Tuesday, April 21, 2015

"Better Nate Than Ever" Book Review

Better Nate Than EverBetter Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was adorable and definitely fits into the "follow your dreams" theme while still standing out for its own merit. Nate is a thirteen year old who is a self proclaimed theater kid, obsessed with musicals, stage dancing, and even costume planning, all of which are sufficient reasons for his constant bullying at school and negligence at home. So, what does a tween oppressed by his surroundings do to pursue his goal of starring in a Broadway musical?? Run away to New York of course!

Read by the author, this audiobook was witty, entertaining and touching all at the same time, "Better Nate Than Ever" comes at a good time in which LGBT themes are slowly becoming popular and needed to be read more. I can't wait to share this with students who can relate to Nate, especially the ones who sing, dance, and just enjoy being themselves.

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Saturday, April 4, 2015

"The Matheny Manifesto: A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life" Book Review

The Matheny Manifesto: A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and LifeThe Matheny Manifesto: A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life by Mike Matheny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Never have I read a book that has provided more insight into principles of coaching and becoming a better player. Providing insight into personal values, Christian beliefs and consistent motivation to become a better athlete, this is a book that truly gives inspiration to athletes, coaches, and competitors everywhere.

Mike Matheny, the current manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and a coach of a youth baseball team, explains his Manifesto, or a letter that he gives to parents at the beginning of the season that focuses on the values of leadership, character building, and what it truly means to be a team. What is true sportsmanship like? Matheny, along with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins, discusses that with dedication to the sport, and consistently trying to make oneself better by focusing on core values that would also make one a better person overall.

This book will not teach you how to improve your batting average or show you how to score more during the game. Nor will this book give you the tips and tricks on becoming a better coach and immediately uniting your team during every trial and test that you endure throughout your coaching experience. Instead, this book will talk about keys to success, or identifying traits of leadership, confidence, teamwork, faith, class, character and humility, all of which help develop the person's individuality to make them better overall, both in and out of the game.

I picked up this book because I like baseball--it's an amazing game that has many different dynamics that are incredible to watch. But what was really incredible was all of the lessons that Matheny shared from his career that I could take away into my own life and use in my own coaching experience with my own (non-baseball) team. There are versatile messages presented in this short book that can be applied anywhere and by anyone who is just willing to take the time to dedicate to reading and learning more.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest and unbiased review.

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