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As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”
With funds raised by a “Read-a-thon for Tolerance,” they arranged for Miep Gies, the courageous Dutch woman who sheltered the Frank family, to visit them in California, where she declared that Erin Gruwell’s students were “the real heroes.” Their efforts have paid off spectacularly, both in terms of recognition—appearances on “Prime Time Live” and “All Things Considered,” coverage in People magazine, a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley—and educationally. All 150 Freedom Writers have graduated from high school and are now attending college.
With powerful entries from the students’ own diaries and a narrative text by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers Diary is an uplifting, unforgettable example of how hard work, courage, and the spirit of determination changed the lives of a teacher and her students.
The authors’ proceeds from this book will be donated to The Tolerance Education Foundation, an organization set up to pay for the Freedom Writers’ college tuition. Erin Gruwell is now a visiting professor at California State University, Long Beach, where some of her students are Freedom Writers.
Freshman Year
Fall 1994
Entry 1 - Ms. Gruwell
Dear Diary, Tomorrow morning, my journey as an English teacher officially begins. Since first impressions are so important, I wonder what my students will think about me. Will they think I'm out of touch or too preppy? Or worse yet, that I'm too young to be taken seriously? Maybe I'll have them write a journal entry describing what their expectations are of me and the class.
Even though I spent last year as a student teacher at Wilson High School, I'm still learning my way around the city. Long Beach is so different than the gated community I grew up in. Thanks to MTV dubbing Long Beach as the "gangsta-rap capital" with its depiction of guns and graffiti, my friends have a warped perception of the city, or L B C as the rappers refer to it. They think I should wear a bulletproof vest rather than pearls. Where I live in Newport Beach is a utopia compared to some of neighborhoods seen in a Snoop Doggy Dogg video. Still, TV tends to blow things out of proportion.
The school is actually located in a safe neighborhood, just a few miles from the ocean. Itslocation and reputation make it desirable. So much so that a lot of the students that live in what they call the "'hood" take two or three buses just to get to school every day. Students come in from every corner of the city: Rich kids from the shore sit next to poor kids from the projects . . . there's every race, religion, and culture within the confines of the quad. But since the Rodney King riots, racial tension has spilled over into the school.
Due to busing and an outbreak in gang activity, Wilson's traditional white, upper-class demographics have changed radically. African Americans, Latinos, and Asians now make up the majority of the student body.
As a student teacher last year, I was pretty naive. I wanted to see past color and culture, but I was immediately confronted by it when the first bell rang and a student named Sharaud sauntered in bouncing a basketball. He was a junior, a disciplinary transfer from Wilson's crosstown rival, and his reputation preceded him. Word was that he had threatened his previous English teacher with a gun (which I later found out was only a plastic water gun, but it had all the makings of a dramatic showdown). In those first few minutes, he made it brutally clear that he hated Wilson, he hated English, and he hated me. His sole purpose was to make his "preppy" student teacher cry. Little did he know that within a month, he'd be the one crying.
Sharaud became the butt of a bad joke. A classmate got tired of Sharaud's antics and drew a racial caricature of him with huge, exaggerated lips. As the drawing made its way around the class, the other students laughed hysterically. When Sharaud saw it, he looked as if he was going to cry. For the first time, his tough facade began to crack.
When I got a hold of the picture, I went ballistic. "This is the type of propaganda that the Nazis used during the Holocaust," I yelled. When a student timidly asked me, "What's the Holocaust?" I was shocked.
I asked, "How many of you have heard of the Holocaust?" Not a single person raised his hand. Then I asked, "How many of you have been shot at?" Nearly every hand went up.
I immediately decided to throw out my meticulously planned lessons and make tolerance the core of my curriculum.
From that moment on, I would try to bring history to life by using new books, inviting guest speakers, and going on field trips. Since I was just a student teacher, I had no budget for my schemes. So, I moonlighted as a concierge at the Marriott Hotel and sold lingerie at Nordstrom. My dad even asked me, "Why can't you just be a normal teacher?"
Actually, normalcy didn't seem so bad after my first snafu. I took my students to see Schindler's List in Newport Beach, at a predominately white, upper-class theater. I was shocked to see women grab their pearls and clutch their purses in fear. A local paper ran a front-page article about the incident, describing how poorly my students were treated, after which I received death threats. One of my disgruntled neighbors had the audacity to say, "If you love black people so much, why don't you just marry a monkey?"
All this drama and I didn't even have my teaching credentials yet. Luckily, some of my professors from University of California-Irvine read the article and invited my class to a seminar by the author of Schindler's List, Thomas Keneally. Keneally was so impressed by my students that a few days later we got an invitation to meet Steven Spielberg at Universal Studios. I couldn't believe it! The famous director wanted to meet the class that I had dubbed "as colorful as a box of Crayola crayons" and their "rookie teacher who was causing waves." He marveled at how far these "unteachable" students had come as a junior class and what a close group they had become. He even asked Sharaud what "we" were planning to do next year as an encore. After all, if a film does well, you make a sequel-if a class surpasses everyone's expectations, you . . .
. . . dismantle it! Yep, that's exactly what happened. Upon my return from Universal, the head of the English department told me, "You're making us look bad." Talk about bursting my bubble! How was I making them look bad? After all, these were the same kids that "wouldn't last a month" or "were too stupid" to read advanced placement books.
She went on to say, "Things are based on seniority around here." So, in other words, I was lucky to have a job, and keeping Sharaud and his posse another year would be pushing the envelope. Instead, I'd be teaching freshmen-"at risk" freshmen. Hmm . . . not exactly the assignment I was hoping for.
So, starting tomorrow, it's back to the drawing board. But I'm convinced that if Sharaud could change, then anyone can. So basically, I should prepare myself for a roomful of Sharauds. If it took a month to win Sharaud over . . . I wonder how long it's gonna take a bunch of feisty fourteen-year-olds to come around?
Continues...
Excerpted from Freedom Writers Diary by Freedom Writers Copyright ©1999 by Freedom Writers. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted January 8, 2007
When I first heard about this movie and book I didn't think it would be nice but now I'm glad that I saw it because it has touched me alot. You would never know what it feels like to be in their position unless you have been through it. You know how they say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I did and I ended up to be so wrong, that is one of the best movies i have ever watched and it taught me a life lesson.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 8, 2009
I feel as though this novel was phenomenal! It had everything a reader could ask for, strength, courage, and perseverance. This compelling story touched my heart in such a way that has changed the way I now think. Writing isn't just to record documentation but also to record the story of your life and soon people and you will begin to see the change in your daily life. All it took was the dedication of one teacher to inspire a group of students to do the same. At first the group were a disruptive, obnoxious group, now a group turned into passionate, ambitious students. This group put their hearts and entire trust into one teacher to change their lives forever. Their determination helped them accomplish the greatest achievements and allowed them to aspire to their greatest dreams. I feel if one person could change the attitude of several students, I could do the same. We can make a difference in the world and more important in someone's life, only if we try.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2009
I read this book freedom writers, i thought this book was an okay book beacuse it just talked about the children that are in the story and how they write a joural entree on every child that is in the class room, they tell about how they live, what they do when they arent in the class room.. and the teacher came from a rich town to teach in a bad section of a city. i also like how the teacher inspierd the children to do good and school and educate the children. This story might inspier the children that dont get educated and this teacher is willing to have them learning and to see what its like to learn and relate to some of the students in the class.the teacher is giving her heart out to her students.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2009
The Freedom Writers By The Freedom Writers, Erin Gruwell, Zlata Filipovic is a good book. It's about an english teacher who really gets involved with her students. She gives the students the space and freedom to write about things that heppened to them in their life, and also let's them explain how they feel about the things that happened.She also design assignments that the students can relate to or provide help and advise to ways to deal with the obstacles that they are faced with on a daily basis. The book is a collection of diary entries by different students with different experiences; also the teacher Ms. Gruwell added in a few entries.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 20, 2009
I actually saw the movie first and was so inspired and intrigued that I logged onto barnesandnoble.com to buy the book that day. I must say I am not disappointed. The book, very much like the movie, brings the reader closer to the real-life characters that the Freedom Writers were. An expolration that delves into many different life situations, this book is an eye-opener that truly brings to life the spirit of the Freedom Writers and their teacher, Erin Gruwell.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Freedom Writers Diary was a very good book. I enjoyed reading about their experiences through the different viewpoints of the student and what they thought about what they are learning. I also like how Ms. G was able to get her kids interested in learning, instead of beating each other up, and showing them that even though they are different form each other, that they all have the same things in common. This book helped me to see a different way of teaching students, which will help me because I wish to become a teacher. Thank you Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell for sharing your story with us.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 24, 2009
This book is great for a look into how teenagers in a tough neighborhood really view the world. They don't. The world, to them, is their tiny community. They can't get out and grow or learn if they are fighting for their basic needs to be met at home. Some of them fight alone, some have the support of friends or a gang, a few have parental support and a finite lucky few had the opportunity to break that cycle because they had Erin Gruwell show them that they could find support beyond race, they could travel beyond the projects and could reach new potentials that they had lost hope for long ago. They could make a difference. And they did.
(It's a fast read, easy to pick up and put down because of the diary entries. I learned a lot, had my eyes opened, teared up, smiled, and laughed out loud. I highly recommend this book).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 2, 2008
The The Freedom Writers Diary is an interesting book that probably many teenagers can relate to with their life experiences. This book was published in 2006 and was a number one New York Times bestseller. This story is about an ideal teacher who strives hard to help her students. Erin Gruwell lived in long beach California for most of her life with her father. When she decided to become a teacher, her father was very excited but didn¿t think that she was able to pursue a dream of teaching children in the disturbed community of Los Angeles. Ms Gruwell moved to Newport Beach to follow her dream of changing the lives of troubled teens. Once she settled herself in class, one student stood out to her when he drew a racial caricature on a sheet of paper. Gruwell wanted to change the image of these students because she saw potential in all of these children and the mentality that most of them had was violent. She was determined to prove society wrong because these children are history and they have something to prove. Gruwell used writing as one of her strategies to change their lives. This book was an inspiration to young girls and boys who think that they can¿t change the world around because of their circumstances or position.This book tellsus that life isn¿t about money or any fortunate life style but it¿s about accomplishments.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 23, 2008
I really liked this book for a few reasons. I had watched the movie a few times loved it every time. The movie only goes through freshman and sophomore years and the book goes freshman through senior years so I wanted to read it and hear the rest of their stories.
This book is such an inspiration. These are the diaries of 150 students compiled into one book. Ms. Gruwell fought to help her, so called, "reject" class. Being a first year teacher at Wilson High she doesn't get the respect of her fellow teachers, the choice of which class she gets or books for her class. She get's two extra jobs to help pay for the brand new books she get's for her students.
She has this idea to change their lives. Every student gets a notebook to write down all of their experiences in them, to express their feelings. She takes them on field trips to help them learnt and they raise money to bring in special guests.
This book is an inspiration because it shows that one teacher can change the lives of 150 students. This book is the students stories, their undeclared war.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 5, 2008
I like this book because it is about true experiences of teenagers that really went through the situations they talk about. It is a collection of diaries the students wrote for themselves and for their teacher. This was a very special teacher who made a difference in their lives. She made them write about their experiences so they could express their feelings. It is incredible that real people actually live like this. And it is even more incredible how with some love and understanding one single teacher could change their lives so much. The book exists because she decided to publish their stories, and a movie producer even made a film about it. Normally I can identify with a character in a book, but here I could not identify with anybody, simply because they all have such hard lives. I was especially touched by the diary of this guy who is dyslexic. His mom did everything she could for him, and sent him to a special school where they taught him to read and write properly, but he had to leave and enter a regular school where he had the good luck of ending in this very special teacher´s class. She made a big difference in their future. But I won´t say anymore. If you want to find out what happened to him and his classmates by the end of high school, you must read the book. I can only say that this book has made me realize I have a really good life.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 1, 2008
This is an amazing book with such amazing TRUE stories of kids who are no more than preteens. I was so inspired after reading this that I started my own diary! The movie is also great if you loved the book!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 7, 2012
This movie was so touching. I thought i would hate it, but i was VERY wrong. I didnt leave my seat the entire time. I heard about the book, and plan on reading it.
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Posted April 21, 2012
The movie was great should I read the book
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Posted March 19, 2012
June ran down the Florida beach walkway. The purple flowers clipped up in her hair looked beautiful with her long black hair. She laughed and spun, almost knocking into a couple walking romantically hand-in-hand down the walkway. They glared at her, but she laughed giddily and kept running. She stopped at the edge of the sand and made a running leap at the ocean. Her white dress splashed in the cool surf, and she giggled as she untangled her leg from a clump of seaweed. June shaded her eyes and stared at the sky. She saw the silloutte of what she thought was an albatross, but she wasn't sure. The wings looked... bigger than usual. She shrugged and went back to playing in the salty waves. June was a carefree girl, to whom it didn't really matter if it was night, day, or limbo, she'd play at the ocean. Something splashed in the water near her, and she laughed, turning. She froze, mid-smile, as a tall boy stood, wearing a white t-shirt and sweats. He smiled back, and pulled a seastar off his ankle. June giggled and turned back to the sky, looking for the albatross she had seen earlier. It was gone. The boy touched her on the shoulder, and she spun around, suddenly nervous. The boy shook his head quickly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to know your name." "June...." June said, hesitantly. "And yours is?" "Elijah." Elijah shook off the sea water and pulled a bit of coral out of June's hair. She brushed his hand away. "I make it a point not to let strangers touch me," she said, pointedly. "I understand," Elijah said, and left the water to walk along the seashore, looking for shells. June watched him pick up a fan shell, then a conch, then she turned back to the ocean. For a while, she mainly ducked under the water every now and then, looking at small fish and starfish. Elijah tapped her on the back while her head was underwater, and she shot up to the surface, spluttering and coughing. She spun around, ready to chew him out for surprising her, but instead gasped when Elijah held out a beautiful seashell necklace. He had apparently made this within the last few hours. When June didn't accep it, he placed it gently around her neck. "This will keep you safe," he said. "I have to go now." June turned to pick up another seashell she had found to give him, but when she turned back, Elijah was gone. She looked up at the sky, seeing once more the sillouette of an albotross, soaring off into the distance. June smiled and grasped the necklace. She woulf never forget her angel.-The White Rabbit !_!
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Posted February 21, 2012
This book is mainly about the problems and the daily lives of a teachers daily classroom and her students. Ms. grunwell helps her students to advance in the classroom and the outside world aswell. Themes in this novel are overcomming barriers, family, and love. I really enjoyed this book because it allowed me to paint a picture in my head because of all teh description and i got to see every point of view because of how the novel was written. The reasoning on why i think somebody should read this book is because its an easy read, but also a novel that intrigues you and almost makes you not want to put the book down. FOR Freedom Writers Diary I would give this novel an overal 8.
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Posted February 8, 2012
I love that movie
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 3, 2012
I have seen the movie and now read the book and both have been really good. It is sad what the children go through but this book helps you see the truth behind these children.
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Posted January 23, 2012
This book is amazing. It makes anyone who reads this feel as if they are guilty because of what the charcters faced in this book. Its very sad story but its worth the money.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.My Son had to read this for summer reading ( High School ) I read it so I could quiz him on it...really enjoyed it! Then I watched the movie :)
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Posted December 25, 2011
Wonderful!!
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Overview
Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students.As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, ...