Read, Write, Repeat.

Glee’s resident bad boy, Noah Puckerman, doesn’t have to work on his image.

He’s already got it down. Witness his mohawk haircut, his wardrobe of jeans, boots and T-shirts, and his awesome guitar. Then, there’s the street cred he obtained by a stint in juvie and his history of romantic liaisons with many of the girls at William McKinley High School — and possibly even some of their mothers.

So at first glance, Puck doesn’t seem to have much in common with Ari Samuel Abramson, the main character in So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) written by Micol Ostow and published by Flux in 2009.

Puck is cool and plays music. Ari plays music because he desperately wants to be cool. But, if I were a librarian at McKinley High, I’d still give Mr. Puckerman, who’s portrayed by Mark Salling, a copy of this book and encourage him to read it.

Why? Let me count the ways:

1. It would get Puck in the library. I know from previous episodes that Puck is not a regular library user. When he was in the library with Lauren Zizes last season, he looked around in awe and asked, “What IS this place?” My job would be to help him realize libraries serve as more than a place to pick up girls.

2. It wouldn’t intimidate him. My guess is that Puck is not a voracious reader. So giving him a big, heavy or otherwise off-putting book wouldn’t work. This book doesn’t look overwhelming. It’s got a cool cover and parts of the story are told in comics and illustrations (done by David Ostow), which give it a graphic novel feel. I think it might suck Puck in and compel him to keep turning pages. I’d make sure to give Puck the paperback version, because it would be easier to him to carry around. (And because, frankly, the library would be out less money if he never returned it.)

3. It covers topics that relate to Puck’s life. Ari is Jewish and attends Leo R. Gittleman Jewish Day School. His family is very focused on Ari’s achieving good enough grades and SAT scores so he can attend Brandeis University and become a doctor or a lawyer. Ari is pretty sure he doesn’t want to attend Brandeis, although he isn’t really sure what he wants to do instead. What he does know is he wants to impress Sari Horowitz and thinks forming a band is the best way to do this. Of course, it has to be a secret band. Ari’s parents aren’t too excited about things that don’t show up on standardized tests. How does this relate to Puck? He’s Jewish and has said he thinks Jewish girls are hot. And, he plays guitar like Ari.

4. It would remind Puck of his strengths. And show where he could improve. I think Puck would laugh at the trials Ari’s fledgling band, The Tribe, goes through. There’s Ari’s best friend, the cool and popular Jonas, who attracts fans but has little musical talent. There’s geeky, ultra-conservative drummer Yossi Gluck who’s chosen merely because he owns drums. And, there’s Yossi’s younger sister, Reena, who isn’t supposed to be part of the band at all but who can, surprisingly, sing. I’m sure Puck would feel he could create a better band in five minutes. But if he paid attention, he’d also notice that being “cool” doesn’t solve all of Ari’s problems and actually creates some new ones for him.

I’d especially encourage Puck to read the scene on page 237 where Ari’s parent’s find out about the band the night after Ari finds out Jonas and Sari aren’t who he always thought they were — and neither is Yossi Gluck. Which leads Ari to ponder the inevitable question, “Who is he?”

The answer just might be that Ari’s an idiot. But once Ari realizes that, he also realizes that he can make choices to fix that. Is Puck an idiot? Sometimes. Could he benefit from some self-reflection? Probably. Might an innocent book get him started thinking?

A good librarian would argue that it could.

And all for only $9.95.

Here’s the list of books I’ve recommended to Glee characters so far:

• Noah Puckerman - So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow.
• Brittany Pierce – Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John.
• Mercedes Jones – Dramarama by E. Lockhart.
• Tina Cohen-Chang – My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher.
• Santana Lopez – Sister Mischief by Laura Goode.
• Blaine Anderson – Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin.
• Finn Hudson – Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron.
• Sam Evans – Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.
• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

If you’re a shoe person, you know just how exciting it can be to find the perfect pair.

One that looks good.

One that feels good.

One that makes your feet smile.

Debut picture book author Sue Fliess knows this feeling well. And, she’s captured it perfectly in Shoes for Me! (Marshall Cavendish Children, 2011).

The book tells the story of a rhino who outgrows her shoes and goes shopping for the perfect replacement pair. But there are so many options! Her quest for perfection is told in an easy-to-read rhyme and illustrated with understated charm by Mike Laughead.

Today’s guest reviewer, Sienna, is only 4 years old, but she already knows a thing or two about shoes.

She’s wearing her favorite sparkly pink pair in the photo to the right, along with pajama bottoms featuring flip-flops. She also has a pair of pink cowgirl boots she’s partial to.

So here she is to tell us what she thought of the book. Take it away, Sienna!

Our reviewer: Sienna.

Age: 4.

I like to: Play baby, play chase and do karate.

This book was about: Finding shoes.

The best part was when: I got some shoes. (Editor’s note: Shoes for the reader are not included in the price of this book!)

I smiled when: She got her shoes.

I was worried when: The shoes were all piled up.

I was surprised when: She couldn’t find shoes she liked.

This book taught me: Don’t look for shoes all day and night.

Three words that describe this book: “Shoes.” “Shoes.” “Shoes.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book: “I’m no duck!”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: The fuzzy duck shoes.

You should read this book because: It’s so hilarious.

If you’d like to learn more about Sue Fliess and future books she has coming out, visit her website.

If you’d like to learn more about Mike Laughead and his previous work, you can visit his website.

And, just to prove that shopping for cool shoes is not limited to the younger set, here are the shoes I recently purchased that make my feet smile.

But unlike the main character in Fliess’ picture book, it did not take me very long to find them. I saw them on the John Fluevog website and instantly fell in love. (Sorry for the shameless product promotion. Fluevog is not giving me any sort of a reimbursement for mentioning their extremely pumped-up kicks. Although if they wanted to, they certainly could contact me through this blog.)

And, unlike the rhino in this book, my mother did not tell me the shoes I liked were too expensive. Of course, she wasn’t with me when I purchased them, but I appreciate her restraint nonetheless. Thanks, Mom!

So tell me, what are YOUR favorite shoes?

Describe them the a comment below by Sept. 27 and I’ll pick one random winner to receive a copy of Shoes for Me! Links to photos of your fabulous footwear are appreciated but not required.

As a brand-new first grader, today’s guest reviewer, Tyler, hasn’t had to take too many big tests yet.

But when his first one rolls around, he’ll probably be ready thanks to The Big Test (Charlesbridge, 2011) written by Julie Danneberg and illustrated by Judy Love.

The book features a teacher, Sarah Jane Hartwell, making sure her class is ready for the big test. She teaches them to sit quietly, follow directions and fill in bubbles with their No. 2 pencils.

And then, just before the big day, she teaches them what might be the most important lesson of all — how to relax.

Kirkus Reviews had this to say about the book:

“Once they stop laughing at the spot-on depiction of standardized testing, teachers should take a page from Mrs. Hartwell’s book.”

But now, it’s time to hear from today’s guest reviewer. Take it away, Tyler!

Our reviewer: Tyler

Age: 6

Things I like to do: Play games, play with cars and play with my mom.

This book was about: Getting ready for the big test.

The best part was when: They had the party.

I smiled when: They had the party.

I was worried when: The teacher put the sign on the door.

I was surprised when: I saw the party.

This book taught me: To work hard and have fun when you’re done.

Three words that describe this book are: “Educational.” “Interesting.” “Colorful.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Just relax.”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: The party!

You should read this book because: It teaches good lessons.

Thanks, Tyler!

This book is part of a series by Julie Danneberg. If you’d to see more of the teacher, Miss Sarah Jane Hartwell, check out First Day Jitters, First Year Letters and Last Day Blues. You also can visit Julie’s website.

The book is illustrated by Judy Love. She also has a website.

Glee cheerleader Brittany Pierce may be best known for not being the brightest bulb in the choir room.

But that’s not why I’d give her Antony John’s new book Five Flavors of Dumb (Dial, 2010) if I were a librarian at William McKinley High.

I’d give it to her because there’s more to Brittany than initially meets the eye.

Sure, Brittany can be a bit dim. She’s known for comments that make the rest of the Glee Club do a double take like, “Did you know dolphins are just gay sharks?”

She struggles knowing her left from her right, is pleased when she can sound out the word “L-O-V-E” written on the choir room white board, and she still believes in Santa Claus. She even proudly wears a T-shirt reading, “I’m with stoopid” featuring an arrow pointing toward her face.

But Brittany, who’s played by the multi-talented Heather Morris, can also be one of the wisest characters on the show. She alone can call Santana Lopez out when she’s hiding her true self behind a wall of false bravado. She stands up to Sue Sylvester when Sue wants to shoot her out of a cannon — leading Quinn and Santana to do the same — and she showcased her uncommon knowledge of cat diseases to help the Brainiac academic decathalon team win an important match.

Perhaps most importantly, she’s not ashamed of who she is.

Of all the Glee characters, Brittany is, oddly enough, one of the most secure. She doesn’t seem bothered by the perception that she’s dumb and she seems to be quite good at standing up for what she wants, whether it’s refusing Artie’s prom proposal because he called her stupid, telling Santana off for hiding her true self by pretending to date Karofsky or starting a fashion trend by wearing leg warmers on her arms. She’s not hiding a deep secret, and she’s not ashamed of who she is. What you see is usually what you get.

That’s why she reminds me of Piper, this book’s main character.

Like Brittany, Piper has a challenge that seems obvious. She’s deaf. But Piper doesn’t let that define her. She succeeds in regular high school classes thanks to her excellent lip-reading skills, her ability to speak, a pair of hot-pink hearing aids and a refusal to give up. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she’s very smart.

Unlike Brittany, Piper doesn’t have many friends. There’s Ed Chen from the chess club. And then there’s her brother, Finn, who alternately annoys her and helps her. In fact, Piper is counting down the days in her senior year until she can graduate and attend Galludet University a college for deaf and hearing-impaired students where everyone knows sign language.

But Piper’s life takes an unexpected turn when she sees a band called Dumb perform on school grounds. She can’t hear the music, but she’s drawn to its energy. And when she gets into an argument with the self-satisfied lead singer about how the band should market itself, she finds herself facing a challenge — get the band a paying gig in a month.

No one thinks she can do it.

Several band members aren’t pleased that she’s meddling in their affairs. Her father thinks she should find another hobby and her mother thinks the band is just a passing fad. But quicker than a sound check, Piper puts her mark on the band. She gets them interested in writing original songs (some of which are good and some of which are, well, like Brittany’s “My Cup”). She also helps them salvage a disastrous recording session, books them on a local radio show and even gets them on TV.

But the band doesn’t make it easy. The lead singer adds a beautiful but untalented guitar player to the group. The other guitarist is secretly in love with the bass player. And the drummer — Piper’s friend, Ed, who’s the most musically talented of the group — doesn’t get the respect he deserves because he looks like an accountant. When all the tension spills over into an actual brawl, on live TV no less, Piper’s life gets really interesting.

Suddenly she’s in trouble at school and at home, and everyone in the band expects her to fix things. Plus her feelings for her best friend, Ed, might be turning romantic. Can she decide what she wants, dish out a little justice and save the band from itself in time to give its members the big break they say they want?

Only if she can channel her inner rock star.

If I were a Glee librarian, I’d give the book to Brittany (after making sure it’s within her reading-comprehension range). I’d ask her to pay special attention to page 234 where Piper gets some really good advice:

Don’t worry about wanting to change; start worrying when you don’t feel like changing anymore. And in the meantime, enjoy every version of yourself you ever meet, because not everybody who discovers their true identity likes what they find.

Brittany does seem pretty content with who she is, and that’s good. This book would reinforce that. It also would help her realize that others shouldn’t be allowed to label her or limit what they think she can accomplish.

Most importantly, it would also help her see that although there might be five flavors of dumb, there many, many more ways to be smart.

Here’s the list of books I’ve recommended to Glee characters so far:

• Brittany Pierce – Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John.
• Mercedes Jones – Dramarama by E. Lockhart.
• Tina Cohen-Chang – My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher.
• Santana Lopez – Sister Mischief by Laura Goode.
• Blaine Anderson – Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin.
• Finn Hudson – Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron.
• Sam Evans – Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.
• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

When you’re a lifelong book nerd like I am, it’s nice to have a resource to turn to about nonbook-related subjects — like math.

For me, my go-to math resource is always my sister, Dr. Pamela Wells, shown here on the left. She regularly responds to frantic math questions related to my children’s homework or something I have to do for work.

One of my favorite memories is of a time I called her in a panic and described what I needed to figure out. She listened patiently and then said, “Oh, you want a weighted rolling average.”

Which, of course, is exactly what I wanted. I just didn’t know it.

Even if Pam weren’t my sister, she’d still be someone worth consulting about math.

She’s an associate professor of mathematics education at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., where she trains future elementary and middle school teachers. She also works a lot with practicing elementary and middle school teachers and their students. She has published articles in a variety of journals, including Primus, Teaching Children Mathematics and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Yearbook.

Pam says one of her favorite things to do is “design activities to increase students’ algebraic thinking,” and I’m glad that’s so because I never seem to be able to find the time.

Besides being a math expert, Pam is a fine cook, so she was the obvious choice to review a new children’s book about math and food, Eat Your Math Homework: Recipes for Hungry Minds by Ann McCallum (Charlesbridge, 2011).

As you’ll see, she was more than up for the challenge. Take it away, Pam!

When I ask my college students who are studying to be elementary teachers to describe math, I often get comments like, “Boring.” Or, “Lots of numbers and formulas I have to memorize.”

My goal in the courses I teach is to broaden my students’ view of mathematics so that they can see the beauty, creativity and usefulness of mathematics in their everyday lives. When they go out to teach elementary school children, I want them to pass along a sense of wonder that comes from searching for patterns and a seeing how many things that happen in life are related to mathematics.

After reading this book, I plan to use it with my students as an engaging way to combine math and cooking.

The book introduces children and their families to a variety of interesting mathematics through family-friendly recipes. For example, children can make tangram cookies and then play with their food before eating it! Tangrams (a seven-piece geometric puzzle based on an ancient Chinese puzzle) are quite addicting, so it is a good thing that the book provides a lot of ideas for puzzles to create with your cookie tangrams.

In another recipe, children gain experiences with patterns by creating Fibonacci snack sticks. Fibonacci, a famous Italian mathematician who lived in the 1700s, is known for a pattern of numbers he created that can be continued forever. I’m not going to tell you more about the pattern here, since that would spoil your enjoyment of the book. I will say, however, that you need to look carefully at the illustrations in the book to see what is going on with all the rabbits!

For each recipe, the author also provides a Math Appeteaser to continue families’ mathematical explorations.

So, pull out your apron, put on your thinking cap, and get ready to whip up some yummy snacks and whet your mathematical appetite at the same time.

If you’d like to learn even more about some of the mathematics introduced in Eat Your Math Homework: Recipes for Hungry Minds, check out the books listed below. They are family friendly, and many have activities for families to do together.

To go along with Fibonacci Snack Sticks (which are shown to the right by Pam’s neighborhood friends Caden, Ethan and Adelyn):

• Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D’agnese (Henry Holt & Co., 2010).
• Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson (Gibbs Smith, 2002).

To go along with Fraction Chips:

• The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Fractions Book by Jerry Palotta (Scholastic, 1999)

To go along with Tangram Cookies:

• Three Pigs, One Wolf, and Seven Magic Shapes by Grace Maccarone (Scholastic Press, 1997).
• Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert (Crown Publishers, 1990).

To go along with Brownie Tesselations (which Adelyn is getting ready to create):

• A Cloak for the Dreamer by Aileen Friedman (Scholastic Press, 1994).

To go along with Pizza Pi:

• Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander (Charlesbridge, 1999).

To go along with Probability Trail Mix:

• It’s Probably Penny by Loreen Leedy (Henry Holt & Co., 2007).

Happy reading! And, happy eating!

And if you’d like to learn more about the many math books Ann McCallum has written, visit her website.

Thanks, Pam! If you ever have a comma crisis and need urgent advice, I’m your woman.