My Name is Alexander Hamilton

If you know someone (or if, like me, you are someone) who loves Hamilton: The Original Cast Recording...

be sure to share this list of all things Hamilton:

Hamilton The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. This is the behind the scenes look at the creation and production of the hip-hop musical with footnotes by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Also, there's a song in the play that's not on the cast album: Tomorrow There'll Be More Of Us.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. This is the book that Lin-Manuel Miranda picked up on his way to vacation in Mexico. It's the 800-page biography that inspired Hamilton the musical. 

Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz. This ten-dollar, founding father biography is the best read for middle grade scholars. "Don't be shocked when your history books mention me. I will lay down my life if it sets us free." This 100-page biography might satisfy most young Hamilton fans; but, there may be some who choose to "rise up" and listen to Chernow's audio book.

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr by Judith St. George. This middle grade book introduces A.Ham and A. Burr: both were orphans, both were brilliant students, both studied law, both were war heroes, and both were politicians. Told in alternating chapters, this book catalogs the similarities and differences (Wait For It) of these two founding fathers who played major roles in the formation of the United States. 

Death doesn't discriminate/ between the sinners and the saints,/ it takes and it takes and it takes./ History obliterates./ In every picture it paints,/ It paints me and all my mistakes./ When Alexander aimed at the sky,/ He may have been the first one to die,/ But I'm the one who paid for it./ I survived but I paid for it./ Now I'm the villain in your history./ I was too young and blind to see./ I should've known./ I should've known the world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me./ The world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me.

The Most Famous Duel in American History: Aaron and Alexander by Don Brown. This illustrated middle grade book looks at the complicated relationship between Aaron and Alexander and gives a more sympathetic spin where Burr is concerned. "Even though we started at the very same time, Alexander Hamilton began to climb." (Non-Stop)

And for those who have fallen head over heals for Lin-Manuel Miranda, be sure to listen to the audio book of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (read by Lin-Manuel Miranda)

"I sure as hell don't want to study Alexander Hamilton." - Lin-Manuel Miranda (Reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe)

And for fans of the Tony Awards, be sure to watch the cast of Hamilton perform Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) and Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony acceptance speech for Best Score.

And, for learners and teachers: The New York Times The Learning Network's ideas for Learning with Hamilton. It is an amazing resource! Also check out School Library Journal's page of Teaching with Hamilton.

Finally, for fans of The White House performances of Hamilton: The 2009 Hamilton Rap, cast performance of Alexander Hamilton, cast performance of My Shot, and the #Ham4Ham West Wing Cabinet Battle.

Enjoy!

Unproductive Ted

On a recent long plane trip I read Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick. 

Every Exquisite Thing is the story of Nanette O'Hare, an average high school senior who has always done the right thing and followed the path chosen for her by her parents – that is until she is given a copy of The Bubblegum Reaper ... and it changes her life.

“And then one day you will look for you in the mirror and you’ll no longer be able to identify yourself—you’ll only see everyone else. You’ll know that you did what they wanted you to do. You will have assimilated. And you will hate yourself for it, because it will be too late.” 

After reading (and re-reading and re-reading) The Bubblegum Reaper, Nanette is full of questions about the book, and life in general, which leads her to seek out the paperback's writer. 

"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to do it."

This book is for every high schooler...

“Then we talked a lot about our parents and how we didn't want to become them, but we had no other role models--or "maps," Alex kept saying. 'My father is a terrible map, mostly because he doesn't ever lead me anywhere.' And I thought about my parents being maps that led to places I didn't want to go-- and it made a shocking amount of sense, using the word maps to describe parents. It almost made you feel like you could fold Mom and Dad up and lock them away in the glove compartment of your car and just joyride for the rest of your life maybe.”

For every high school senior who needs to make big decisions...

“Sometimes you just have to pick a direction and make mistakes. Then you use what you learn from your failure to pick new, better directions so you can make more mistakes and keep learning.” 

For every teen who is attempting to insert their true self into the world...

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”