Freedom Writers Diary by The Freedom Writers

The Freedom Writers & Filipovic, Z. (1999). The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them. (p. 304). Main Street Books.

ISBN: 038549422X

Classification: book, nonfiction

Genre: nonfiction

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects: adult crossover, current events, family, friends, identity, nonfiction, prejudice, school

Reader's Annotation: Erin Gruwell uses journals and lessons about the Holocaust and Sarajevo to connect with a group of students that other teachers had considered "unteachable."

Summary: As a new, idealistic teacher, Erin Gruwell took on a class of students that the other teachers at Wilson High in Long Beach, CA considered "unteachable." She asked them to keep journals about their lives and experiences. As she read them, she was stunned by the difficult lives these students were leading. One day, she made a reference to the Holocaust and was surprised when none of the students knew what she was talking about . She created lessons using Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary, stories about teens surviving in war zones. Her students connected with the materials and were interested in their studies. Inspired by the heroism of Meip Geis, the woman who sheltered the Frank family, they raised money for travel and asked her to come visit them. The students, inspired by literature and a teacher who was invested in their education, performed spectacularly well. All 150 students who participated in what became known as "The Freedom Writers Diary" graduated high school and went on to college.

Reviews / Awards:

Denver Post review

Author Info:
About Erin Gruwell

Potential Hotspots:

racial slurs, sexual content

Readalikes:

• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
  
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This book has been out for awhile, but it may well be new to teen readers. This will be a particularly relevant story for teens who feel disinfranchised by the school system, or, conversly, to anyone who has had one teacher that made them feel valued and special. This is a book for anyone who wants to believe a small group of people can work together to improve their lives, and the lives of others. Because the story is about teens taking charge of their futures, it will speak clearly to a teen audience.

Other:

Freedom Writers Foundation Website

Evaluation:

5 stars