false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174880624m/451078.jpg 451078 2 Few writers can duck inside the world of teens without resorting to clichés, but journalist Meredith Maran manages to give sideline reports from the lives of three high school seniors without relying on stereotypes or typical adult incredulity. Perhaps it's because Maran's own sons recently passed through the same halls at Berkeley High, but most likely it can be chalked up to solid reporting and writing. A reporter who followed up on a story assignment and spent the 1999-2000 school year in this microcosm of society--dubbed "the most integrated school in the nation"--Maran illustrates some of today's most serious societal problems through the three teenagers she shadows. There's Autumn, a biracial achiever whose father is long gone, forcing her to hand over paychecks to help support the family. There is Keith, a black football jock who struggles with laughable remedial courses, run-ins with the police, and his own illusions about sailing into college on an athletic scholarship. And there is Jordan, the rich white kid who battles with senioritis, as well as depression, a year after his drug-addicted father dies. Along the way, Maran examines academic tracking, school safety in the wake of Columbine, teen sex, suicide, school system politics, decaying campuses, and the everyday trials of being a teenager--and a teacher--in today's high school. There's no hype, just incredible detail and description. Maran manages to be everywhere in these kids' lives and, to her credit, the subjects become living, breathing people, not mere case studies. And readers will find themselves rooting for these teens. Even the most cynical observers will feel they've been granted an insider's view of the drama that plays out daily in our public schools. <I>--Jodi Mailander Farrell</I> 439712 2000 Class Dismissed: A Year In The Life Of An American High School, A Glimpse Into The Heart Of A Nation total:52|5:7|4:18|3:24|2:2|1:1| 52 184 73 7 3 0 false false Wed Apr 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 17:06:53 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 15:21:16 -0700 2009
I was amazed, as an outsider to public schools, at t...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu May 29 16:10:13 -0700 2008 Thu May 29 16:17:00 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 15:51:38 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 15:53:33 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 06:34:59 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 06:38:12 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed May 20 10:17:52 -0700 2009 Fri Jan 23 02:24:19 -0800 2009 Wed May 20 10:17:52 -0700 2009
The proposals at the end are probably the be...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jan 08 07:48:56 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 08 07:55:45 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Jul 24 14:07:03 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 24 14:08:04 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Mon Nov 09 13:37:32 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 09 13:37:32 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Mon Oct 26 17:28:24 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 17:28:24 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Sep 26 03:13:06 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 26 03:13:06 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Sep 24 19:55:46 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 24 19:55:48 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Oct 19 06:42:55 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 10:09:26 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 10:09:26 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Sep 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 13:35:14 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 13:35:24 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Sep 26 19:20:30 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 17:03:36 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 26 19:20:30 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sat Aug 15 13:02:42 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 15 13:02:42 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Aug 10 11:45:59 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 10 11:45:59 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Aug 08 17:07:16 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 08 17:07:16 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jul 25 12:41:32 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 25 12:41:32 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Jun 24 09:09:30 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 24 09:09:30 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sat Jun 20 14:55:02 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 14:55:02 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=451078