THE FREEDOM WRITER'S DIARY

A high school class of "at-risk" students in Long Beach, California, inspired by their English teacher, Erin Gruwell, kept this joint diary of anonymous entries. Three voices read, one for Gruwell, one for the girls, and one for the boys. These kids have rough lives, and the pieces range from puerile to horrific to moving as the class garners national and even international attention. All three narrators are clear, personable, and good at conveying emotion. But the snapshot quality and anonymity of the entries leads to sameness and a flattening effect, a fault of the text that the readers cannot overcome. This is a capable rendering of a sometimes frustrating book. W.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]