The book I am going to share is “The Freedom Writers” by Erin Gruwell. This is a true story. Erin Gruwell, a 24 year old teacher, faced her first group of students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. This group of students were known as the ‘unteachable’, at-risk teenagers. They were either substance abusers, gang members, the homeless or victims of abuse. But Erin Gruwell did not think that they are troublesome, they are losers, it is no use teaching them. Instead, she treated them like her own kin, she stay back every day after school to revise with them, used every single method she could think of to let them get interested in English. Her efforts were not appreciated at the beginning. The students were still not interested in studying, and all they could think of was fight. Erin Gruwell tried to teach them with dignity, believe their potential and help them see it themselves. After some while, the students’ loyalty towards their teacher and burning enthusiasm to help end violence and intolerance became a force of its own, these encouraged them to strive, and they became keen in learning. They began to ask questions when in doubt, they also took the initiative to ask their teacher, Erin Gruwell, to stay back to revise with them.

Inspired by reading The Diary of Anne Frank and meeting Zlata Filipovic (the eleven-year old girl who wrote of her life in Sarajevo during the civil war), the students began a joint diary of their inner-city upbringings. This book wrote the students’ experiences, their true feelings and what really inspired them. I think that this story is really very touching, inspiring and it is worth reading.

-Chan Fang Ling(01)
:D