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Reviews
Books
And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City High School Students
While working on a book about violence in south central Los Angeles, author Miles Corwin witnessed the tragedy of a gifted 15-year-old boy who was murdered on the streets of L.A. The boy had just received an "A" on his French Revolution exam, and it was still folded in his back pocket. After completing his first book, Corwin decided to write about other south-central kids who, like the murdered boy, worked hard in their efforts to build a better life.
In his non-fiction And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City High School Students, Corwin follows Olivia, Toya, and their classmates as they struggle to work and attend class while battling abuse and poverty at home. Seventeen-year-old Olivia was abused by her mother but still managed to get good grades and make it into three Advanced Placement (AP) classes her senior year of high school. At age nine, Toya found her mother murdered by her stepfather. And Sabreen's mother "cracked a broom handle across Sabreen's back." Sabreen is 13 years old. Other students noted in this book are on welfare or in foster homes.
Family members aren't the only ones who fail these teenagers. While their AP English teacher, a gifted student herself, can lead captivating discussions when she feels like it, she spends most of her time fighting with another teacher and neglecting her students.
When the teacher fails to show up for class one day, Corwin takes on an even more difficult job and briefly becomes the students' teacher, leading a disastrous lecture on Shakespeare. Regardless of his classroom skills, the kids are touched and appreciate seeing an adult act responsibly.
"That was really sweet the way you've tried to show some leadership in class," one girl tells him. "We're grateful that you care enough about us to try and help out."
And Still We Rise is a dynamic tale reflecting the hearts of struggling south-central kids. Every page echoes the voices of these tenacious students, moving even the most uninspired reader, as they fight for the dream of college and a better life.
"I know my rainbow is waiting for me on the other side," Venola writes in an autobiographical essay, "and I won't stop until I see its colors."
"And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City High School Students" was published by Morrow, William & Co in May 2000. This title lists for $25.
The Explosive Child
by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. (Harper Collins Publishers Inc., New York)
http://www.explosivechild.com
This is an excellent resource for the many parents, teachers and professionals who attempt to guide, teach and work with difficult, hard-to-manage and easily frustrated children. The book allows the reader to understand these children and recognize their strengths and weaknesses. It illustrates the development deficits in flexibility and frustration tolerance that characterize these children and impede their growth and development. Dr. Greene brings a refreshing and new perspective to understanding and managing these difficult yet endearing children.
From the Soul Stories of Great Black Parents and the Lives They Gave Us
by Phyllis Y. Harris (G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York)
Through the stories of 10 African-American families who share their memories with honesty and tenderness, From the Soul gets at the essence of how parents can help children grow into adulthood at their full potential. Those looking for role models and an understanding of the values that nurture survival and success can find both in these powerful and warm testimonies.
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