This book wasn't what I thought it would be. It's not a series of funny stories about teaching or being a principal like I had hoped. Instead it's part motivational text, part advice for teachers and administrators. It's completely on me that 2020/2021/2022 are not the years when I need anything motivational or anything like this book. That doen't make the book bad. It just means it was somewhat mismarketed and isn't the book for me right now. I quit about half way through. Teaching is hard enough this year. I don't need instructional. I just need an escape.

Oh, that guy! This was my reaction when I realized who the author is. Educators might recognize his name from the videos that he has uploaded to social media. Videos that have made him a viral sensation. In this book, Brooks talks about what he does to shape his school's culture. he includes advice for teachers, parents, and administrators. Overall, I enjoyed this very fast read.

I just couldn’t get into this one. I heard about Gerry Brooks through a teacher friend who posted his videos online. They were funny and I thought this book would be funny stories like that. I am not an educator so that is maybe why I didn’t enjoy it? We ordered in copies for the store but none have sold :(

Dru is a down on her luck former kiteboarder living in Florida. When her mother dies, she finds out from her estranged father that she is has inherited a beach house. That same father offers her a job at his law firm. When she takes the job and moves to St. Petersburg, she meets new friends and becomes entangled in not just one, but two mysteries.

Mary Kay Andrews is always reliable as a great author for any summer beach read list. With this beach read/mystery, we see some more of her mystery writing chops (she has published the Callahan Garrity series under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trochek). It was nice to have a combination of both of her specialties, and both mysteries had twists that were almost impossible to see coming.

I highly recommend this book as a more substantive read that your regular piece of summer fiction. I can't wait for the next one.

This book was a good read that had some very valid points, I just feel that I am not its target audience, and so it was hard for me to really relate to it. I did grow up the daughter of a teacher, and while reading it, I kept thinking that the author was making sense and wishing some teachers and administrators I know would read it. It really makes you think about the American education system in a new way, and I feel like parents and school officials in any capacity from teachers to those in the district offices should read it and take a good look at how not only their school, but themselves in whatever capacity they are in, are doing.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Gerry Brooks
Publisher: Hachette Books and Da Capo Lifelong Books
Publication Date: 30 Apr 2019

Loved this book! It made me laugh, while at the same time, challenged how I viewed my school and classroom.
Excellent book, and a must read for every new teacher.

I've seen Gerry Brook's videos and in person. This was a re-hashing of a lot of his material and I found it a little dull honestly. If I didn't know him, I am sure I would have found this just hilarious as an educator.

I approached this book with curiosity. I work as a Middle School Counselor and I am always looking for things that will help teachers and educators in general improve the system. I feel this book captured the essence of public education in a very broad scope and I would definitely recommend it to parents, teachers, and administrators. It was very relatable, often hilarious, and is one I am will be adding to my office shelf as soon as I can.

As a former middle school teacher, I do enjoy Gerry Brooks videos. I follow him on Facebook and YouTube, appreciating how each video is both relevant and humorous. So, I was super excited to learn he had written a book.
Then I read the book.
It was a disappointment. I think my overarching issue was I’m not sure who this book was directed to. One chapter (or paragraph…or sentence) would be clearly addressing teachers. Then the next would jump to parents. Or administrators. Or bus drivers. Who is the true audience, because I don’t think this book clearly reached any of them.
While there were some funny bits, there were also many incomplete thoughts and ideas. Additionally, the transcriptions of some of his videos just don’t work. You need the visuals for the humor and key points to come across. They were weird to just read.
For now, I’ll be sticking with the videos to get my Gerry Brooks fill ups.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

See other reviews at https://mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

As a high school teacher, I know there is so much I don't know about teaching elementary students and the problems that arise from doing so... after reading Gerry Brook's stories and advice, I appreciate my "almost-adult" students so much more.

I became interested in this book after hearing about Brook's YouTube channel; I've never watched it, but hearing educators get emotional about it was interesting, as it takes quite a bit to make hardened educators laugh out loud about someone else's students.

Brooks shows he knows what makes a school function, how people function, and the problems that happen because of the differences between the two.

This book is funny, but direct and clear.  I recommend it for any teacher and parents of students.

**I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A quick (and actually entertaining) professional read for teachers...would also be beneficial to anyone else that works in a school district or even parents. If you enjoy the videos by Gerry Brooks, you will know a lot of this stuff; but, it is always important to remind ourselves of ways to maintain a positive school environment. I will be purchasing for our professional reading collection in my high school library.

Growing up, I had both good and bad experiences with teachers, principals, and other school staff. Most of the people were good, but there were always ones that were hard to get along with. As such, I developed the stereotypical jaded view of how teachers think. Go See the Principal provides a little insight into what school life is like for the staff.

It is primarily geared towards people in the education system, but has information for parents, too. Really, anyone that has any dealings with a school will find humor and helpful tidbits in it. The book talks about the side of teaching that is often unseen, but is fun rather than trying to guilt people into showing appreciation for school staff. Unless the guilt can be pulled off while making you laugh.

Though my only connection with school these days is helping a niece with homework, I still found Go See the Principal funny and thought-provoking. I think that all adults, and maybe some teenagers, would both benefit from and enjoy this book.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was SO looking forward to this book! As an elementary school librarian, I’m an avid follower and supporter of Gerry Brooks and his book did not disappoint. I loved that the chapters were brief snippets and provided advice but also a look into his life as a principal. I also thought it was great that he tried to get parents on our side so we can all work together to do what’s best for the students. The advice at the end from other educators was a nice added touch! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

Working in education I found this book to be extremely relatable and hilarious. So many of the stories Gerry Brooks shares are just so universal in schools that I think everyone has experienced them at one point or another (or you will soon). Gerry also brings in a lot of practical advice from his experience in education which is refreshing and provides a good balance of inspiration and humor. I already send his Facebook videos to all my "teacher friends" and I will absolutely be recommending this book to them as well!

This book has a little information for and about almost every person in an elementary school building. The author, an actual elementary school principal, certainly proves he knows what life in such a setting is like. Although he’s made a big name for himself with teachers all over the country with his humorous videos, this book is not the knee slapper I thought it would be. Brooks includes transcripts of several of his videos, and tells some funny stories, but this book is much more than that.
He gives advice to kids, teachers, parents and administrators while also attempting to get all those groups to see the school day from the other groups’ perspective. While some of that was a miss for me, so much of it was not.
This book would make a great gift for a new teacher/ administrator or for an entire staff returning after summer break. There’s something there for just about everyone.

As an elementary teacher I've always enjoyed Gerry Brooks's YouTube videos. The issues he discusses are easy to relate to and put a humorous spin on what can be an exhausting job. There wasn't anything in this book that hasn't been in one of his videos but it was a quick, light read.

As a 4th grade teacher (and a kindergarten teacher) I love Gerry Brooks' YouTube videos. He's hilarious and his videos are scary true. That being said, there was nothing new or ground breaking in this book that Mr. Brooks has not already said in one of his videos. In fact, a good portion of the book is word for word what he has said in his videos. This was a fast read for me, but it's not one that is going to change the education world. I think I was expecting something to shake things up (because let's face it, our education system is a broken, hot mess) but this book sometimes did the opposite. Mr. Brooks doesn't seem to be as "in touch" with what educators really experience as he claims to be. Even though I was disappointed with this book, I am still giving it 3 stars because it was a light, quick read. I think my expectations might have been a little too high..

Loved this book! I have a junior and senior in high school and in reading this book I have found things I need to correct. I have friends who are teachers and some teachers who decidedly not friends but I need to support better. This books shows so many different points of view using humor and honesty and I'm very much a fan!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book! Principal Gerry Brooks has become widely popular for his short, humorous videos and that same humor wrote this book. Diving into the trenches of a typical school day in an average public school, one quickly will read about the awesome (and absurd) things that happen daily in the school setting. There’s something for everyone in this book - teachers, administrators, school staff, and parents. It’s worth a read by all. It was a short read - I finished it in just a few hours!

Thank You NetGalley for the free ARC.

Definitely a fast read, I finished in just a couple of hours. The main topic is the daily grind and skirmishes in elementary school. The parents, the kids, the teachers and administration - all have their point of view and their peculiarities, shall we say. I did like some of the abbreviations and some of the more absurd occurrences. .