Square Peg: My Story and What It Means for Raising Innovators, Visionaries, & Out-of-the-box Thinkers

This approachable, inspiring tale serves as both a memoir of a troubled childhood and a road map for helping children of all “variabilities” through the American educational system. Writing with Ellison (Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention), Rose shares his unlikely trajectory from childhood delinquent of “diabolical naughtiness” through high school dropout to Harvard professor at the Graduate School of Education. He provides compelling anecdotal evidence for how our public schools are failing our kids, as well as a framework for what educators and parents could be doing better. Each chapter concludes with a “Big Idea” section as summary and a list of “Action Items” for parents. Rose presents behavior as something that “emerges from the interaction of a person’s biology, past experiences, and immediate context,” arguing that within this understanding of complex systems, there’s hope for all. Readers will find Rose’s journey heartening; Rose’s mother and grandmother show how essential parents and mentors can be for struggling children. But this story serves as more than just a beacon of hope, as Rose also leaves his readers armed with real “strategies and tools,” such as using technology, readdressing labels such as ADHD, “rethinking Ritalin,” finding mentors, understanding metacognition and variability, and the “potentially transformative power of context.” (Feb.)