Delaware County District Library

The Freedom Writers diary, how a teacher and 150 teens used writing to change themselves and the world around them, the Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell ; foreword by Zlata Filipovic

eng

platesillustrations

no index present

non fiction

The Freedom Writers diary

436233493

the Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell ; foreword by Zlata Filipovic

how a teacher and 150 teens used writing to change themselves and the world around them

Overview: Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students. 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."

Foreword / Zlata Filipovic -- Freshman Year-Fall 1994 -- Ms. Gruwell's diary entry -- First day of school -- Racial segregation at school -- Getting "jumped" -- Race riot on campus -- Buying a gun -- Death of a friend -- Gang initiation -- Rushing a sorority -- Tagging -- Proposition 187: discrimination -- Dyslexia -- Juvenile hall -- Projects -- Russian roulette -- Freshman Year- Spring 1995 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Romeo and Juliet: gang rivalry -- Teenage love and running away -- Coping with weight -- Learning about diversity -- Oklahoma bombing -- Farewell to Manzanar: Japanese internment camps -- Overcoming adversity panel -- John Tu: father figure vs absent father -- Freshman turnaround -- Sophomore Year-Fall 1995 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Homelessness -- Cystic fibrosis -- Shyness -- Twelve angry men -- Honors English -- Medieval Times -- Lesson on tolerance -- Toast for change -- Change for the better -- Testifying in murder case -- Teenage alcoholism -- Shoplifting -- Anne Frank's diary -- Teen diarists -- Zlata's diary, Bosnia vs. LA riots -- Peter Maass: article on Bosnia -- Zlata -- Sophomore Year-Spring 1996 -- Letter to Zlata -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Meeting a Holocaust survivor -- Woman who sheltered Anne Frank's family -- Moment -- Zlata accepts our invitation -- Dinner with Zlata -- Diverse friendships -- I am a human being -- Terrorism -- Day of tolerance: a field trip -- Doing speed -- Basketball for Bosnia: weight -- Zlata's letter -- Divorce -- Friends join class -- Letter from Miep -- Junior Year, Fall 1996 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Racist teacher -- Grandmother's death -- Race riot -- Grade accountability -- Suicide -- Running away -- Getting a job -- Misogyny -- Molestation -- Boyfriend abuse -- Domestic violence -- Child abuse -- Death of brother -- Junior Year-Spring 1997 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Anne Frank's friends visit -- Masking fears -- Living in the projects -- Dyslexia -- Letter from Miep -- Student editing -- Abortion -- Catalysts for change -- Freedom Riders -- American diary-voices from an undeclared war -- Fund-raiser concert -- Freedom writer poem -- Freedom writers unite -- Strict father -- Arlington Cemetery -- Lincoln Memorial: Freedom Writers have a dream -- Covering up the swastika -- Hate crimes -- Holocaust Museum -- Dr. Mengele's experiment with twins -- Dinner with Secretary Riley -- Stand -- Secretary Riley receives Freedom Writers' diary -- Candlelight vigil -- Departing DC -- Returning a family hero -- Jeremy Strohmeyer: murder -- David Cash -- Peace march for Sherrice Iverson -- Senior Class President -- Separation anxiety -- Staying together -- Senior Year- Fall 1997 -- Ms. Gruwell's diary entry -- Cheryl Best: inspiration -- Eviction notice -- Financial problems -- Illegal immigrant -- First Latina Secretary of Education -- Pursuing filmmaking -- Road not taken: contemplating college -- Finding a mentor -- Being a mentor -- Los Angeles Times article -- Letter from prison -- Deadbeat dad -- Sorority hazing -- Fear of losing a father -- Death of a mother -- Senior Year- Spring 1998 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- GUESS? Sponsorship -- Spirit of Anne Frank Award -- New York City roommates -- Celebrating Anne Frank -- Abuse of power -- Peter Maass: the role of a journalist -- Book agent -- Getting published -- Basketball playoffs: teamwork -- Lesson from Animal farm -- Attitude adjustment -- Introducing Senator Barbara Boxer -- Attention deficit disorder -- Homosexuality -- Prom queen -- Whoever saves one life saves the world entire -- Breaking the cycle -- Football all-American -- Baseball dilemma -- College acceptance -- Fear of abandonment -- Teenage pregnancy -- Southwest Airlines -- Computers for college! -- Giving tree: crackhead parents -- Graduation class speaker -- From drugs to honors -- Overcoming the odds -- Graduation! -- Epilogue -- Afterword -- New journal entries -- Acknowledgments