Krech, Bob 1956–

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Krech, Bob 1956–

(Robert Krech)

Personal

Born July 27, 1956, in Trenton, NJ; son of Walter (a New Jersey state trooper) and Dorothy (a special education teacher's aide) Krech; married; wife's name Karen (an ESL teacher); children: Andrew, Faith. Education: Rutgers College, B.A. (art education), 1978, M.Ed., 1982.

Addresses

E-mail—[email protected].

Career

Author and elementary school teacher. Worked variously as a principal, curriculum specialist, consultant, and coach. New Jersey Mathematics Coalition, member of board of governors; member of New Jersey Department of Education Mathematics Task Force.

Awards, Honors

Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching, National Science Foundation, 1997; American Library Association Best Book designation, 2007, for Rebound.

Writings

Rebound (young-adult novel), Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to various journals.

EDUCATIONAL BOOKS

Special Delivery: Putting Math to Work, ETA/Cuisenaire (Vernon Hills, IL), 1998.

Fresh and Fun Teaching with Kids' Names: Dozens of Instant and Irresistible Ideas from Creative Teachers across the Country, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2000.

Fresh and Fun December: Dozens of Instant and Irresistible Ideas from Creative Teachers across the Country, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2000.

Fresh and Fun September: Dozens of Instant and Irresistible Ideas from Creative Teachers across the Country, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2000.

More Special Delivery: Putting More Math to Work, ETA/Cuisenaire (Vernon Hills, IL), 2001.

Best-ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Listening and Speaking, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Best-ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Grammar, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Best-ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Measurement, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Best-ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Multiplication, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Best-ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Writing, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Meeting the Math Standards with Favorite Picture Books: Lessons, Activities, and Hands-on Reproducibles That Help You Teach Essential Math Skills and Concepts, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Best-ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Spelling, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 2, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 3, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 4, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Grades 2-3: 50 Engaging Stories for Students to Read, Fill in, Solve, and Sharpen Their Math Skills, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2007.

50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Grades 4-6: 50 Engaging Stories for Students to Read, Fill in, Solve, and Sharpen Their Math Skills, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

With over two dozen years' experience teaching in schools, Bob Krech knows his young-adult audience well. In addition to writing instructional titles for Scholastic Teaching Resources, he also published the young-adult novel Rebound. Rebound reveals the harsh realities of racism by following protagonist Ray Wisniewski as he grapples with the prejudice he both experiences and witnesses. Seventeen-year-old Ray is a Polish-American teen who loves the game of basketball. He looks past the racial stereotypes in his high school—such as the assumption that only black kids play basketball—and tries out for the school basketball team. At first Ray is rejected from the team by a coach who only recruits black students, but he eventually gets the chance to play when a new, more-open-minded coach is hired. Once Ray joins the basketball team, however, the racism he has experienced heightens. As Rebound plays out, the teen must learn to overcome a variety of stereotypes. Reviewing the novel, School Library Journal reviewer Kristin Anderson called Krech's characters "compelling" and noted that his novel's storyline "is fast paced enough to hold the interest of reluctant readers." Keir Graff, assessing Krech's debut novel in Booklist, applauded Rebound for its raw honesty and remarked that the author "successfully shows the many shades of gray that keep racism from being a truly black-and-white issue."

Krech commented in an online interview for Teens Read Too that he knew he wanted to be a writer since the fourth grade. Noting that he finds inspiration in his interactions with teens, he advised would-be writers to Read everything they can get their hands on. And in writing, "‘show, don't tell.’ It really is the best guide to good writing."