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Ride the Butterflies
Experience flashes of recognition in moments that transcend Donald Davis's childhood stories.
Maybe it's because his mother was a teacher. Or maybe it's because he has spent most of his life in classrooms - as a wide-eyed first grader, a naïve college student, a seminarian, and now as a visiting writer in residencies across the country. There's something about school that infuses the work of Donald Davis and he has collected his all-time favorite school stories in the book. Whether we're traveling around the world with Miss Daisy, the fourth grade teacher who was integrating arithmetic, geography and English before the term “whole language” ever surfaced; or watching in awe as a classmate conjugates malaprops in Miss Vergilius Darwin's Latin class; or driving a school bus and learning about segregation - we experience flashes of recognition in moments that transcend Donald Davis's childhood stories. These coming of age tales will teach readers the importance of caring, citizenship and respect.
Maybe it's because his mother was a teacher. Or maybe it's because he has spent most of his life in classrooms - as a wide-eyed first grader, a naïve college student, a seminarian, and now as a visiting writer in residencies across the country. There's something about school that infuses the work of Donald Davis and he has collected his all-time favorite school stories in the book. Whether we're traveling around the world with Miss Daisy, the fourth grade teacher who was integrating arithmetic, geography and English before the term “whole language” ever surfaced; or watching in awe as a classmate conjugates malaprops in Miss Vergilius Darwin's Latin class; or driving a school bus and learning about segregation - we experience flashes of recognition in moments that transcend Donald Davis's childhood stories. These coming of age tales will teach readers the importance of caring, citizenship and respect.
- GenresNonfiction
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2000
19 people want to read
About the author
Donald Davis
107 books20 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Donald Davis (born 1944) is an American storyteller, author and minister. Davis had a twenty year career as a minister before he became a professional storyteller. He has recorded over 25 storytelling albums and written several books based on those stories. His long career as a teller and his promotion of the cultural importance of storytelling through seminars and master classes has led to Davis being dubbed the "dean of storytelling".
Donald Davis (born 1944) is an American storyteller, author and minister. Davis had a twenty year career as a minister before he became a professional storyteller. He has recorded over 25 storytelling albums and written several books based on those stories. His long career as a teller and his promotion of the cultural importance of storytelling through seminars and master classes has led to Davis being dubbed the "dean of storytelling".
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 23, 2025
Donald Davis is one of the best orator storytellers I’ve ever seen, and he has written out these stories just like he’d tell them at a festival. I bought this book in 2006 at the International Storytelling Festival, and I finally read it. Great to be back in Sulpher Springs, NC.
November 21, 2023
A brief history of corporal punishment of schoolchildren for the first half, then it got better.
Want to read
June 4, 2025Cutting is for Winning and Losing
By Donald Davis
By Donald Davis
February 27, 2015
This book probably would have received more than three stars if I'd never heard Donald Davis tell his stories -- but because I have, I know that he's a much better teller than he is writer.
Actually, I probably still would have given it only three stars, because several of the stories had a gross sense of humor that I just find annoying. But some of them were really sweet, and some were really funny.
Full Review:
http://katesnovelidea.blogspot.com/20...
Actually, I probably still would have given it only three stars, because several of the stories had a gross sense of humor that I just find annoying. But some of them were really sweet, and some were really funny.
Full Review:
http://katesnovelidea.blogspot.com/20...
November 17, 2011
Very funny autobiography.
April 3, 2013
Touching teacher/school stories.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews