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Loading... Up the Down Staircase (1964)by Bel Kaufman
   Best School Stories (12) » 9 more No current Talk conversations about this book. I love epistolary books. This is a quick read, satiric and funny yet a bit sad too. I'm not a teacher, but from all appearances the US educational system hasn't improved in the half-century since this book was written. (  ) AuntieG0412 | Jan 23, 2023 |  i read this as a child, pretty much randomly, and i loved the conceit of the novel -- it's written in memos, announcements, students' assignments, found notes, etc. it inspired me to think about teaching as a difficult but inspirational profession. i am worried about reading it again, as it may be a little too much along the "dangerous minds" school of white women teachers helping disadvantaged youths of color. but, eh, who knows. (  ) J.Flux | Aug 13, 2022 | I‘m still not a big fan of the epistolary format. However, a solid story about a first year teacher and her struggles with the system. (  ) christyco125 | Jul 4, 2022 | I saw the movie as well and while it was good, the book makes more of an impact. Since I read this about the same time I read "An Empty Spoon" by Sunny Decker, it lost some of that impact, as Ms. Decker's book was nonfiction, therefore more compelling, but that didn't take away from its being one of those books you don't want to put down and hate to finish. ( ) EmeraldAngel | Jun 3, 2021 | I am too far away from enjoying a book of angst and frustrations of the school system. Whether it is high school or university/college level, it is too true and too awful that *nothing* has changed. I saw it in my life, my kid's schooling and now the grandchildren. I know there are many humorous moments, but for me it was gallows humour. This is why it would be unfair to offer a rating. If the truth in fiction of how schools are managed is your jam, you're going to love this. Your teenagers will see their classrooms reflected in the anecdotes. This is a novel expressed in the memoranda that still appear in workplaces, which will likely resonate with many readers familiar with the "management by memo" workplace. SandyAMcPherson | May 2, 2021 | no reviews | add a review
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Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase is one of the best-loved novels of our time. It has been translated into sixteen languages, made into a prizewinning motion picture, and staged as a play at high schools all over the United States; its very title has become part of the American idiom.Never before has a novel so compellingly laid bare the inner workings of a metropolitan high school. Up the Down Staircase is the funny and touching story of a committed, idealistic teacher whose clash with school bureaucracy is a timeless lesson for students, teachers, parents-anyone concerned about public education. Bel Kaufman lets her characters speak for themselves through memos, letters, directives from the principal, comments by students, notes between teachers, and papers from desk drawers and wastebaskets, evoking a vivid picture of teachers fighting the good fight against all that stands in the way of good teaching. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.87)
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