J.K. Rowling – Institute for Educational Advancement

What We Are Reading: Summer 2016

��Ƶ Staff — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 23:10:44 +0000

Are you looking for a summer book recommendation? Check out what we at ��Ƶ are currently enjoying!

On The Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks

“I have the New York-based podcast, Radiolab, to thank for my fascination and love of the late neurologist and author, Oliver Sacks. In On The Move, Sacks continues to draw in the reader with his unique marriage of narrative and neuroscience, story-telling and scientific oddities. Under the microscope this time: retrospectives from his own life and tales of his ongoing obsession with the complexities of human life and the brain. Sacks is a great read for the humanities-based learner who finds science curious but often hard to comprehend.” – Brianna Safe, Resource Coordinator

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

“This memoir is a powerful and beautiful meditation on grief and mourning. Written after the severe sickness of her daughter and subsequent sudden loss of her husband, Didion shares her personal story of learning to adjust to life as a widow and reflects on both the good and bad times in her marriage. I love its rawness and honesty about the harsh realities of life and loss.” – Nicole LaChance, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Love in a Dish by M.F.K. Fisher

“A collection of articles from the gourmet food writer about life and food and how it connects with the heart.” – Zadra Rose Ibañez, Director of Operations

Tuesdays with Morrie��by Mitch Albom

“I picked up this book just before Yunasa West. It’s a short book, but the stories are filled with wisdom and love. A dying professor teaches his student how to live and be mindful of the present. The lessons and reflections in the book send an important yet blissful message to us all.” – Qiao Li,��Coordinator

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

“It is an extremely moving story about a Dominican boy and his family in living New Jersey. So far, reading this story has felt like a warm and brutally honest encounter with American culture, Latin ethos and the human experience.�� The writing is dynamic and just downright wonderful. I would highly recommend it.” – Morgan Carrion, Assistant to the President

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

“In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks. Gladwell begins with the real story of what happened between the giant and the shepherd boy those many years ago. I heartily recommend this book for students and parents within our ��Ƶ community, as Gladwell’s research is impeccable, and this subject has tremendous resonance and bandwidth for the people we work with.” – Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager

Harry Potter Series��by��J.K. Rowling

“I just finished listening to all seven Harry Potter books on Audible. It has been seven or eight years since I finished reading the series, and listening to them was entirely pleasurable.” – Jennifer de la Haye,��Program Coordinator

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

“I love biographies! This true story of a young Pakistani girl who fought for women’s right to education when it was taken away by the Taliban is truly inspiring. Malala Yousafzai survived being shot in the head on her way to school and turned this horrific incident into a rallying cry for the plight of women in the region and the fundamental right for everyone to have an education.�� Malala is a not only a role model for young girls, but for all of us—demonstrating that one person can make a difference.” – Kelly Gray, Administrative Assistant

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

“An old favorite that seems lighthearted at first glance (a man displaced in time amazes the locals with his knowledge of future technology), but uses its premise to explore some of the most disturbing societal problems of Mark Twain’s day. This novel is a vastly entertaining read (with a clearly gifted protagonist, no less) and an ending that encourages each of us to reflect on how we shape history.” –Ellen Gruber, Development Coordinator

�ѴǱ��ǰ첹’i by Alan Brennert

“Historical fiction that is both informative and engaging. Brennert uses the fictional story of Rachel, a young Hawaiian girl suddenly struck by leprosy, to explore the very real world of a turn-of-the-century Hawaiian leprosy colony, where patients are sent to live out the rest of their days in isolation from their families and the rest of society. The story was captivating and motivated me to learn more about this little-known part of history.” – Nicole LaChance, Marketing & Communication Coordinator

End of Watch by Steven King

“This is the final volume in a trilogy focusing on Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more badly injured, who has been in a prison clinic for five years in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room. Having met Mr. King and worked on several Steven King novels that were made into television miniseries in my former career—It, TheStand and Storm of the Century—I am an unabashed fan of Steven King’s brilliance as a storyteller and a plot wizard. Not for young readers.” – Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager

Dracula by Bram Stoker

“I’m listening via Audible, as performed by Alan Cummings, Tim Curry, et al. It’s interesting to hear the original story, as told through letters and diary entries from all the characters.” – Zadra Rose Ibañez, Director of Operations

What is your favorite summer book?

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What We’re Reading: Summer 2015

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 01:30:00 +0000

Much like many of the kids we serve, the ��Ƶ staff is a group of voracious readers. We wanted to share what we’re reading now in case you are looking for some good summer reads.

New and Selected Poems, Volume 1 by Mary Oliver

“I give my highest, unqualified recommendation to this collection, whose wisdom continues teaching me what it means to be attentive. Good reading for summer nights.”

– Brianna Safe

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

“Marie Kondo has a writing style that invites you to read slowly and deliberately and enjoy every word.�� She has a relationship to objects that makes them seem to have feelings, which many of us gifties can relate to. (Which is why I can never throw away a pen.)�� And it just feels freeing to try her method.”

– Zadra Rose Ibañez

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

“I couldn’t resist reading another novel by the fabulous J.K. Rowling, and her writing pulled me in immediately, as usual.”

– Jennifer Kennedy

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

“I love this story both for its beauty and for how it teaches me. Throughout the novel, Brontë asks compelling and profound questions about love and the nature of goodness in a person’s life. Jane Eyre is a captivating and challenging read that I always enjoy.”

– Morgan Carrion

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

“It is deeply contemplative, insightful, and introspective. I like how Robinson deals honestly and lovingly with some of the most profound questions regarding religion and faith.”

– Jennifer de la Haye

My Struggle: Book 1 by Karl Ove Knausgaard

“‘I saw life; I thought about death.’ Slowly slogging my way through this six-book autobiographical series, whose literary voice echoes the cinematic eye of fellow Scandinavian Ingmar Bergman. Not for the easy reader or faint of heart.”

– Brianna Safe

The Mysterious Benedict Society, Book 1 by Trenton Lee Stewart

“Such an engaging story about bright young kids. It actually reminds me a lot of A Wrinkle in Time. I will definitely be getting a copy for my nephew!”

– Jennifer Kennedy

Walking Away by Simon Armitage

“It’s British poet and novelist Armitage’s account as a sort of ‘troubadour’, walking the south-western coastline of the UK, and the people he meets who feed him and accommodate him in return for a poetry reading. It’s a testament to the beauty of the British landscape, the therapy found in walking (and being blasted by the elements) and, most reassuringly, the enduring power of poetry. He’s also just been nominated as Oxford’s Professor of Poetry – and !”

– Louise Hindle

Brainstorm by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel

“I love the scientific analysis behind adolescent behavior – this type of understanding is empowering.”

– Jennifer de la Haye

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

“This book helped me uncover hidden blocks to reaching for what I wanted and gave me a new perspective for dealing with obstacles in my life.�� I absolutely experienced a paradigm shift in how I relate to what matters to me.”

– Zadra Rose Ibañez

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

“Another excellent novel from my favorite author. I get caught up in the language and storytelling ability of Picoult every time. The extended metaphors in this novel relating to wolf behavior and wolf pack dynamics add an interesting dimension as well.”

– Jennifer Kennedy

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

“The book is a fictional account of two sisters struggling to survive the atrocities of World War II in German-occupied France—one a resistance fighter in Paris, the other a mother and teacher in the countryside. I’ve read a lot of material about the horrors of the Holocaust, but never from the perspective of the French people.”

– Bonnie Raskin

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults

“What’s most exciting about this multi-authored text is the underlying principle that IQ is not an isolated piece of the individual. The work asks two questions: How can this principle help avoid inaccurate diagnoses and the conflation of giftedness and behavioral/emotional/mental disorders?�� And how can we understand the intersection of giftedness and these disorders (dual diagnoses) in a way that preserves the child’s needs first and foremost?”

– Brianna Safe

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What books are you reading this summer? We’d love to know. Please share in the comment section below.

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10 Lessons for the Gifted Child from Children’s Literature

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 03:45:15 +0000

Literature has so much to teach all of us.��Because reading is a cherished pastime for many gifted individuals, we thought we would share some great quotes from children’s literature and beloved children’s authors that teach gifted kids and adults alike important lessons.

Be Yourself

“It is very frustrating not to be understood in this world. If you say one thing and keep being told that you mean something else, it can make you want to scream. But somewhere in the world there is a place for all of us, whether you are an electric form of decoration, peppermint-scented sweet, a source of timber, or a potato pancake.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story

“Never be ashamed! There’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth bothering with.” – J.K. Rowling

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss

You are Unique and Special and Complex; Embrace It

“There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

You Will Find Your Tribe, and It Will Be Magical

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” – Dr. Seuss

Use Your Talents to Make the World a Better Place

“‘We can’t take any credit for our talents. It’s how we use them that counts.'” – Madeline L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter

Do Not Be Afraid of Failure or Obstacles

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Live in the Present

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Embrace Life’s Quiet Moments

“In this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania, quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked. Yet a child’s need for quietness is the same today as it has always been—it may even be greater—for quietness is an essential part of all awareness. In quiet times and sleepy times a child can dwell in thoughts of his own, and in songs and stories of his own.” – Margaret Wise Brown

Dream Big

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream” – C.S. Lewis

“Listen to the mustn’ts, child,
Listen to the Don’ts
Listen to the shouldn’t
The Impossible, the won’ts
Listen to the never haves
Then listen close to me –
Anything can happen child,
Anything can be.”
– Shel Silverstein

“How do we know imagination isn’t just a different way of knowing something? A message from outside.” ― Stephanie S. Tolan, Welcome to the Ark

Listen to Your Heart

“‘Eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart!’” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Believe in Yourself

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

What are your favorite lessons from children’s literature? Share in the comment section below.

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Five Great Children’s Books for Gifted Kids

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 05:30:50 +0000

By Jennifer de la Haye

April 2 is International Children’s Book Day, so we thought it would be fun to highlight some great children’s books for gifted kids. Here are five of our picks:

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Hermione is clearly gifted, as evidenced by her perpetual thirst for knowledge, heightened sense of justice, advanced academic acceleration, adult-like wisdom, and sharp intuition. The series also appeals strongly to kids who feel “different” and those with imaginational overexcitabilities.

Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald Sobol
Both Encyclopedia Brown – named thus for his wealth of knowledge and understanding – and his bodyguard, Sally Kimball, exhibit qualities of gifted children. Encyclopedia’s intuition allows him to solve his police officer father’s cases by listening to the evidence, closing his eyes, thinking, and asking a single question that leads Encyclopedia to the solution. Sally and Encyclopedia work together to solve neighborhood cases using their abilities to observe and intuit at a level that most young children are unable to understand.

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Harriet thrives on routine, she is obsessive and, similar to the other characters on my list, she has the ability to observe and process information at an accelerated rate. She struggles to thrive in relationships with the other children in her class, yet she shares a deep connection with her nanny, Ole Golly.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss
As with most of Dr. Seuss’ stories, Bartholomew and the Oobleck relays a moral lesson through a story that uses quirky and creative language, made-up, whimsical words, and silly but complicated names. Bartholomew Cubbins, King Derwin of Didd’s page boy, would not necessarily be considered gifted, but the story itself might appeal to gifted children. It is longer and more advanced than many Dr. Seuss stories and emphasizes the importance of gratitude for our world, no matter how boring it may seem at times; the value of humility; and the importance of sincere reconciliation. Oobleck is a sticky, thick substance that blankets the town and completely hinders everyday life, and though it may appear to be one of Seuss’ famed word concoctions, oobleck is, in reality, a viscous substance made from corn starch.

The Boxcar Children series created by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Each of the siblings in this series exhibits at least one gifted quality: Henry’s innate intelligence and abundance of knowledge; Jessica’s ease in an adult role, meticulous particularity, and fearlessness; Violet’s sensitivities and love for animals; and Benjamin’s acute curiosity comprise many of the traits with which a gifted reader might identify.

As a bonus, here are some additional recommendations from our Facebook fans and blog readers:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

We also recommend , whose books our gifted kids cannot get enough of!

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