History tells a story. If we look at the foot prints left behind, we can often walk our way toward a new future with a better outcome. We need to be brave enough to take that walk though.

This book clearly describes the world at a crucial pivot point. I appreciated the mix of interviews, more global takes, and personal experiences having lived through much leading up to the world we're currently in. I do not know how much hope there is, but certainly I can see it as a call for action. Ben Rhodes is a favorite of mine, someone I've followed for a while and spent a lot of time listening to. His podcast "Pod Save the World" I very much recommend (and anything Crooked Media, for that matter). Values like equality are no longer the business of governments around the world, they have been left to individuals to defend.~ from After the Fall by Ben RhodesThe best-selling post-apocalyptic authors Mike Kraus and Justin Bell bring a new gripping tale of destruction, survival and humanity like no one else can. Show, Don't Tell Style: Santat employs a “show, don't tell” style, providing plenty of opportunities for students to infer information from the text and illustrations. At the core of this complex, ambitious book is a simple truth: we are living at a historical inflection point. The currents of history are sweeping us all in the wrong direction – toward autocracy, toward technological dystopia, toward collapse – as a direct consequence of the past three decades of American hegemony, but it's not yet too late to reverse course. To do so, Americans invested in the victory of democracy over autocracy must forge solidarity with (and learn from) others struggling against authoritarianism, corruption, and injustice around the world. Activity: Students could role-play or write alternative actions for Humpty Dumpty and discuss the potential outcomes. This helps them understand how different actions (causes) can lead to different outcomes (effects). Think of American capitalism and culture devoid of liberal values and democratic policies, and you'll get something approximating the Chinese Communist Party.

I asked Maria [Stepanova, Russian writer / journalist] how she felt things had changed since the 1990s, that time of humiliation and hopefulness. "The nineties were about the future," she said. "Now everything is about the past. But not the actual, historical past." Instead, she said, leaders like Putin, Orban [in Hungary] and Trump invented a past to suit their needs. "There is an enchantment and obsession with the past, but it is a fictional reality that doesn't have anything real." The author, following the presidential election of 2016, left the country to tour the world looking for an explanation. He had worked in the Obama White House as a speech writer and in other capacities. He was now watching the dismantling of many of the programs he had helped build. Thompson, L. A. (2015). Emmanuel’s dream: The true story of Emmanuel Osofu Yeboah. New York: Schwartz & Wade. You can have your students share a goal that they have for themselves and what they do to stay focused on their goal; just as Humpty stayed focused on his climbing. While there may be distractions that can take away from reaching goals, a clear idea and a focused mind will help students reach their goals, just as Humpty did. 4. Sharing a Favorite Place: Activity: Ask students to identify symbols in the book and discuss what they represent. This encourages students to think deeper about the story and themes.From listening to him in interviews and panel discussions, Rhodes seems not only pleasant and non-threatening but he also seems to share my skepticism. He's progressive in the sense that many would find more palatable than, say, the moderators for The Young Turks (who can be viewed, not at all legitimately, as "strident"). Activity: Discuss how Humpty Dumpty's fall affected him emotionally and led to changes in his behaviour. This activity encourages empathy and a deeper understanding of cause and effect relationships.

http://www.hbook.com/2015/07/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/profile-of-2015-caldecott-medal-winner-dan-santat/#_ Activity: Ask students to keep a ‘Persistence Diary,' noting down instances where they didn't give up. This exercise encourages self-reflection and fosters an understanding of the role of persistence in personal growth. Ben Rhodes calls After the Fall a book of stories, the story of his journey from idealist patriot to questioning the myths we share, from working with President Obama to seeing their legacy dismantled.This book describes the utter failure of that idea, and the major role the United States played in that failure. Wow, looks like I am literally the only one giving this book a bad review. I admit that makes me feel a little bad about doing this, but I can't really change my opinion because others felt differently. Only Martha’s sixteen-year-old daughter Sacha has trouble settling in. In fact, for her, emigrating is the start of a nightmare.