One of America's most celebrated educators teaches parents how to create extraordinary children-in the classroom and beyond
In his be... read full description
In his be... read full description
reviews
Aug 02, 2011
Rafe Esquith sets out to prove to us that he is the best teacher ever, and this book is basically about all the wonderful things he does for students over and above a regular school day in the classroom. Maybe he'd needs to re-read his sections on humility.
Basically his advice boils down to teaching children how to behave, turning off the television, and making sure they have music lessons.
He uses the innings of a baseball game--that, of course, he took students to on his own time--as the fram More...
Basically his advice boils down to teaching children how to behave, turning off the television, and making sure they have music lessons.
He uses the innings of a baseball game--that, of course, he took students to on his own time--as the fram More...
Sep 25, 2009
Renee
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The central theme of the book is that students aren't born extraordinary - they become that way. It takes more than natural smarts and skills to be successful - it takes work on the parts of parents and teachers to ignite in children the drive and determination needed to become more than mediocre.
I liked how the anecdotes, advice and examples were woven around the story of a night at a ballgame with a small group of students. The students learned so many things during their experienc More...
I liked how the anecdotes, advice and examples were woven around the story of a night at a ballgame with a small group of students. The students learned so many things during their experienc More...
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Oct 08, 2009
April
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Lighting Their Fires: Raising Children in a Mixed-Up, Muddled Up, Shook Up World by Rafe Esquith is basically as the title promises a guide to upbringing children to be all they can be. I don't have children, but I interact with children on a daily basis, as a student teacher. (I haven't dropped out of the program yet, thank goodness!) Rafe uses baseball to structure his book instead of chapters, there are innings. Anecdotes are used to further illustrate his point. Also each chapter includes a
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Nov 29, 2010
Wendi
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Good, applicable tips for helping your child become all that s/he can be. One good tip Rafe includes is to teach child a musical instrument and also to learn yourself. Learning to play an instrument teaches self-discipline, listening (to yourself play as well as the other musicians around you), time management, and a few other things. The listening part really perked me up because I suck at that and so does my big kid, and surprise, we don't play musical instruments. But we can listen the heck o
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Mar 19, 2010
Chris
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Superteacher Rafe Esquith uses a baseball game as the framework for a meditation on ways to inspire and teach kids. I like his methods and subscribe to his metaphorical newsletter -- he preaches a potent combination of enthusiasm and high expectations for both scholarship and behavior.
I'm not so nuts about his dismissal of television and video games as worthwhile entertainment. I'd be the first to agree that Americans could benefit from less television and better video games... but I More...
I'm not so nuts about his dismissal of television and video games as worthwhile entertainment. I'd be the first to agree that Americans could benefit from less television and better video games... but I More...
May 24, 2011
di
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Esquith's final book, written more as advice for parents than his former memoirs. I found this book to be quite repetitive of the others...no real new ideas, just another spin on the others. I did get a sense of superiority from Esquith in this book that I forgave him for in the other books--at times he portrays as the world going to pot around him. As if the only person in society left with any decency is him (& his students, because of him.) Oddly enough, he includes quite a long section o
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Jun 30, 2010
Ryan
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Rafe's first two books inspired many things I use in the classroom. This one is directed more towards parents, but don't waste your time. "There Are No Shortcuts" and "Teach Like your Hair is on Fire" are both much better.
I saw one of his Hobart Shakespearean plays last year, and it was nothing short of spectacular. However, it was disappointing to learn he doesn't follow his own advice about being religiously neutral as a public school teacher. It was prett More...
I saw one of his Hobart Shakespearean plays last year, and it was nothing short of spectacular. However, it was disappointing to learn he doesn't follow his own advice about being religiously neutral as a public school teacher. It was prett More...
May 28, 2011
Jenn
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I'm a softie when it comes to inspirational stories for teachers as I am studying to be one. I was given this book by a random stranger on a plane, so how could I give it any less than five stars!? That aside, it is a wonderful book, full of ideas that are easily within the reach of the average person. This is not a go out and buy this product that will make it all better kind of solution, but rather a philosophy of education that makes sense.
The arts are usually one of the first pr More...
The arts are usually one of the first pr More...
Dec 25, 2009
Anita
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Christmas day was a good day to finish this consistently clear and useful book. Rafe Esquith is obviously writing from his own personal beliefs (level 6) and couldn't have helped us see his mission already in progress any better. Though, better still, he invited us to do the same.
There were times when I was reading though these easily digested pieces of advice that I thought, "Wow. Maybe he's just Type A and likes kids who are Type A." That could be the case now and the More...
There were times when I was reading though these easily digested pieces of advice that I thought, "Wow. Maybe he's just Type A and likes kids who are Type A." That could be the case now and the More...
Apr 24, 2010
Shannon
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Lighting Their Fires is, as Esquith says in his acknowledgments, about substance over style. I have little doubt that Rafe Esquith is a fantastic teacher. Reading this book gave me great ideas for some things to tackle with my fifth grader next year (specifically, some Shakespeare) and affirmed many of my parenting tenets. The reason it earns only three stars is that I didn't feel like I really learned as much from this book as I would have liked.
I think that is true, in large part More...
I think that is true, in large part More...
Jul 28, 2011
Felt compelled to read this as an educator and I haven't read his earlier work. Although I'm impressed by what he has accomplished and how far his students have come, it saddens me that we need a book like this to teach us how to parent our children, how to encourage our youth and how to "light their fires." His tips and advice are not rocket science - it's mostly common sense values. What does it say about our society that we need to have a how-to book that talks about the importance
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Jan 06, 2011
Jena
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Not sure if he should canonized or if I hate him for setting a bar so high. Should teaching require such sacrifice? Sometimes it makes me feel like teachers are asked for more than is reasonable...not for the money, but because there is an endless pit of need in education and the answer these days always seems to be that I (as the teacher) should be doing more. If education is a partnership, more than one member of the partnership should be chipping in to make this a success.
Feb 16, 2010
Stacie
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I found this book very interesting with a lot of good points. The author recognizes the difficulty of raising kids and juggling life while at the same time offering ways to do so without using the television or other devices that don't challenge the mind but think for them. Reading his successes and other's successes is inspiring. I wish I lived in his school district!
Oct 30, 2010
Marie
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I would have like this book a lot more if there wasn't such an ongoing focus on a baseball game throughout the chapters. However, this book is filled with a lot of things to think about for both teachers and parents. Esquith has a lot of good ideas and suggestions for helping children reach their full potential in life despite the world around them.
Aug 02, 2010
DaNette
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I liked the principles presented in this book. Raising kids to be respectful and curious. The author, a renowned teacher from CA, struck me as an arrogant know it all. He would also make blanket statements that would often have no basis or proof, they were based purely on his personal beliefs and or judgements. I liked the idea of his book, and coming from another author I may have loved it but he was a little hard for me to swallow at times.
Aug 24, 2010
Melissa
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About a year ago I read Rafe Esquith's previous book, "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire" and enjoyed it. This one is much of the same. Excellent ideas for inspiring kids and teaching them not only knowledge and academia, but the importance of life skills and good character. As in the first book, there are some ideas I don't agree with, mostly pertaining to the movies he thinks are required viewing for kids ("Saving Private Ryan", "Wall Street") but there are ma
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Feb 08, 2011
Brooke
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Esquith is a crackerjack teacher who has inspired lots of kids from tough backgrounds to beat the odds. In this book he offers parents advice from what he's learned over the years in the classroom. While it was helpful and substantive, I definitely need to read it again in 5+ years when the advice will be much more applicable.
Sep 30, 2011
Crystal
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I thought this was a pretty good book. I really didn't agree with all of his suggests, but I did agree with most and figured out that I was doing some of his suggests already. I am not sure if and when I become a teacher I will make my students watch the movies he suggested, but he does have good ideas. Nice read.
Apr 21, 2010
Sequoia
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Read this book because an old friend from high school is now an education blogger / activist and he recommended it. It was a very quick and easy read, that unfortunately simply validated my own personal beliefs about education and raising kids. It also recommended a bunch of classic books and films that I should see.
Feb 05, 2010
Cheri
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I think I would have like this book better without the baseball running throughout (of course that was his link :) Lots to think about, good ideas, almost (not quite) makes me wish I could do it again. He's a teacher along the lines of Ron Clark (just saw his story on TV) Enjoyed that too!
Nov 30, 2009
Laura
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This book probably could have been condensed into a short article, but it's still a great read. Lots of good principles, such as the importance of art, music and literature education for kids. Esquith is clearly a devoted teacher, and his anecdotes are a fast read.
Jul 20, 2011
Laura
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Ugh. This book didn't do it for me. There were two things I liked about it: Firstly, he described a hierarchy of what motivates people to do things and I liked his part about how we want to get our kids to do things for intrinsic reasons and not just to avoid punishment or for a reward. And the second thing I (kind of) liked was that he gave a few specific book, movie, game recommendations on how to use those to teach life lessons to your kids. But his voice and tone did not work for me - he
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Jul 21, 2010
I read Rafe's first book, Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire which I LOVED. I'm not totally immersed in this one yet, but I'm hoping it's going to be just as good if not better than the other! Keeping those fingers crossed!!
Apr 12, 2010
Bonnie
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This is a great book for parents and teachers. It's very motivational--but not in a make-you-feel-guilty way. I don't agree with some of his media selections, but his main points are right on target. Definitely worth reading.
Aug 11, 2011
Vida
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Esquith captures what matters in education for educators, parents and students. It would be great for every student to have a teacher like him. I am still skeptical about how he gets all he says he does done.
Jul 30, 2011
Rachel
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You have to laugh, or you'd cry. An often horrifyingly humorous account of why children are so badly behaved, and why so many awful adults are wandering the streets. When did repellent behavior become so commonplace?
Jul 21, 2010
Shelly
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This is a great tool that gives you suggestions on how to raise extraordinary kids. I highly recommend this and Rafe's other books to teachers. Lighting Their Fires is great for parents, teachers, and youth pastors/workers.
Jan 04, 2010
Jeremy
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Much of Esquith's suggestions about raising kids is common-sense stuff (turn off the TV, read to them, encourage them to pick up a musical instrument, and so on), but this quick read is worth skimming.
Apr 13, 2010
Shannon
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The most brilliant of Esquith's three books. Although I read a ton, I rarely read a book in one sitting. But I literally couldn't put this down and stayed up until midnight finishing it!
Jan 31, 2010
Heidi
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Excellent reading for any parent or teacher. His conversational writing style makes for a quick and easy read. His bottom line--raising great kids isn't easy, but it's worth the effort.
