvania on December 7, 1941 relates his experiences on that day and during the rest of the Pacific War in "The Quack Corps." Included are Mr. Wells Pearl Harbor experience, where he was wounded, his time on the Pennsylvania after her repair, time on the USS New Mexico and the time he spent with DUKW's in the invasions of Saipan and Okinawa. An extremely interesting and informative book, one that is not to be missed!

Art Pearl and Tony Knight have written a valuable book for people interested in providing a public education which prepares all students to become true citizens, active participants in building a democratic sosciety.

They argue that to be successful, we must have a theory about education, not just an instructional method or curriculum standards. Their theory describes the following important elements in a democratic classroom:

the use of persuasion and negotiation rather than prescription and edict in developing policy and enforcing rules,

the focus on relevance in the classroom: working to ensure that the focus is on solving problems rather than teaching subjects and that students are engaged in learning by the way material is presented.

the fundamental belief that all students are competent and that all students have not just a right to equal opportunity but to equal encouragement. This, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful points in the book. Pearl and Knight write eloquently about the damage done by deficit thinking in our schools, and how we can only repair that damage by developing strategies and practice which meet all students where they are and allow them an opportunity to move forward and develop their individual competence.

They have a very challenging section on the role of democracy in school government and the classroom. It deserves real attention from school boards, administrators and teachers.

Finally, they point to the individual classroom as the arena of change. Efforts must be made to develop the democratic classroom based on the unique culture and geography of each shool. No two democratic classrooms will look exactly the same.

It's probably one of the best books I've read on teaching. Right up there with Deborah Meier's "The Power of Their Ideas".