Learnt

by Edward M. Baldwin

Kenny Houston is a white teenager with problems. His grades are in the toilet; his friend-count qualifies him for leprosy; his bathroom scale hates him; he's been challenged to a fight more times than the heavyweight champion of the world; he has a discipline record the size of a teacher's ego, and he's being shipped to Lincoln High, a predominantly black alternative school in a week. Still, Kenny doesn't care about any of that. All he wants to do is make it through each day without angering his mother, who hates having black neighbors and an overweight son. Tony Avery is a black man with problems too. He's Lincoln High's new English teacher, but he's not very popular. He doesn't fit in at all. Maybe it's his style of teaching. Maybe it's the way he corrects his students' inferior and embarrassing speech. Whatever it is, Tony has his share of problems. The last thing he needs is for a racist student like Kenny Houston to come along. Or is it? Portraying an authentic African-American dialect, Learnt tells the story of a discouraged teacher and a troubled student learning the most valuable lessons of their lives in one of Duval County's worst high schools. A tale that speaks out to teachers, parents, and anyone who has ever set foot in a high school classroom.

376 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 2007

About the author

In his pursuit to make a difference, Edward M. Baldwin has served as a high school English teacher, literacy coordinator, and college adjunct professor. As an award-winning author, he continues to make a difference through his writing, focusing heavily on “classroom dramas.”

He enjoys visiting schools and colleges, where he talks to students about goals, motivation, writing, and the importance of reading.

​He lives in Florida with his wife, three children, and two cats.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a truly inspirational book. Although a first book by a young author, it's well-written and eye-opening. The protagonist is an enthusiastic and idealistic first year teacher who finds himself teaching the toughest kids imaginable in an alternative school. Watching Tony find his strengths as a teacher, while discovering how much he has in common with many of his students, is a fascinating journey. It certainly made me think about the snap judgments I tend to make upon meeting people and changed the way I look at some of the student I work with in my schools. It's just a great book and I can't wait to read another of Edward Baldwin's books! Don't miss this one, especially if you work in a school or with children.

[Teresa]

A great book by an awesome author. Intrigued as to the depth the author went to to distinguish his characters and their cultural differences and beliefs. The words were written the way he wanted his characters to come across and his characters seemed real enabling the reader to identify with the characters. Great story line.

[Reen Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read. The characters are incredible. So wonderful to see a teacher that cares about his students. He gets down to their level and really sees them and brings about wonderful changes. My eyes are opened to the difficulties some people face in their home lives and how that can affect their education. Edward is onto something and will inspire many teachers, students, and parents.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just have to say that even though this was an enjoyable read and a good story with many lessons to learn, it could have been written better. For one, there was too much backstory, and many of the characters (possibly the majority) introduced and fleshed-out in the beginning were hardly mentioned later on, even at the end. "So what?" What was the point of having them in the first place? Plus, I feel like the ending kind of came up short. I won't spoil anything, I felt like a lot of the themes that were also introduced in the beginning of the novel needed to be solved at the end, too.