Book Review - The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action

About the Book

In The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action discover how to balance learning and performing to bolster personal and team success with this revolutionary guide from a world-renowned expert on growth mindset.

 
“An essential read for fostering learning, performance, and a growth mindset . . . I wholeheartedly recommend it.”—Carol Dweck, bestselling author of Mindset

A Next Big Idea Club Must Read

To succeed in a fast-changing world, individuals and companies know they must create a culture of growth, where experimentation and feedback are encouraged, and learning is integrated into the everyday. Yet we often get stuck in a well-worn pattern of habits that don’t move us forward. Why?

Because many of us get trapped in the Performance Paradox: the counterintuitive phenomenon that if we focus only on performing, our performance suffers.

How can we give ourselves the space to experiment and grow while also delivering high-level results?

Fostering growth mindset to elevate performance is Eduardo Briceño’s specialty. As CEO of Mindset Works and in his work with Fortune 500 companies, he discovered that mastering growth—personal, organizational, and financial—hinges on navigating the crucial balance between learning and performing.

In The Performance Paradox, Briceño reveals how to

• avoid falling into the chronic performance trap that stagnates growth
• identify when and how to unlock the power of mistakes
• integrate learning into daily habits in ways that stick
• lead teams that constantly improve and outperform their targets
• grow your skill level and output simultaneously and for the long term

We can achieve more tomorrow than we do today if we develop the belief that we can change and the competence for how to change. With Briceño’s innovative and refreshing framework of balancing learning and performing, individuals and companies can reach their boldest aspirations.


My Take on the Book
This was a great book that really allows you to rework your own mindset and turn it into a growth mindset. The book provides step-by-step instructions on what you can do to make this switch in your life. The author really knows his stuff and truly has a passion for this topic and wants you to truly learn more so you can become a stronger leader. The information contained in the book is set up so it can be applied immediately. No matter where you are in your career this book will help you to better align your career with the vision that you have for your future. 

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Book Review - Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont

About the Book

In Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont you get E.T. meets Stranger Things in this middle-grade novel series from author and award-winning filmmaker Nick Brooks. With crossover appeal, this fun, engaging series has plenty of nostalgia nods for adults to appreciate as well as young readers.

Something cool happening in Ferrous City? Not a chance. Until one day . . . when self-proclaimed genius inventor Ethan Fairmont runs into an abandoned car factory to avoid a local bully and accidentally stumbles across his ex–best friend Kareem, new kid Juan Carlos, and an extraterrestrial visitor. Cheese (the alien) is stuck on Earth and in need of some serious repairs, spicy snacks—and absolute, total secrecy. That’s easier said than done when mysterious agents descend on Ferrous City to search for Cheese. With time running out and their family and friends in potential danger, can Ethan, Kareem, and Juan Carlos pull off an intergalactic rescue before they’re all found out?

Weaving issues of racial profiling, community struggles, and everyday life in a fast-paced science fiction adventure, Brooks’s debut middle-grade series is destined to be a favorite out-of-this-world adventure for kids 9–12. A timely—and timeless—sci-fi epic for fans of Tristen Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky and the Artemis Fowl series.


My Take on the Book
This was a fun book that brought together some great characters led by Ethan. What I loved about this book is that you get action, science fiction, and more. The book is really a fast read and by the end of the book, you are asking for more. The author did leave it open for more books in the future and I, for one, am hoping to see more in the future too!

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Book Review - Fat Ham

About the Book

Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, James Ijames' Fat Ham reinvents Shakespeare's masterpiece in startling and hilarious ways amidst the backdrop of a family barbecue in the American South.

Juicy—a young, queer, Southern man, who is grappling with questions of identity—is visited by the ghost of his father (Pap) at his mother’s wedding/family barbecue. Pap demands that Juicy avenge his recent murder. How will Juicy, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man, trying to break a cycle of trauma and toxic masculinity, avenge his father’s premature death? Fat Ham reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece in startling and hilarious ways amidst the backdrop of a family barbeque in the American South.

My Take on the Book
This was a great write-up of the Pulitzer Prize winner for best drama. As a fan of Shakespeare I loved this retelling of Hamlet. Though this is a retelling, it is completely unique and different. I found the story to be compelling, the characters to very well developed and by the end I wanted to see this in person and you will too! 

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Book Review - My Love for You

About the Book
In My Love for You the love between a mother and her offspring knows no bounds in this timeless and beautiful bedtime storybook.

From hippos and tigers, to penguins and people, a universal bedtime ritual is shared

"My love for you is like a stream, flowing wide, and long, and deep. My love for you is just as long. Now hush-a-bye to sleep."

 
It can take more than a few tries, but in the end, with a mother's heartfelt profession of love, little ones are finally eased into their dreams.

My Take on the Book
This was a wonderful book that shows the love of a parent and child. The love is shown page by page through a delightful story but also amazing illustrations. This is a great book for a parent and child to read together and one that can be shared over and over again!

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Book Review - The Extradimensional Reappearance of Mars Patel

About the Book
In The Extradimensional Reappearance of Mars Patel Mars and his friends have escaped the Martian colony and returned to Earth, to find that all the adults have vanished! A thrilling sci-fi adventure based on Season 3 of the Peabody Award–winning podcast.

After Mars Patel fled the Martian colony and its erupting volcano, he headed for Earth with JP, Toothpick, Aurora, Cupcake (everyone’s favorite two-hundred-pound tardigrade), and genius billionaire Oliver Pruitt. But when they finally arrive, Mars is shocked to find that all the adults on Earth have mysteriously vanished. Aurora, the popular new principal of Pruitt Prep, thinks Earth is better off without the adults, while Mars, who’s now a celebrity, is desperate to find his mom. As tensions rise and new mysteries are revealed—including a secret lab, an impending election, and a wild new discovery on Mars—will Mars and his friends manage to unravel the truth? Or is Oliver Pruitt outplaying them all? A vibrant cast brings to life this tech-rich page-turner, based on the award-winning podcast.


My Take on the Book
This was a great book that brings some amazing kids that have some amazing abilities. The book is fast paced and works to encourage you to read more and more with every page. This was a great book in the series. I will say that you should read the series in order as you will want some of the context from the previous book so this book makes sense as well. The book gives you mystery, adventure and more and continues to build your anticipation page by page to the climax point of the book itself. The book was a fun read and I encourage it and the series to all!

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Book Review - Always, Clementine

About the Book
From the author of I, Cosmo in Always, Clementine comes a humor-filled, heart-tugging tale of a genius mouse, secretly freed from a lab, who’s in search of a real home—and a way to free her old friends. 

Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she dreams in Latin. The scientists say she’s a genius and put her through test after test. Clementine is proud of being a good lab mouse, but she’s lonely. Her only snatches of friendship occur during her late-night visits with a chimpanzee named Rosie. When a compassionate lab technician frees Clementine, the mouse discovers an outside world full of wonders: Brussels sprouts, games of speed chess, television fame, and a chance for a real home. But for Clementine, it’s not enough to be free when she knows that Rosie and the other mice are not. This tender, lively adventure story, narrated in letters from a mouse to a chimpanzee, shows us that goodness is something we have to define for ourselves—and that courage and wisdom aren’t proportionate to size.

My Take on the Book
This is a great book that is full of characters that you will love, action, kindness and a ton of heart. I loved that Clementine kept in touch with Rosie through writing letters. The action of being hijacked was exciting and you find yourself reading page by page as you want to find out what happens next. This was a great book that middle school readers will love! 

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Book Review - The Middle School Rules of Mike Evans: as told by Sean Jensen

About the Book
In The Middle School Rules of Mike Evans, we learn a ton about of Mike Evans. Before he starred for one of the most dynamic offenses in college and the pros, he had to survive middle school.

Mike Evans is entering his eighth season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The three-time Pro Bowl selection is one of the NFL's most consistent and feared receivers. He played a key role in helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, leading his team in every major receiving category during the regular season and catching 11 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason. He and his wife, Ashli, started the Mike Evans Family Foundation in 2017, focusing on empowering youth, encouraging education, and taking a stand against domestic violence.

The Middle School Rules of Mike Evans highlights the adversity Mike had to overcome in his childhood, the impact of growing up in Galveston (an island city on the Gulf Coast of Texas that was greatly affected by Hurricane Ike), and the people who shaped him most—especially after the devastating loss of his father.

My Take on the Book
If you love Mike Evans as an athlete, get ready to be taken into his world, allowing you to learn more about what makes him not only a great football player, but a great person. This is another great addition to the Middle School Rules books that author Sean Jensen continues to share with his readers. What I love about this book is you really get to know Mike Evans as the person and not just the football player which for me, makes him more relatable! 

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Book Review - The Secret of Culture Change: How to Build Authentic Stories That Transform Your Organization

About the Book

In The Secret of Culture Change: How to Build Authentic Stories That Transform Your Organization find out how bold actions by visionary leaders can inspire powerful stories that drive culture change.

Data indicates that most strategic efforts to change a company’s culture fail. So how do companies succeed in this endeavor?

A top strategy professor and two highly successful CEOs found that, in companies that had successfully changed their culture, leaders had taken dramatic actions that embodied the new cultural values. These actions inspired stories that became company legends, repeated in every department and handed on to new employees.

Through compiling and analyzing 150 stories from business leaders who have achieved change, they identified 6 attributes that every successful culture change story has in common:

1. The actions that build these stories are authentic
2. These stories "star" the leader
3. They signal a clean break with the past, and a clear path to the future
4. They appeal to employee heads and hearts
5. They’re often theatrical or dramatic
6. They’re told, and re-told, throughout the organization

With extensive and inspiring examples of stories containing these attributes, the authors illustrate how readers can harness the power of stories within their company in order to change or create a winning culture to align with any strategy.

My Take on the Book
What I loved about this book is that it offers anyone in a leadership position within their business clear strategies that you can follow to be able to transform the culture of your company in a way that is scalable in any type of business. The authors use great examples that are easy to understand and follow and they make the steps to follow within your own business transparent. While changing a culture is not always easy, you can follow the steps shared here to be able to have a blueprint in place that you can get you moving in the right direction!

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Book Review - Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy

About the Book

After 30 years, discover the inspirations behind Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and its legacy as a certified pop-culture experience in the new book The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy.

What is it about Jack Skellington that is so compelling? Why does the love between Sally and Jack resonate with so many? The feature-length, stop-motion movie about the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who becomes obsessed with celebrating Christmas is a fascinating musical and love story that has transcended the original film and captivated the world. From the improbable tale to the lovable characters, Tim Burton’s creation has turned into a lifestyle, branching into fashion, video games, card and board games, live-action concerts, themed celebrations at Disneyland, and even cameos in other movies.

Featuring an original foreword by Tim Burton himself, Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town celebrates the film and the culture that has grown around it with exclusive and original interviews from:

• Author and creator, Tim Burton
• Animators, sculptors, and other artists of the film
• Jack Skellington himself, Danny Elfman
• The iconic voice of Sally, Catherine O’Hara
• Musicians on the Nightmare Revisited album

Delve into the magic of Halloween and Christmas in a story told through unlikely heroes that started 30 years ago. This beautifully designed coffee-table book is sure to captivate die-hard and casual fans alike.


My Take on the Book
As a fan of this movie, this book gives you everything you would ever want. The book really allows you to delve beyond the movie into everything about the making of the movie to the actors and characters within it, the people who created it, the branding of items surrounding the movie and more. If you are as much of a fan as I am, this book will be a treasure trove of amazing information for you and your family and it will be a book that you will want to have prominently shared for others to view too! 

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Book Review - Granny Smith Was Not an Apple

About the Book
''Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back England's fog. You'll find Maria Ann Smith. A woman raised tough to the core.''

In the 1800s, a migrant farmer named Maria Ann Smith worked as an apple orchardist. Her discovery of a new type of apple that never turned red, but was always green, tart, sweet, and perfect for a pie, was due in part to a fluke of nature, and in part to Maria's insight and determination. The beloved Granny Smith apple that we know today was named in her honor. Granny Smith Was Not an Apple is her story.

Author Sarah Glenn Fortson has a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, as well as a Master's in Education. This is her second children's picture book. She lives in Georgia. Illustrator Kris Aro McLeod is a freelance author and artist, and a former elementary school art teacher. She has written and illustrated several children's books and currently lives in Michigan.


My Take on the Book
This was a wonderful book that brings forth a story that I do not believe that many know about (at least I know that I didn't). The story shares the story of Maria Ann Smith and how she developed the Granny Smith Apple. I loved how the book weaved in history, but also facts that educate you about the world that Maria Ann Smith lived within, The illustrations were wonderful and the story is one that will open your eyes and educate you. This was a great story that your kids will love!

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Book Review - Graveyard Girls - Scream for the Camera

About the Book
In Graveyard Girls Scream for the Camera New York Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus deliver a slightly scary, extremely addictive contemporary middle-grade series—perfect for fans of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Ann M. Martin’s The Babysitters Club.

It’s been a month since the Graveyard Girls—Gemma, Whisper, Sophie, Frannie, and Zuzu—discovered Silas Hoke’s empty grave. A month, and no answers. That changes when messages from the other side start to creep up on the Graveyard Girls. Gemma’s good-luck charm. The skull in Whisper’s spilled milk. Sophie’s vanishing phone. Frannie’s theater curse. And Zuzu’s possessed Jōurnal. Who is trying to reach them . . . and why?

The good news: There might be one person with some answers. The bad news: She’s a mortician . . . with a deadly secret.

Speaking of bad news, straight-A Sophie is quickly sliding down the scale to becoming a B-flat friend. She is spending way more time hanging out with “Danger Me” and way less time with the Graveyard Girls and her schoolwork. Will her scary story be enough to win back her pals, or will her picture-perfect life become the ultimate photo bomb?

My Take on the Book
This is a great addition to the Graveyard Girls series. In this you get a book that really moves and a plot that gives young readers some light scaring while still being surrounded by humor as well, What I loved is that the author does a great job at keeping you guessing while also dealing with some friend drama. All-in-all you get a solid book for the series which leads you at the end to wanting even more! 

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Book Review - Baby's First Book of Banned Books

About the Book

In the Babys First Book of Banned Books you get an introduction for babies and toddlers to key lessons learned through infamously banned books.

Baby's First Book of Banned Books By Laura Korzon is a unique new board book from Mudpuppy that introduces beloved classics and cherished stories like The Diary Of Anne Frank and To Kill A Mockingbird to little learners.

• Early Learning – Provide young children with a captivating and engaging way to learn key lessons from infamous classic banned books.
• Bright and Bold Artwork – Simple yet bright and bold illustrations with simple yet powerful messages, the book contains a glossary and explanation of each book featured. 
• Perfect Size - Small 7” x 7” board book with 30 pages is just the size for little hands.

My Take on the Book
This was a great book that allows you to subtly introduce your baby to concepts that are introduced in many banned books. On every page you not only get a concept introduced, but you also get a corresponding book that you can refer too. The book is subtle and as your child gets older, as a parent you will have to do more to explore the topics, but for a baby this is a great way to start this journey!

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Book Review - On the Tip of a Wave: How Ai Weiwei's Art Is Changing the Tide

About the Book

In On the Tip of a Wave you get New York Times bestselling author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, Joanna Ho, and critically acclaimed illustrator, Cátia Chien sharing a moving, powerful picture book about the life and work of activist and artist, Ai Weiwei.

He [Ai Weiwei] felt the life jackets and an idea curled and crested through his fingertips. The way it always did.

Told in Joanna Ho’s signature lyrical writing, this is the story that shines a light on Ai Weiwei and his journey, specifically how the Life Jackets exhibit at Konzerthaus Berlin came to be. As conditions for refugees worsened, Ai Weiwei was inspired by the discarded life jackets on the shores of Lesbos to create a bold installation that would grab the attention of the world. Cátia Chien masterfully portrays the intricate life of Ai Weiwei with inspirations from woodblock printing and a special emphasis on the color orange, the same color of the life jackets that became a beacon of hope. Through Cátia’s dynamic and stunning illustrations, we see how Ai Weiwei became the activist and artist he is today while proving the power of art within humanity.


My Take on the Book
What I loved about this book is that I did not know much about Ai Weiwei and this book really allowed me to better understand the author but also it allowed me to see how his art was also activism and how he truly became seen as someone that was a pillar of hope for his fans and the broader art world.

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