At 22, Dan Brown was an idealistic first-year elementary teacher at P.S. 85 in the Bronx. He was even assigned a class of his own: 4-217. What he wasnÕt told was that 4-217 was the dumping ground for all fourth-grade problem cases, and his students would be more challenging than he ever anticipated. Dedicated and passionate but up against volatile children, absent parents, and a failing administration, Dan was pushed to the limit time and again. Yet in this seeming chaos, he discovered an unexpected well of inspiration to discipline, 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.
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Please Note: Amazon offers books by several different authors named Dan Brown. If you are looking for books by Dan Brown, best-selling author of The Lost Symbol, The Da Vinci Code, and Angels & Demons, please visit Amazon's Dan Brown Page.
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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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Dan Brown was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He holds a masterÕs degree in education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and writes regularly for the Huffington Post. He lives with his wife in Washington, DC.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fellow Fellow,
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!,
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.,
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.
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