The Freedom Writers Diary

Written by The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell

A book for readers in grades 8 and up reviewed by Melissa

      

This book consists of diary entries written in the 1990s by high school students and their teacher, Erin Gruwell. During this time, Erin Gruwell began working at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California. Financial issues and problems with schooling led people from different districts and classes to be placed in one school, where students were separated based on their academic scores. The book discusses how almost all minority students were placed in classes for below average students. Meanwhile, white kids were placed in more advanced classes, and Ms. Gruwell was assigned to teach kids in the “below average classes.”

I read The Freedom Writers Diary because I watched the film adaptation, so I was interested to see how the story was portrayed in the book. What I liked most about the book was that it is very detailed. This gives readers an understanding of the experiences faced by the Freedom Writers. The book discusses very serious and mature topics, such as abuse, rape, abortion, etc. I liked how the book kept the students' identities anonymous, which I feel allowed them to be more open in expressing what they had experienced and felt. I would highly recommend this book to people who are interested in biographies, as well as more mature readers.