The Freedom WritersReseñas

A bit long/some repetitive reading; would be easier to follow & feel less vague if the diary entries came with pseudonyms instead of just numbers.

The story behind this book was incredibly inspiring, but I was hesitant to read it after I had watched the movie. 'No way could these kids' diary entries be that engaging,' I thought. I was totally wrong. I could not put this book down and read it all in one very long sitting. I do wish that the publisher had done less editing - it was obvious that the very first entries were written (or re-written) completely, and in the editing process much of the individuals' unique voices were lost.

What the Freedom Writers have accomplished, though, is amazing.

I enjoyed the unique presentation style and concept. I used the book (and film) in my adult ESOL class and they loved the language and stories. They enjoyed reading something contemporary that could be absorbed in small bites and discussed. It was filled with language and idioms that we use today and they loved learning the 'street English'.

well i know this makes me a total asshole, and i don't mean this to say anything about the people or the work they're doing, but this book is objectively pretty bad. approaching terrible. i think it's all in the editing and their assumption that anyone reading this book already knows about them and what they're doing. also, their commitment to including everyone and all their stories, involving each child, while keeping it anonymous made their task of putting this book together more difficult, i'm sure.

and there are good things about it. i was worried that i'd find a white savior story, and it really didn't seem like that at all, at least not the way it was told. we get important stories of growing up in poverty, violence, danger, with drugs, gangs, violence all around. it is truly heartfelt. they do a relatively nice job of putting the diary entries of 140 or so people together in chronological order from freshman year to graduation to make a general arc of what went on in the four years of this class. (this couldn't have been easy or simple.) and it's important for people to understand that children in the usa go through these things, that we are not immune to this level of trauma, and that we can do something about it.

however. there are myriad problems with this book as it is written. i think it's largely the editing, because it was both obviously edited too much, and also not edited enough. the overblown prose was bad, but also ok in the end. i remember being that age and thinking that purple, mawkish prose was adult and quality writing, so i forgive these kids for writing that way. but some of the writing is obviously not theirs. it's probably edited for length or for understanding, but there's just no way some of these kids were talking this way. i know it's from around 20 years ago and slang was different then, but these essays just don't flow or feel true at all. (except for the experiences. those feel real and so it's a shame that the voices don't.)

we also see these kids change, but they tried too hard to show us this in each essay alone, rather than in an overarching thread that takes us from the first entry to the last. so instead we get things like "No one ever believed in me so I never believed in myself." and the next sentence would be something like "Now I know that I have to believe in myself and that I can do it." but there is no idea how they got there. Each entry is this story of hardship that is important to tell, and then suddenly they have self belief or understand their worth or something, but no information about how the change happened. (ex: "No one really understood what I was feeling. They were so caught up in what they thought about me that they didn't really care. It really bothered me that they didn't even try to understand me. Deep down inside I was just a scared little girl who was simply misunderstood. Maybe it's not so bad to be misunderstood. Now it's time for me to learn to hold my ground and be self-reliant." what??? how does this even happen. virtually ever entry is like this.)

and even more than that: what were they even doing? we are constantly told that the freedom writers have this amazing mission, that their work is important. but we are literally never told what they're doing. we aren't told how this class does anything that is radical or different, just that it is. we aren't told how this teacher makes a difference, just that she does. we aren't told what these kids do to change themselves, just that they do. we are told how important their message is, that it's so important that they're flown all over the country, interviewed by multiple news outlets, that they get all this corporate support and sponsorship because their work is so important, but we aren't ever told what their message is. something about tolerance? i literally don't know.

their work (the actual work they do and the work they did on themselves) sounds like it is something really important and quite amazing. i just don't really have any idea what it was and this book does a terrible job in telling us. so to be clear my rating has nothing to do with them individually or their organization, just this mess of a book.½

When a rookie English teacher, Erin Gruwell, is faced with 150 Freshmen remedial students, it's time to sink or swim. Looking around her classroom on the first day, she is struck by the way they segregate themselves into groups based on race: Black, Asian, and Latino, with a lone Caucasian student lost in the crowd.

Gruwell, comes up with an idea to get the kids to write by having each keep a journal. They can write anything they want with no repercussions, and write, they do. Gruwell soon realizes that for many of these kids, just surviving the streets is an accomplishment. By listening carefully and creating interactive activities, Gruwell encourages the students to see how similar they are to one another rather than focusing on differences. And for the first time, many of these kids find an adult who is actually taking an interest in them.

As the students move through grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, something wonderful happens. They begin to believe there's more out there than just gang fights and the streets. They learn about respect and begin to have dreams. Together, they compiled this book, which covers a wide range of social issues. Together, they garnered world-wide attention and demonstrated tolerance. Together, they did what most adults thought they couldn't: graduate and go to college.

For a dose of inspiration, pick up this book and read what can happen with a little nurturing and respect. Since this is the 20th anniversary edition, it also includes both tenth-anniversary and twentieth-anniversary entries.

The Bottom Line: This is a story about transformation and coming of age during a time when riots in L.A. were common. Highly recommended reading for high school and college programs. Also, recommended reading for parents and educators. Even though this was written over twenty years ago, many of the topics are still relevant today, maybe even more so.

For the complete review including Book Club Notes, please visit the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.½

Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers, and this book are an inspiration to all who encounter them.

At the age of 23, a young and inexperienced teacher set her sites on making a difference by giving her students hope, teaching them unforgettable lessons in tolerance, and seeing them through to their graduation from high school four years later, and beyond.

Even after reading it a second time, I was brought to tears. As a teacher, I’m an moved by Ms. G’s methods and success, and each time I share this book with my students, I witness their emotional response to a truly impactful book. I highly recommend this book to every student, every parent, and every teacher. It is truly inspiring. Together we can make a difference and be the change we wish to see in the world.

A gripping book on a class that learns to turn the tide of racism and violence! Through diary entries, you get to know the Freedom Writers, the struggle they faced and the message they spread. I found myself at the verge of tears more than once, at the injustice these kids grew up in.
Even though not all entries are literary masterpieces (keep in mind that these are high school kids), their stories are so gripping that this book is sure to leave an impression.

This book is based on a true story about a young teacher named Erin Gruwell who begins teaching at a title one school. She wants to make a difference in her students but she does not know what they are actually going through. When she starts connecting with each and everyone of them the classroom dynamic changes making their relationship one of a kind. This book is legendary, its a great way to connect a classroom and create a positive atmosphere. This book can be used in any concept, I believe that you may know your concept front and back but if you do not make a connection with the students then they will not learn.

There's something truly great about giving a voice to the voiceless. I think this is Ellen Gruwell's gift more than anything else. This book is the diary of the diverse kids in a class room who learned to listen to each other and encourage each other when very few others would. An integration program in LA brought at risk inner city kids into a school where they were possibly more doomed to fail than before. Their teacher taught them that they had more in common with each other than they knew, but also that there were characters in books that had some of the same problems that they did. Sometimes finding your own voice starts with listening to someone else.

There's something truly great about giving a voice to the voiceless. I think this is Ellen Gruwell's gift more than anything else. This book is the diary of the diverse kids in a class room who learned to listen to each other and encourage each other when very few others would. An integration program in LA brought at risk inner city kids into a school where they were possibly more doomed to fail than before. Their teacher taught them that they had more in common with each other than they knew, but also that there were characters in books that had some of the same problems that they did. Sometimes finding your own voice starts with listening to someone else.

I rather enjoyed this book, though I definitely see some of the issues that others have mentioned such as the wording/phrasing sounding like it's trying too hard to portray certain sterotypes. I have seen the movie and enjoyed that as well.

All that being said, what these kids went through and had to endure was horrific and totally different from my life in every way. I cannot imagine having to be constantly worried about getting jumped, killed, shot, or stabbed every single day on top of having to deal with terrible or absentee parents. Every single person from the Freedom Writers has my utmost respect, including Ms. G who had the strength to pull and guide these kids along when so many other teachers would have jumped up and ran.

I rather enjoyed this book, though I definitely see some of the issues that others have mentioned such as the wording/phrasing sounding like it's trying too hard to portray certain sterotypes. I have seen the movie and enjoyed that as well.

All that being said, what these kids went through and had to endure was horrific and totally different from my life in every way. I cannot imagine having to be constantly worried about getting jumped, killed, shot, or stabbed every single day on top of having to deal with terrible or absentee parents. Every single person from the Freedom Writers has my utmost respect, including Ms. G who had the strength to pull and guide these kids along when so many other teachers would have jumped up and ran.

In this book a group of underprivileged students maintain daily journals under the direction of their teacher. Erin Gruwell is starting her first job teaching. That as a freshman and sophomore English teacher a Woodrow Wilson High School. These 150 teens used writing to change themselves and the world around them. She was a brand new teacher and had a very difficult group of kids but she refused to let her kids fail in life. At first she was frightened when teaching such a hard group of students. Many of them were poor, and the teacher had big plans for her kids. She never gives up and teahces people that everyone deserves an education. It is a bunch of journal entries from her students that shows she teaches kids how to be successful in school and out side of school.

I like this book, but i think it can also be confusing for a middle school student. I think it is meant more for high school students. I like that it shares real life situations but I reeally don't understand what some of the kids are going through. I like that the teacher teaches them to be good writers. i know i need a lot of work in writing, and i think it is cool that the teacher didn't give up on her students. Many teahcers give up on their kids but dont really know what they are going through.

I enjoy this book about students overcoming the odds. It is pretty inspirational.

*Review written on September 16, 2014.*

A must-read.

I absolutely loved this! So great to hear about things like this.

Original subtitle: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Inspiring tale of "at-risk" teens who succeed through writing and the guidance of an idealistic teacher who won't accept defeat. The stories do become repetitious after a while.

This book would probably be appropriate for high school aged children. I think this book or another book like it is important for high schoolers and anyone in the education field to read. It teaches that no matter what everyone deserves and education and it is up to teachers to give it to students, because right now everyone else is working against them. Powerful story.

I wanted very much to enjoy this book. And some of it I truly did. These teens were amazing people. This teacher is incredible. I love the story itself. The story feels so over-edited, however, that it is hard to believe it. The language is pared down to elementary essentials by an editor who obviously wanted to present a simple story, but somewhere along the way lost the voice of the students. These are truly unique teens, and they sound so cliche and average that the grittier details of their lives are almost unbelievable.

This is one of the most inspiring books I have read in a very long time. How many people would actually take on two part-time jobs on top of a full-time 6 hour day teaching job just so that they could take their students on field trips and to dinner to get through to them? How many people in today’s society actually have this much heart and soul?

Having students journal can be a life-changing experience for everyone involved. After reading this book, I was inspired to go out and purchase 36 notebooks, one for each of my eighth grade students. Some days I would give them a writing prompt, but usually they wrote about things that were going on in their lives, poetry, and other things meaningful to them. That year I had two female students write about molestation that had occurred in their lives. I had to break my promise of confidentiality, as both girls were still having contact with their abusers. They both were able to find their voices (and ultimately transform their lives) through the power of writing.

Inspiring. I'm teaching, and this reminds me how I might be impacting my students if I do it correctly.

A brilliantly devised collection of stories. I applaud the teacher for her efforts, but no one has the energy or motivation to maintain that kind of energy.

It felt like I was reading a bunch of "Response to Literature" essays. I had a bad attitude when reading it, but I guess it was inspiring.

"The Freedom Writers Diary" is a book made up of journal entries written by students in Ms. Gruwell's classroom. Ms. Gruwell is an English teacher who changed the lives of hundreds of students. The journal entries talk about the feelings of each student as the school year goes on. Ms. Gruwell shows these students that no matter what happens throughout their lives, there is someone that believes in them. She gave these students hope. I would recommend this book to anyone in middle school and up. This book touches on several issues that could be going on with people. It gives people hope in things other than what they're accustomed to, and it shows that even the smallest, most insignificant person can make a huge difference in the lives of other people. Inspirational doesn't even begin to describe this book. Life-changing would be a much better word to describe it. This book will affect people for many years to come.