Designed for educators by the teacher who nurtured and created the Freedom Writers, this standards-based teachers’ guide includes innovative ...
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reviews
May 09, 2008
Charles
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Freedom writers, a book written by students, made into a great movie. But what makes this book so good. Is it how it is based on true events, or is it how these kids survived in the "ghetto" or is it how it can a teacher almost a years worth of assignments. Well what ever it is this is definitely a 5 star book to me.
True events is always a key in a book. The difference between this book and any other book is what these teenagers went through. Some of these went through gang More...
True events is always a key in a book. The difference between this book and any other book is what these teenagers went through. Some of these went through gang More...
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Jun 10, 2008
Daivon 2010
rated it: 
Freedom Writers, a book written by students, made into a great movie. But what makes this book so good. Is it how it is based on true events, or is it how these kids survived in the "ghetto" or is it how it can a teacher almost a years worth of assignments. Well what ever it is this is definitely a 5 star book to me.
True events is always a key in a book. The difference between this book and any other book is what these teenagers went through. Some of these went through gan More...
True events is always a key in a book. The difference between this book and any other book is what these teenagers went through. Some of these went through gan More...
Jun 06, 2010
This book is about a really bad school where the kids didnt care the least bit about school and there were rival gangs and they put the whole school at danger by fighting. These kids direspect all their teachers but one really nice teacher came in for them and they were the same way to her at first but then the teacher really wanted them to learn something. she taught them to appreciate writing and then they started to love writing, true story
May 24, 2010
Sarah
rated it: 
I love this book in theory, but I wish it contained some more explicit strategies for helping struggling students succeed academically. I am all for inspiring and teaching relevant world lessons, but I question how Gruwell was able to turn her students from borderline illiterate to articulate and successful graduates. This gets half of it right: teachers, overall, should see caring about their students as their primary responsibility.
Mar 22, 2011
Autumn
rated it:
Great guide for teachers of all levels. Detailed instructions on how to use every activity most effectively in your own class, and comments from students and other teachers regarding each activity. Ideas for discussion, videos, vocabulary, and get-to-know-you activities. Great for individual, class, and pair work, as well as building a classroom community.
Mar 22, 2008
Biruhati
rated it:
I read the book after i saw the movie tih my wife. My wife a teacher and she said it's an inspiring story. The students' personal lives are interwoven with the activities that Erin Gruwell plans for them throughout their high school career. For anyone who teaches, this book is an inspiration. What was most amazing was seeing the changes in attitude that the students expressed and trying to figure out which journal entries were by the same person to see the changes in attitude of specific individ
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Jan 13, 2012
Cassandra
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This book was awesome! Reading the thoughts of the students,...their personal stories and that of the teacher's really touched me. Phenomenal book, very inspiring.
Oct 28, 2011
The book was a very good and interesting book to read. i loved reading it. it made me happy what the teacher was doing for the students.
Sep 02, 2010
Allicia
rated it:
amazing. learned a lot. feeling inspired. :0)
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Dec 23, 2008
Shirin
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I read this book a while ago and remember feeling inspired by Gruwell's commitment to her students and her ability to create curriculum that really exemplifies social justice at its best... At the same time, I can't help but be disheartened by the fact that she left teaching so early on in her career, which makes me wonder about how to celebrate longevity of teaching careers instead of just glorifying "one shot deals". That being said, I don't mean to demean the amazing work she did...
Mar 02, 2008
Karen
rated it:
The movie does not do justice to this inspiring story. The students' personal lives are interwoven with the activities that Erin Gruwell plans for them throughout their high school career. For anyone who teaches, this book is an inspiration. What was most amazing was seeing the changes in attitude that the students expressed and trying to figure out which journal entries were by the same person to see the changes in attitude of specific individuals.
Jun 02, 2009
Karamo
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My review for this book is that i enjoyed reading this because i can relate to this book in alot of ways because in this book young kids in the hood are writing journal entries to express their feelings. In some of these entries students discuss how they live and what they are going through. Also Ms. Gruwell the students teacher is a young english teacher who is trying to help get these kids through high school and make them become succesful.
Nov 22, 2011
Janelle
rated it:
This book had me laughing and crying all the way through. It's a great pick-me-up for teachers, and since it's all true, it was even better. The students from Room 203 were/are amazing in all that they did in high school and beyond to form the Freedom Writers and take back what society had stolen from them before they even had a chance: an equal education.
Apr 12, 2008
Lucy
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This is a collection of writings by high school kids who were falling through the cracks of the educational system and headed for a life of gangs and crimes. There were several very good selections, and the best one formed the basis of the movie of the same title. I enjoyed many of them, but the language is pretty rough in some of them. These were written by angry kids.
Apr 17, 2008
Did you ever feel that no one ever paid attention or listen to you? Well in this book a teacher aloud student to write what they wanted to get heard but remain annomymous. I really liked this book because no one really care about urban kids, she was very caring to do somthing like this, and it inspried me.
First of all,
First of all,
Jul 02, 2011
Betsy
rated it: 
There are some cute ideas in here to go along with the original book. I'm not sure that I should have spent full price on this book.
Mar 18, 2008
Alba
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i learned that the people that are in "gangs" are fighting a secret war and no one cares about them.. i would say more but you have to read the book. i messed up on the book that i choose it was the DIARY OF THE FREEDOM WRITERS not the teachers guide..OOPS im sorry
Apr 18, 2008
Saleema
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this book was good it was about a school and their students writing in journals about their lives and when they were done they put them all together and made this book called the freedom writers.
Mar 18, 2008
Gwennis!
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This was a beautiful and inspiring story. It made me want to share and help somewhere in the world.
Mar 14, 2008
A very inspirational story on how a teacher can change the lives of the students. See the movie too.
Mar 15, 2008
Anne
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An amazing and truly inspirational story. One of the best books I have ever read.
May 19, 2010
Emily
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The journal entries in this book are very touching and I found myself getting emotional many times over them. I'd say the book is about as good as the movie, which I loved. The disappointing thing about the book is that although it's about a class taught by an incredible English teacher, there is a frustratingly large number of errors in the book--in spelling, in grammar and in punctuation. It's as if someone started proofreading, but stopped in the middle of the book. Also what disappointed me
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