The Freedom Writers Diary

Author: The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell

Pages: 311

Rating: This one verges on R, and it probably is R, but please don't let the rating affect your choice to read it! The book is self-described as "gritty and honest" and this is why I was forced to give it the R rating. You will find a lot of language, but mostly towards the beginning, and other things that are difficult to read about. However, if this book was any cleaner it would really lose its effect. The fact of the matter is, the kids in this book have had R-rated lives, and they wrote about them as they happened, without being censored. Please read my thoughts on the book in order to decide whether you want to read it or not!

Summary: As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”

With funds raised by a “Read-a-thon for Tolerance,” they arranged for Miep Gies, the courageous Dutch woman who sheltered the Frank family, to visit them in California, where she declared that Erin Gruwell’s students were “the real heroes.” Their efforts have paid off spectacularly, both in terms of recognition—appearances on “Prime Time Live” and “All Things Considered,” coverage in People magazine, a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley—and educationally. All 150 Freedom Writers have graduated from high school and are now attending college.

With powerful entries from the students’ own diaries and a narrative text by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers Diary is an uplifting, unforgettable example of how hard work, courage, and the spirit of determination changed the lives of a teacher and her students.


My Thoughts:While I will probably not usually  review non-fiction books, since most of what I read is fiction, this book is entirely worthwhile for anyone in high school or above. You may or may not have seen the movie by the same name, I haven't, but either way, the book is fantastic. Like I said in the rating, the book is pretty intense. These kids have experienced molestation, homelessness, physical and sexual abuse, racial hate crimes, witnessing the murder/death of several friends and family members, abortions, and much more. They write about all of these difficulties in sometimes graphic detail, but like I said, without these details, the book would not be nearly so powerful.

The book is made up of the diary entries of various (unnamed) students in Ms. Gruwell's English class, with an entry from Ms. Gruwell herself at the start of every school year. She encouraged them to fight back by writing about their experiences instead of perpetuating the cycle of violence that so many of them grew up with. The story is truly inspiring. It makes you realize how blessed you are, to have escaped such a terrible life, and if you're a person who has had a difficult past, the book can help you realize that you are not alone, and that if all these kids can make it, you can too.

It was also shocking to me to read these true stories about life in the 'hood, in bad neighborhoods, where gangs and drug dealers are a dime a dozen, and where every kid is wondering who is going to get shot next, and whether it will be him. Sometimes we have this idealized view of America as being this cutesy little place where everyone is happy, and no one is in danger. We don't realize what is going on in some areas of the country, and how hopeless the situations can feel for those people.

The book really celebrates diversity, tolerance, and the courage to shoot for your dreams, and to work hard to get there. The book teaches that discriminating and stereotyping are just plain stupid, and that everyone deserves a chance at life. I think for me the most enlightening entries were from kids who were illegal immigrants. Since I live in an area of the country where illegal immigrants are all over the place, and where I was one of the few white kids in my middle school, that part really hit home for me. I had never really thought before about how difficult it is for an illegal immigrant to improve himself. An entry near the end of the book, written by an illegal, described his struggle. He had always done well in school and desperately wanted to attend college and become even better, but without a Social Security number, this dream was impossible. The book really helps you feel empathy for all sorts of people, from all walks of life.

One of my favorite quotes near the end of the book is this, "It doesn't matter if your inspiration in life comes from negative or positive events. The most important thing is to learn and go on." That's really the message of the book that I took away. It doesn't really matter where life has taken you. If you can just learn from everything and refuse to give up on moving forward, you will be just fine. This book is truly a worthwhile read.

By George, by Wesley Stace

Pages: 378

Rating: PG-13 (There is mention of sex, but not really graphically, however, towards the end, quite a few F-words get thrown in there, which was a disappointment.)

Summary: In the illustrious history of the theatrical Fishers, there are two Georges. One is a peculiar but endearing 11-year-old, raised in the seedy world of `70s boarding houses and backstages, now packed off to school for the first time; the other, a garrulous ventriloquist's dummy who belonged to George's grandfather, a favorite traveling act of the British troops in World War II. The two Georges know nothing of each other--until events conspire to unite them in a search to uncover the family's deepest secrets.

Weaving the boy's tale and the puppet's "memoirs," BY GEORGE unveils the fascinating Fisher family--its weak men, its dominant women, its disgruntled boys, and its shocking and dramatic secrets. At once bitingly funny and exquisitely tender, Stace's novel is the unforgettable journey of two young boys separated by years but driven by the same desires: to find a voice, and to be loved.

My Thoughts: Ok, honestly, I was not a huge fan of this book. For the most part, I think it was just too LONG. The story could have been told just as well in probably 150 pages less. There was a lot of pointless filler story in there about day to day life, that I felt just wasn't really necessary to further the story. It took me forever to finish this book because I kept getting frustrated with its lack of direction, so I'd put it down and read something else for a while. I found myself skimming quite a lot as I got towards the end.

There are two mysteries going on in the book and they are solved near the end. George finds out who his real father is (although, I figured it out before he did) and they find out what really happened to his grandpa Joe. Like I said already though, the lead up to finding all this out is just too boring. I felt like the book was also kind of depressing too, as though no one really got what they wanted at the end. It was all just very melancholy. Another problem I had with this book was I had this feeling of disconnect between me and the characters. It sometimes felt as if all the characters in the book were connected and knew what was going on, and they were throwing back and forth little bits of conversation and innuendos that made perfect sense to them, but I was completely out of the loop. I felt a little lost at times. I didn't feel a part of the story really. More of a confused observer.

Overall, I probably would not recommend this book, but if you still think it sounds interesting, go ahead and give it a try.

Darcy's Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Through His Eyes, by Regina Jeffers

Pages: 385

Rating: PG-13 ( It's a love story, and for the time period, pretty steamy. It's not graphic or anything. The book just happens to go slightly past their marriage, and there is sex, but it's not inappropriately handled or anything.)

Summary:Witty, romantic and insightful, Darcy’s Passions captures the original style and sardonic humor of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice while turning the entire story on its head. Written from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy, this novel tells his version of an improbable, even obsessive relationship with a most impossible woman—Elizabeth Bennet.

This novel reveals Darcy’s passion and conviction but also his turmoil. Darcy knows that duty to family and estate demands he choose a woman of refined tastes. Yet, what his mind tells him to do and what his heart knows to be true tear him in opposite directions. He loves a woman he first denies for being unworthy, but it is he who is found wanting when Elizabeth Bennet refuses his proposal of marriage. Devastated, Darcy must search his soul and transform himself into the man she can love and respect.

My Thoughts: Just in case Colin Firth didn't already convince you that Mr. Darcy is the most desirable man on earth, you can read this book and then you WILL be hopelessly in love. Every girl should hope that her future husband is as much in love with her as Mr. Darcy is with Elizabeth. My favorite Darcy quote from the book: "I have been a fool in love; everything about the woman went against my principles, but, much to my chagrin, I found Elizabeth was exactly what I needed. She is the only woman who dared to challenge me - to humble me." Basically, the book shows you the struggles Darcy goes through as he tries to reconcile his growing interest in a country girl with bad family connections. She is socially unacceptable to a man of his rank, yet he cannot keep himself away from her. One of the best parts of this book is that it goes a little bit past their marriage, where Darcy gets caught on his pride again, there is a flare-up with Elizabeth, and he has to make it right. I absolutely love this book. I own it, it's that awesome. It's just great to hear the whole story from Darcy's perspective and what he was thinking the whole time. I'll let you decide what you think, but to me, it's right up there with the original story!

The Summer of the Bear, by Bella Pollen

Pages: 438

Rating: PG-13 (there's a little bit of sexual stuff, but it's very fleeting, and never graphic. There are a few swear words, I think the F-bomb was in there twice.)

Summary:
In 1980 Germany, under Cold War tension, a mole is suspected in the British Embassy. When the clever diplomat Nicky Fleming dies suddenly and suspiciously, it’s convenient to brand him the traitor. But was his death an accident, murder, or suicide? As the government digs into Nicky’s history, his wife, Letty, relocates with her three children to a remote Scottish island hoping to salvage their family. But the isolated shores of her childhood retreat only intensify their distance, and it is Letty’s brilliant and peculiar youngest child, Jamie, who alone holds on to the one thing he’s sure of: his father has promised to return and he was a man who never broke a promise.

Exploring the island, Jamie and his teenaged sisters discover that a domesticated brown bear has been marooned on shore, hiding somewhere among the seaside caves. Jamie feels that the bear may have a strange connection to his father, and as he seeks the truth, his father’s story surfaces in unexpected ways. Bella Pollen has an uncanny ability to capture the unnoticeable moments in which families grow quiet. A novel about the corrosive effects of secrets and the extraordinary imagination of youth, The Summer of the Bear is Pollen’s most ambitious and affecting book yet.

My Thoughts: I found this book difficult to put down. It was strangely compelling, like the whole thing is just a dream or something. I thought it would be more like a mystery novel, but it's really story of a grieving family trying to piece together how their father died, or in Jamie's case, why he is gone. To protect Jamie from the horror of death, no one officially tells him his father is dead. They say things like, "He's gone" and "He had an accident and he hurt everything." It's also a story of each individual in the family trying to deal with it and get past the fact that a key piece of their family is now gone. The story is told in small little chapters, and it rotates through the perspectives of each family member, sometimes reminiscing about events in the past, sometimes just telling how it is now.

I was a little confused about the bear because the story starts out with him and it wasn't obvious at first that the bear was narrating. It was a lot easier when I realized that the bear's chapters are marked by a little picture of a bear at the beginning of each of his narratives. That might be helpful. There also are elements of truth to the book. I don't think of this as a spoiler because I read it early on, and even though it's part of the epilogue, it helped me understand the story better. In 1980, there really was a tame grizzly bear lost on a Scottish Island for several weeks. Even though when he was finally found, he was extremely thin and weak with hunger, he had never harmed a single animal or human.

There are definitely twists and turns. I was completely in the dark about what really happened to their father until the very very end, and suddenly it all becomes clear. It's one of those books that just kind of touches you quietly and when you're done, you think, "Hey...that was a good book." I really enjoyed it.

One last warning... the book is written as if the readers are familiar with British terms and phrases, so just watch out cuz you might be slightly confused with some terms. I was. It helps to know that MoD stands for Ministry of Defense. They don't explain that right away.

The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" by Suzanne Weyn

Pages: 207

Rating: G

Summary:
The year is 1880, and Bertie, having just arrived in New York with her family, is grateful to be given work as a seamstress in the home of textile tycoon J. P. Wellington. When the Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie's father boasts that Bertie will save the business, that she is so skillful she can "practically spin straw into gold."
Amazingly, in the course of one night, Bertie creates exquisite evening gowns -- with the help of Ray Stalls, a man from her tenement who uses an old spinning wheel to create dresses that are woven with crimson thread and look as though they are spun with real gold. Indebted to Ray, Bertie asks how she can repay him. When Ray asks for her firstborn child, Bertie agrees, never dreaming that he is serious....

My Thoughts: Ok, so the story is, this family is Irish immigrants, and they're struggling to survive in a new world that isn't quite as full of opportunity than they thought. I was a little confused at first because Bertie is originally Bridget, but the entire family changes their names in an effort to seem less Irish and more American. Bertie is a good seamstress, and she becomes even more skilled after she is hired on at the Wellingtons. Under the tutelage of the head seamstress there, Bertie learns everything she needs to be successful as a seamstress, but is not prepared for her father's overwhelming boast that she can create dresses so amazing. Bertie has no choice but to let Ray continue to help her, because if she does not continue to produce the dresses, both she and her father will lose their jobs.

I liked this book actually quite a lot. I got really into the story, it's a quick read, and it was a nice version of Rumpelstiltskin. There are definitely unexpected twists and turns, and the way the author works the name "Rumpelstiltskin" into the story is very clever. Of course, the story has a cheesy, fairy tale, happy, lovey dovey ending, but that's to be expected from a fairy tale. Some parts of it seemed a little too easy, simple, as if that would never happen in real life, but again, it's a fairy tale. Overall, I'd recommend this little book to anyone. The only real romance is in the end, they kiss one time, so it's very very clean.

Vaclav and Lena, by Haley Tanner

Pages: 288

Rating:PG-13. There isn't so much swearing that I was unable to finish, but by the end of the book I was getting a little uncomfortable with it. Sex is discussed, but not graphically. It's very obvious that it happened, but again, the sex scene did not make me uncomfortable because it wasn't too detailed. It's a very serious book, dealing with heavy stuff, so I wouldn't recommend this to a young teen. This is definitely more of a young adult/adult novel.

Summary:Vaclav and Lena seem destined for each other. They meet as children in an ESL class in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Vaclav is precocious and verbal. Lena, struggling with English, takes comfort in the safety of his adoration, his noisy, loving home, and the care of Rasia, his big-hearted mother. Vaclav imagines their story unfolding like a fairy tale, or the perfect illusion from his treasured Magician’s Almanac, but among the many truths to be discovered in Haley Tanner’s wondrous debut is that happily ever after is never a foregone conclusion.

One day, Lena does not show up for school. She has disappeared from Vaclav and his family’s lives as if by a cruel magic trick. For the next seven years, Vaclav says goodnight to Lena without fail, wondering if she is doing the same somewhere. On the eve of Lena’s seventeenth birthday he finds out.

Haley Tanner has the originality and verve of a born storyteller, and the boldness to imagine a world in which love can overcome the most difficult circumstances. In Vaclav & Lena she has created two unforgettable young protagonists who evoke the joy, the confusion, and the passion of having a profound, everlasting connection with someone else.

My Thoughts: I'm really not 100% sure how I feel about this book. It was definitely easy to read, and I got through it rather quickly, but for some reason the whole thing didn't feel quite real. The characters didn't feel real, the entire story seemed to be taking place in some sort of dream world, not real life. In fact, for the first few chapters, I failed to realize that the book takes place in modern time, not in like the 40's or something. It's certainly a very moving book. Lena has had a very difficult life, and somehow, she has to deal with it all and get through it. Her coping mechanisms are not really healthy, but you feel like you understand her, like you know exactly how she is feeling.

The author certainly knows how to write. The metaphors and the way she describes things makes perfect sense, but I know if I tried to describe it, I would be totally lost for words. For example, here's a quote from near the end that I liked. "They keep their secrets in the safe pockets between their clasped palms, protecting them and wanting instinctively to shield them like tiny shiny frogs found in the wet grass, but wanting simultaneously to share them, to show and share such an exciting new thing."

It's really just kind of a story of trying to grow up and find your place in a country that is not your own. Vlaclav and Lena are both from Russia, and they struggle with finding acceptance in school where they do not fully understand the language. The way they think is so perfect, and it amazes me that the author could capture the mind of a child so perfectly. It's very deep and intense. You'll definitely come away feeling something in yourself, but what it is kind of depends on you. I liked it, but I wasn't sure how I liked the end. There was closure, but I still wanted more, which I guess tells you it was a good book, because I wasn't ready for it to be over. Despite the swearing, I would probably recommend this book, but again, only to someone maybe 17 and up, cuz the topics it covers are just too serious and intense for someone much younger to really understand.

Bliss, Rememberd, by Frank Deford

Pages: 351
Rating: PG-13 (This book actually rates itself. In the book, one of the characters actually says, "I give it a PG-13." There are two F-bombs but they're in the same paragraph and then there's no other language really, just some sexuality, but it isn't graphic at all, and there's a little talk about body parts, but again, it didn't make me uncomfortable at all. The story is set in 1936, and it's not very scandelous really.)

Summary:At the 1936 Berlin Olympics the beautiful Sydney Stringfellow begins an intense love affair with the son of a Nazi diplomat, but the affair abruptly ends when political forces tear them apart. Back in the US, Sydney is left healing her broekn heart when a striking American begins to pursue her -- but can she ever really forget the handsom young German who first took her heart?

My Thoughts: I could hardly put this book down! I read it in like 2 days. I was hooked immediately. There are funny parts, sad parts, happy parts, surprising parts. Towards the end, you think you have it all figured out when suddenly it changes, and then you think you have it figured out again, and it changes again. Full of unexpected twists and turns, and just the right amount of suspense, you'll hardly even believe you're reading a love story. But it's a fantastic love story at that!

So since the summary I found on Amazon gives us absolutely nothing to go off of, basically, the story is set up by Sydney as an old woman about to die, finally ready to tell her son Teddy all about her adventures when she went to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Up to this point in her life, she has refused to talk about Berlin and all that she experienced there. I love the way it's told because you get lost in the story but then get brought back to real life, and old Sydney is hilarious. She gets off on these tangents that you can totally imagine some old lady going off on about the old days and it's terribly funny. Here's a teaser quote. "There are no surprises left. You can tell on the phone who it is before you pick it up. All the children are on that Facebook thing, so there're no blind dates left. Just peek-a-boo dates. Everybody has to know what sex their child is hardly before they're out of bed and through conceiving. no, no, no, we think we're so clever, but we're a poorer world without surprises."

This is one of those books where the characters feel really real. Since some of the characters in the book that Sydney meets (like Elenor Holm, an Olympic swimmer, and Leni Riefenstahl, a German filmmaker) are actually real people, and some of the events in the book actually happened, I kept forgetting that Sydney is not a real person. I kept thinking she was real and I was so excited to find out how her life turned out. It was the kind of book that you immediately want to read again once you've finished, because knowing how it all turned out, you could look at every instance in the book entirely differently. It would almost be like a different book. It's also one of those books that you'll find yourself mulling over and thinking about long after you've finished it. This one is highly, highly recommended.

Water Song: A Retelling of "The Frog Prince", by Suzanne Weyn

Pages:194
Rating: PG (there's nothing bad in it, but it does take place during WWI, so it's kind of intense in spots)

Summary:Young, beautiful, and wealthy, Emma Pennington is accustomed to a very comfortable life. Although war rages abroad, she hardly feels its effect. She and her mother travel from their home in Britain to the family estate in Belgium, never imagining that the war could reach them there. But it does.
Soon Emma finds herself stranded in a war-torn country, utterly alone. Enemy troops fight to take over her estate, leaving her with no way to reach her family, and no way out.
With all of her attention focused on survival and escape, Emma hardly expects to find love. But the war will teach her that life is unpredictable, people aren't always what they seem, and magic is lurking everywhere.

My Thoughts: I really liked the way this book was set up. Instead of him being a literal frog, the guy (Jack) is an American soldier from Louisiana who is a really good swimmer and awesome at holding his breath. He only looks like a frog when the two first meet because he has been hit with chlorine gas and his face is covered in boils and stuff. Emma finds him because in his haste to get away from the gas, he falls into a well on her property. It was a creative way to retell the story of the frog prince, and I'm always entertained by World War stories.  The whole love part of it all was decidedly cheesy, but what can you expect from a fairy tale?

I think the author tried a little to hard to tie in the whole prince and frog part. If she had just left it alone, I think it would have worked better. Like I said, the ending is really cheesy. But it is intense, seeing as they're basically living as German prisoners since the Germans take over Emma's house. And the book keeps you guessing because Emma has a locket with something inside the second half that is only for an emergency, but she's never been able to get the locket open. So you keep wondering what's in it. I honestly was a bit disappointed by the contents, but....see for yourself.

Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey

Pages: 199
Rating: G 
Summary: Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight. Tomboyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call.
But Mulan never expects to find a friend, let alone a soul mate, in the commander of her division, Prince Jian. For all of Mulan's courage with a bow and arrow, is she brave enough to share her true identity and feelings with Prince Jian?

My Thoughts: I thought this was a good little read, if not really predictable. I mean, really....we all know the story of Mulan. It doesn't stray terribly far from the Disney movie, but it does have some nice twists. For instance, there's a good bit of history about her father and her life and stuff. I thought the lead-up to the big battle with the Huns took too long, and then the battle part was like 3 pages and then it's all over and not very exciting. However, it is a cute little love story, even if it's kind of cheesy at the end. If you like reading retold princess stories, go for it. It's good for an afternoon of entertainment. =)

The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck

Pages: 273
Rating: G

Summary: Based on a deeply personal true story, Glenn Beck’s bittersweet tale of boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the giving season has touched the hearts of readers everywhere.If you could change your life by reversing your biggest regrets, sorrows, and mistakes . . . would you?When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. He knew money had been tight since his father died, but Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to afford that dream bike.What he got from her instead was a sweater. “A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater” that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.Scarred deeply by the fateful events that transpired that day, Eddie begins a dark and painful journey toward manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family—and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell—to help Eddie find his life’s path and finally understand the significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted with love.

My Thoughts: I read this book in like 3 hours. The first part I read in small chunks, and then I finished it by reading two hours straight. It's really hard to put down. At the end you find out that a lot of the stuff in the book really did happen to Glenn Beck, if not quite in the same sequence or way. Some of it is fabricated, but a lot of it is based on real-life events. This is a really great book, and you don't have to read it just at Christmas time. It's got a theme that works at any time of the year.

It's also a great book because I think we can all identify with some of the feelings that Eddie has. He is deeply angry, he hates God for ruining his life, and he can't seem to get past all the hurt and anger that his life has not turned out the way he wanted it to. We have all had difficult trials, where it's hard to stay focused on what really matters, and in that way, we can all relate to Eddie. The message of the book is mainly that God has given us the greatest gift of all: the Atonement. Sometimes we throw it on the floor in a crumpled ball and don't realize how important it really is. We're too selfish and too scared to leave our problems in the past and take that first step forward. I wish I could write just one quote from this book, but I can't. The whole book just works together and you won't be able to get the full message unless you read it. I highly recommend it. If you get the chance, READ THIS BOOK!!!