The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle [Hardcover]

Dan Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 2007

At 22, Dan Brown came to the Bronx's P.S. 85 as an eager, fresh-faced teacher. Unbeknownst to him, his assigned class, 4-217, was the designated "dumping ground" for all fourth-grade problem cases, and his students would prove to be more challenging than he could ever anticipate. Intent on being a caring, dedicated teacher but confronted with unruly children, absent parents, and a failing administration, Dan was pushed to the limit time and again: he found himself screaming with rage, punching his fist through a blackboard out of sheer frustration, often just wanting to give up and walk away.

Yet in this seeming chaos, he slowly learned from his own mistakes and discovered an unexpected well of inspiration to discipline and teach and make a difference.

The Great Expectations School is the touching journey of Class 4-217 and their teacher, Mr. Brown, but more than that, it is the revealing story of a broken educational system and all those struggling within and fighting against it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A poignant portrait painted with skill . . . Read it and weep--and wonder no more about the human dimensions of the achievement gap." -- Gene I. Maeroff, Teachers College, Columbia University, author of Buillding Blocks: Making Children Successful in the Early Years of School

"By turns humorous and haunting, Dan Brown . . . takes the reader on both a compelling and illuminating journey through the American public education system. Unlike many other books on the topic, however, Brown's is not a dry litany of all that is wrong with that system, but rather highlights the personal success-stories" -- Scott Anderson, author of Moonlight Hotel and Triage

"Dan Brown's heartfelt account of the thrills and frustrations of a first-year teacher grips like a novel. A must-read for anyone who has dreamed of a job that makes a difference." -- Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt

"[A] powerful, heart-breaking story that challenges our image of inner city schools and the children who populate them. Important and moving, The Great Expectations School grabs your attention from the first page and refuses to let go." -- Gilbert M. Gaul, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

"[A] riveting human drama full of heroes and villains, humor and tragedy. Brown is an exciting new talent and his writing is so clear and suspenseful that the pages turn themselves. I couldn't put this book down." -- Clara Bingham, co-author of Class Action, basis for the Academy Award-nominated film North Country, and author of Women on the Hill: Challenging the Culture of Congress

Full of funny, painful, and illuminating stories covering the children at risk . . . It is a must read for anyone interested in reforming our schools -- Maggie Dixon, Collegiate School librarian

About the Author

Dan Brown was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is a student at Teachers College, Columbia University. He lives in New York City. This is his first book.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (August 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559708352
• ISBN-13: 978-1559708357
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fellow Fellow, August 4, 2007

By 

Elizabeth Camaraza - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle (Hardcover)

I'm Elizabeth Camaraza, one of the rookies who joined the NYC Teaching Fellows and taught with Dan Brown at PS 85 in the Bronx. His beautifully tragic story expertly captures every nuance of a first year teacher's experience in an inner city school. He tells his story with such a profound sense of love, honesty and humor that you will be emotionally wiped-out after reading it. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about kids. Dan Brown is a genius! (PS. I'm in the book!)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Expectations for this book? SURPASSED!, July 28, 2007

By 

Johnny Tremain - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle (Hardcover)

After reading Dan Brown's articles and blog entries on The Huffington Post, I had to pick this book up. I wasn't disappointed. While The Huffington Post blog showed me he has a deep understanding and love of teaching and all that it requires, I didn't know that he was funny-- this book changed that. I found myself laughing out loud pretty frequently, which is weird since this is first and foremost a non fiction piece on the trials of being a first year teacher in a NYC public school. But, his voice is so unique that you end up finding humor in the way he views even the simplest of situations.

So the real question is, is this Dan Brown a better writer than Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame? Only time will tell, but the new Dan Brown is off to a fine start.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast and Good., July 28, 2007

By 

Going Upriver (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle (Hardcover)

Okay, we all know that this isn't the same author as the davinci Code. But this is a very, very good book that I read in one day.

Mr. Brown has to teach a class with lots of troubled kids and the stories about the kids and the ups and downs really got me. Especially with Jimmarie and Sonandia (Read the book and youll know what I mean) The end is both satisfying and very thought provoking. I think this should be required reading for teachers and everyone involved in the school system.