Book Review & Blog Tour: "Educating Esme" by Esme Raji Codell

Even though I am not a teacher, nor have I ever really wanted to be one, I really enjoyed “Educating Esmé: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year, Expanded Edition.” The author, Esme Raji Codell (also wrote How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike), wrote this book to chronicle her first year of teaching in a Chicago public school. Living in Chicago, it was funny to hear her thoughts and experiences here in my hometown. I also have had first time teachers before and this was amusing to see things from their perspective.

Throughout the book Esme, or Madame Esme as she prefers, battles “bureaucrats, gang members, abusive parents, and her own insecurities” as she lets us in on her daily life as a teacher. Esme is funny, strong, honest, and definitely a great teacher. She is actually now “one of the nation’s most sought-after voices for empowering teachers.” Esme shows that she really cares about her students and how hard she must work to reach them.

Educating Esmé is a quick read and a must-read for all teachers and teacher-to-be. And even if you are not a teacher, like me, it still made me laugh and was a great outside my norm genre book. Originally published in 1999, and after selling over 200,000 and becoming a Bestseller, Educating Esme is back (re-published 9/1/2009) and now includes a guide with 25 tips for teachers and teachers-to-be. I especially loved her tips and I saw that I could easily incorporate them into everyday life. I mean as mothers aren’t we all our kids first teachers!

You can read more about Esme at her website Planet Esme or check out her book at Amazon below!