Julie Landsman

I picked up this book because I know the women who wrote it from a writer's group I'm a part of on the northside of Minneapolis. The book is about her work in the Minneapolis public schools. Having worked with a similar population (high school students) in a different state and now living in Minneapolis, and being interested in the topic, I figured the book was right up my alley. I'm not a teacher, but I have a passion for addressing the injustices in our education system.
The book is show more structured as going through one school day with chapters titles like "First Hour" and "After School". Landsman talks about individual students that she works with and choosing a handful that serve as representations of many other students in similar positions (The single mother, homeless teenager, ex-gang banger, white youth from a predominately black community). She captures the struggle of teaching and the emotion that goes into it beautifully.
Even if your not interested in teaching, Landsman's approach to the discussion or race is refreshing and eye-opening. The education system is a great back drop for the discussion, but her thoughts and stories are universally applicable.

I'm definitely going to read another one of her books before the year is out. show less