Just about everyone has heard of the best-selling nonfiction book The Freedom Writers Diary, written by high school English teacher Erin Gruwell and her class of inner-city students. This collection of student experiences, which will tug at any teacher’s heart strings, was also depicted in a highly-acclaimed movie starring Hollywood celeb Hilary Swank. I stumbled across this movie again on television just yesterday, and I was reminded once more of the importance a teacher plays in the lives of his or her students, whether they are low income or at-risk or not.

The setting of the story is an inner-city high school located in Long Beach, California. The volume was published in 1999, and it was an instant success. The story line still has relevance for those who are still in the teaching profession today. This book really zeroes in on some of the challenges our kids face when they are not in school, and how much a caring and dedicated teacher can help them overcome those challenges. The movie delves a little more into the personal life of this particular teacher, and aside from the suggestion that you have to work three jobs and give up your marriage to be a good teacher, it’s pretty inspiring. (Nobody could be more hardworking and persevering than teachers wrestling with the pandemic, in my opinion.)

What I think is truly amazing is that many high school students love this book just as much as teachers do! The Freedom Writers Diary is easy to find on amazon and at just about any brick-and-mortar bookstore. Any teacher who can find a few spare hours (I know, that’s impossible, right?) could find this book helpful for inspiration and rejuvenation. Perhaps you know someone who would welcome the book as a Christmas gift! Give it some thought!