by David Denby
First published 2016
David Denby tackles a national crisis: American teenagers have abandoned serious reading. Millions of students now view books as work rather than pleasure, leaving them unprepared for adult life. Denby decides to investigate whether passionate teachers can change this trajectory. He embeds himself in three schools for an academic year: a rigorous New York public school, a struggling inner-city school in New Haven, and a well-regarded Westchester county school. Denby reads every assignment alongside the students, from The Scarlet Letter to 1984 to Long Way Gone. He documents the daily battles teachers face and captures moments when literature breaks through student resistance. The book follows students from confusion to breakthrough, showing how charismatic educators can ignite a love of reading. Denby presents both classroom failures and successes, building his case that great books paired with great teaching can still transform young minds in our digital age.
Genres: american, education, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: New Haven, New York, Westchester County
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt and Co.