Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Freedom Writers' Diary

Book Title: The Freedom Writers’ Diary Author: The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell
Pages: 292 Publisher: Broadway Books
Why did you decide to read the book? I decided to read this book because I watched the movie and I thought it was really moving and inspirational. I also wanted to hear more of the students’ stories, and learn more about who the students are.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): This book is about the lives of the students of Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. There is an ugly race caricature in the school that leads to extreme violence between the different races of the school. Mostly every student in the school knows someone who has been killed because of racial violence. Most of the students don’t even think that they will make it to graduation, or live to graduation. This is an inspiring book about the freedom writers’ toughest times, with their teacher, Erin Gruwell, narrating. Erin Gruwell is a young white woman from the rich town of Newport, Rhode Island. She heard about the racial problems in the school, and decided she wanted to help the students, even though she was told the students were “un-teachable”. Erin proved the teaching staff wrong when she bought her students The Diary of Anne Frank, and they were inspired by it. Erin Gruwell changed the lives of the students of Wilson High School in the biggest way possible. She helped them to graduate high school, and to continue pursuing their dreams.
Audience: The audience of this book is anyone who has been through hard times, or for anyone who wants to read an inspirational book. That is because the students went through very tough times in life, and learned how to succeed from their teacher.
Writing Style: The authors’ writing styles are emotional and simple.
Description - The authors’ writing styles are emotional and simple because the stories are written by the high school students about their own lives. Ms. Gruwell’s writing style in also inspired, because the reader can tell that while she is narrating the students’ stories, she is moved.
Passage – “Ahh, I’m so frustrated! This entire semester has been one ordeal after another, from race riots to walkouts. But I don’t know if I’m more frustrated with the students or the system. Although they’re a pain, they’re just kids,” (30).
Vocabulary:
Word: Gestapo Definition: The German state secret police during the Nazi regime, organized in 1933 and notorious for its brutal methods and operations.
Sentence & page it came from “The Gestapo operated against Germans suspected of treason by using brutal interrogation and torture; they instilled widespread fear by their terrorist methods,” (249).
Word: Ruthless Definition: Without pity or compassion.
Sentence & page it came from “The simple truth was that I hated him because he had a ruthless temper,” (231).
Passage #1: “One of the guys who had never seen a gun before grabbed it. He and the other guy started to fight for the gun. The gun accidentally went off and hit one of them in the forehead. He died instantly,” (28). This passage moved me because it is really sad that these high school students saw these things happening around them on a regular basis. I couldn’t even imagine seeing something like this.
Passage #2: “They hate reading, and getting them to write is out of the question. And homework? Please!” (30). This passage struck me because Ms. G was judging the students before she got to know them. She later realized in the book that the reason they didn’t do homework, reading, and writing was because no one believed they were capable of actually doing work because of their backgrounds.
Theme: I believe that the theme of this book is to never give up, no matter how bad you have it. An example would be that Ms. Gruwell taught the students about many people who suffered from racial violence, just like them, and she taught them how to pursue their dreams. Also, Ms. Gruwell taught the students how to survive together as a family, and how to deal with the violence surrounding them to be able to fulfill their dreams of graduating.
Letter Grade: If I was to give this book a letter grade, I would give it an A+, because even though it was written with a lot of slang, it was a very good read and was an extremely motivational book. It shows people that no matter how bad they have it, they can always succeed. There are many life lessons that can be learned from this book, one being to never give up on your dreams. This book can also show people to appreciate what you have, because the stories of these high school students were unlike any I have ever heard before.

25 comments:

  1. A-MD This sounds like a very interesting book. I have watched the movie my freshman year and I loved it. I would most definetly want to read this book. I am a large fan of troubled pasts and overcoming them. I am curious though,did the oganization by the author help or harm the book?

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  2. A-GS
    I've always wanted to read this book. I watched the movie, and loved it. I love reading inspirational things, and this sounds very inspirational. I find it interesting to read about how hard other people have it, and it makes me appreciate what I have more. I think that the stories of these troubled teens sound very intriguing.

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  3. A-NM
    I've never read this book, but I saw the movie freshman year in Ms. Ellis' class. I remember the movie being really good. I don't think that I would read the book after watching the movie because I don't like how they change things. The stories of the teenagers in the movie were very inspirational, like you said. This is a good story for kids in similar situations to show that they can do something if they try.

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  4. A-JC
    Ive seen this movie about a thousand times because i own it. The movie was very sad and insperational. Its one of the few movies that made me almost cry. Ive always wanted to read the book, but I just never got the time to go out and get it.I got a question though. Is the book exactly what the students wrote? or is it revised by thier teacher?

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  5. A Block- MM
    I watched this movie several years ago and I really enjoyed it. Now I think I'm going to look into reading the novel. The book seems just as inspirational and moving as the movie was. I especially like the passage you chose about how the teacher, I'm assuming, was so frusturated with the kids. At the end of the passage she mentioned that they were just kids, so her opinions throughout the novel changed. You hear so much about schools like the Freedom Writers went to and I think that everyone should have access to a teacher that cares like Ms. G did.

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  6. A Block MB
    I have never read this book but i have watched the movie and i thought that it was a very good, inspirational movie to see. I can only imagine what the book would be like because most people say that the book is always better than the movie. your summary was very good and descriptive and you wrote the orb review really well. it was strong with the support of good passages from the book. after reading your first passage it shocked me. To think that these high school students that are our age see things like this on a daily basis just makes me thankful for what i have and how it really isnt bad in south hadley..compared ton their school.

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  7. I also have never read the book, but some the movie and I loved it. I love true stories that are turned into books and movies. I think they are so inspiring. Your summary was very good, and very descriptive. I think you chose strong quotes, and they were really touching quotes. I am considering to read this book for next term.
    E-Block:MD

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  8. I loved this movie when I saw this. Even the book was good! A lot about the book, I feel, relates to me a lot. The racial problems are a constant dilemma that I must deal with almost on a daily basis. The quotes also described the over all feelings that these students had to go through. It described me and them almost perfectly. I would give this book an A just because its' description, tone, and mood were great. It really made the book a hit.

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  9. E-NC
    I too have not read the book but saw the movie my freshman year. This is very inspirational and let's everyone see the bad side of things. I liked your summary and your quotes. This could relate to any high school because in any school there is racial problems or discriminations.

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  10. I have heard of this book but never got around to reading it. I started to watch this movie but ran out of time. From what I have seen and heard, it sounds that both the movie and the book is excellent. The book seems to be very inspirational and I think that it would interest a lot of kids. Do you think that the book is better or the movie? In my opinion the book is always better than the movies.
    E-LH

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  11. I think I would really enjoy reading this book. As a freshman we read random entries and kept our own journals. I love reading other peoples stories, so I think I would enjoy reading the whole book. I also very much enjoyed that movie, which was based upon this book. :)
    E-SK

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  12. A-ML
    To respond to Joey's question, there are some stories told by the teacher about how her life is affected by the students, but most are the actual students telling their stories. And also to respond to blue's comment, there wasn't really an author to the book. It was either Ms. Gruwell telling stories of her life, or the freedom writers telling stories about their lives, and i think that this organization helped the book because i liked hearing the stories directly from the people affected by them.

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  13. E-AS
    I read this book freshman year. I really enjoyed and I thought it was a great read. I liked how it was written by actual high school students. I agree with the audience, but I also think that it could be for anyone, even if they have not been through rough times.

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  14. This book seems very good. i have heard about it and have always wanted to read it. its a great book to read.

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  15. C-MC
    This book sounds really good. I have seen the movie, and i really liked it and i was also really shocked to think that some schools could even be like that. Im sure the book is better because that tends to happen a lot. I wish i had the opportunity to do what some of the other students said when they got to write their own journals like that. You did a great job explaining.

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  16. I have seen the movie as well. The movie was inspiring and the diaries it shows I wanted to be able to sit down and read them. This book sounds very interesting. It seems like you can't put it down once you start reading.

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  17. I read this book, myself, and thought it was a really good book. I also saw the movie. I think it is a book that some people can connect with or even just listen to.

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  18. G-CP
    I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was a really good book. I also agree that this is a book that some people could probably connect to.

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  19. When I was in CP English 9 with Ms. Ellis, I fell in love with this movie after she showed it. I went on a Cruise with the Music Department in February 2008, and I knew I'd get bored with the very few things to do. So I bought the book after a very high recommendation from Ms. Ellis to read on a 28 hour train ride to Orlando, Florida. Though, I have not read it fully, I know what book I'm going to be reading for 4th quarter ORP.

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  20. I have never read this book, but I'm really interested in it! Although I haven't read it, I've seen the movie. Two years ago, in ninth grade, my English teacher showed my class the movie. I really enjoyed the movie, so I think I would enjoy the book, too. Especially since books are usually better than the movies! I'm really interested in this!

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  21. A-KS

    I've seen this movie before, but I have never read the book. This book seems to be inspiring and I can relate to it in one aspect. Not because I live such a scarce life in which violence can almost occur to me everyday, but because I am a high school student. I know that seems somewhat corny but high school students do go through rough times. It's inspirations like this book that can give students courage to fufill their goals or aspirations.

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  22. I have seen the movie before when it came out. It was very good and I would love to read the book, because they do say that the books are better than the movies. It is such an insperational book, that teaches us a good life lesson.
    C-EA

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  23. I know the movie of this book was amazing and interesting. I loved the movie and it still makes me tear up. I want to read the book now because the movie touched and moved me so much, I wonder what the book can do. I do wish though I had a class where I could write in a journal and have only the teacher read it and listen to what I have to say.
    G-RN

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  24. I fell in love with this movie the first time I watched it and I still tear up to it. It is such a touching and moving movie I wonder what the book has to offer. I really should read this book and see it from another view. I do wish though that I had a class where I could go and write in a journal and have only the teacher read it and finally have someone listen to what I have to say.
    G-RN

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  25. Ignore the first one by G-RN

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