Customer Reviews

Ordinary Resurrections

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jonathan Kozol, author of Ordinary Resurrections, was a teacher in the 1960's until, legend has it, he was fired for reading a Langston Hughes poem to his students in inner-city Boston. Since his forced departure from the classroom, Kozol has been a student of public education, focusing on the inequities of quality of education between the haves and the have-nots. His books include: Death at an Early Age; The Night is Dark and I am far From Home; Rachel and her Children; Savage Inequalities; and Amazing Graces.

Kozol describes his current work:

"This is a book about a group of children whom I've come to know during their early years of life, not in the infant years but in the ones just after, when they start to go to school and poke around into the world and figure out what possibilities for hope and happiness it holds. Most of these children live within a section of the South Bronx called Mott Haven which, for much of the past decade, was the nation's epicenter for the plague of pediatric and maternal AIDS and remains one of the centers of an epidemic of adult and pediatric asthma that has swept across the inner-city populations of our nation in these years."

At the end of the book's introduction, Kozol says: "I'm grateful to the priest and congregation of St. Ann's (Church - of Morrisania - Episcopalian) for giving me the privilege to share the lives of children here...But most of all I'm grateful to the children, who have been so kind and generous to me, as they have been to many people who do nothing to deserve their loyalty and love, which aren't for sale and never can be earned, and who, with bashful voices, tiny fingers, sometimes unintended humor, and wise hearts, illuminate the lives of everyone who know them."

Kozol followed the children of P.(ublic) S.(chool) 30 and the eighty children who participate St. Ann's after school program for two years. Their stories and the stories of their parents, teachers and caretakers are anything but ordinary. These children will crawl right into your heart and take up residence. It's been a long time since a book has chronicled so many real-life miracles performed on a daily basis by ordinary people who happen to posses extraordinary compassion, kindness and caring.

I challenge anyone who reads Ordinary Resurrections to remain unmoved by Pineapple's brashness, Elio's false bravado, Ariel's insight, Mother Martha (St. Ann's priest) and her dog, or Katrice's adroitness in overseeing the church's kitchen. Some of the stories are uplifting; some will break your heart.

Although the book drags a bit in the middle when Kozol attempts to explain educational philosophies in laymen's terms, he never leaves the children long enough to make the intellectual content too boring.

If there is justice for Kozol and the children of Mott Haven, this should garner a lot of attention and win awards. Words like Pulitzer, Nobel, and National Book Award will fit nicely behind the title. Ordinary Resurrections should be required reading for all teachers and the rest of the human race, too. It's that good.

Kudos to Kozol and his kids. They deserve every good thing in life!

Terry Mathews, Reviewer

I think it's very telling that Jonathan Kovol is friends withFred Rogers (one of my heroes) and talks about that in this book, ashis writing reminds me of how Mister Rogers talks---his extremely strong feelings of love and caring and understanding of the children he is friends with (for that is what he is, friends, not an observer) comes through in every sentence. It's inspiring to read about the lives these children are living---how they manage to have a happy childhood and remain innocent and caring in such a tough environment, but you know the road ahead for them is not going to be an easy one. If you don't feel outraged after reading this book about the state of the public schools in big cities, you haven't read too carefully. And the fault is not where so many like to put it--with the teachers, with the students, with the parents, the fault is with a society where people are getting richer and richer but there is still not enough money to have reasonable class sizes in cities, to restore music and arts and doctors in the schools taken away 20 years ago, and to have a graduation rate not as shameful as the one where most of these kids will go to high school. This book really moved me and I am going to work harder to improve my childrens' urban schools.

In Ordinary Resurrections, Jonathan Kozol deviates from his usual "gloves off" attack of the issues facing minority children. Instead of building the case against the inequitable system with facts and figures, as he has in previous work, he has chosen the subtle but effective approach of a storyteller. He paints a very descriptive portrait of the victims of continued segregation and racism that may inspire those in positions of influence to make more compassionate decisions regarding the lives of the children they serve.

Things that scream out to me from Kozol's book(s):

1) Incarceration vs. Education (do the math!)
The incarceration industry is thriving on blind public support. If taxpayers knew they were paying on the average ten to twenty times more to incarcerate supposed perpetrators of victimless crimes than it would cost to educate them, I'd bet they might even overlook their racist fears. The corporate/federal mentality that chooses to decide early on what these children will bring to the economy seems to prefer them as a product in this system versus potential contributors to something greater.

2) Resilience (despite our conditional "help")
In their innocent naiveté the children neglected by the system remain courageous, hopeful, and resilient. This resilience may diminish as they weather the inequities of the system that oppresses them, but it is often the attribute that enables them to succeed regardless of our preaching and teaching. Just imagine what heights they might reach if they continued to be nurtured as they are by the caring individuals in their lives now.

3) Compassion (essential)
As a beneficiary of white male privilege his reflections from the other side of the gap are poignant and insightful lessons for those of us too far removed from the reality that exists in many of our cities. Even after this racial inequity is acknowledged it is difficult for most of us to express empathy in ways that ring genuine. Kozol does! He is trusted and welcomed by the culture and community he strives to serve. His stories reflect a model for learning and practicing compassion which, in my opinion, may be the single most important factor in saving ourselves from extinction. Kozol repeatedly demonstrates the importance
of compassion in his work. Listen to him!

4) Racism, segregation, inequality (market view politics)
Racism is institutionalized in the United States despite the hope segregation was ending that the civil rights movements of the sixties inspired. "Kids notice that no politicians talk about this. They hear the politicians saying, "We're gonna have tougher standards in your separate-but-not-equal schools. We're gonna raise the bar of academic discipline in your separate-but-not-equal schools." But nobody says we're going to make them less separate and more equal. Nobody says that." - Kozol interview in Education World

5) Toxic environments (no one to litigate)
AIDS, asthma, drugs, violence, toxic pollution, poverty, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, apartheid economics, and neglect are common elements in the environment Kozol's children try to survive in. Basic needs must be satisfied before we can expect children to be receptive to that which we would have them learn. Kozol is issuing a wake-up call to the complacent masses that are either unaware or in denial that this situation is serious and threatens all of us socially, emotionally, and economically.

In my opinion, implications for educators that may be gleaned from Kozol's book include:
* The extreme importance of compassion in all aspects of dealing with children.
* Recognition that before we talk about diversity we need to spend a lot more
time in the conversation about racism.
* Locking people up is not rehabilitation and in the long run is socially,
emotionally, spiritually, and economically disastrous. Break the cycle of incarceration!

This powerful work is at once inspiring, frustrating and captivating. Kozol draws the reader into a world called Mott Haven that is filled with substance, love, service and hope. He poignantly describes the lives of children while blasting the manner in which we have chosen to deal with our most needy sectors of society. Kozol's gifted and powerful storytelling reminds us of several truths:

1. Segregation is potentially a bigger problem today than ever. White flight, private schools, school choice, home-schooling, virtual schools and lack of equitable access to technology are widening the gap.
2. Inequities in education must be addressed with the underlying belief that every child has the potential to achieve his/her dreams. Society must be responsible and held accountable for creating conditions ensuring that this occurs.
3. Teachers and students must all be able to work and learn in optimum conditions that safeguard and ensure dignity.
4. Although children appear to be resilient, we must protect their innocence, ensure they have the chance to dream and be inspired by their eternal optimism and hope. The real heroes of today are those who spend time with our children, listening to and nurturing their dreams.
5. We spend too much on our prison system and must figure out a way to divert that funding to education and healthcare so we can be proactive rather than reactive.

Kozol manages to convey the realities of inner city education by illuminating the complexities behind the daily challenges facing teachers and parents. His manner of connecting the problems to the institutions and practices that society has created to deal with those who do not "fit the system" provides a wake-up call to all of us who are working to make a difference in the lives of children. Kozol shows us that the system we have created is nurturing itself instead of helping people to break out of the vicious cycle characterized by lack of quality education, health care, meaningful work opportunities and dignity. We can no longer ignore the problems in the inner cities of America, not just because it makes economic sense but because it makes human sense to individually develop our most precious resources - our children. Community leaders, parents, educators, and corporate leaders should put this compelling book on the top of their "must read" list.

There are traps all to easy to fall into when writing a book recounting one's interactions with children. The children can be simplified into charicatures, they can be made more complex and no longer childlike, and they can be modified to fit the author's argument. Mr. Kozol draws upon 40 years of working with children to avoid these pitfalls in telling the inspiring and haunting stories of these wonderful children. Mr. Kozol writes with a beautiful simplicity that is both stirring and honest. This is a fabulous book.

I, too, heard Mr. Kozol on NPR - and in the space of a few minutes was not only driven to tears, but driven to purchase the book. In a time when the world feels out of control and impossible for any one of us to alter its course, Jonathon Kozol gives me hope by reminding us that all children start out with pure love, truth and innocence - regardless of their economic or social circumstance. And that noticing and nurturing children is a precious and enriching process. The book is written in a compellingly intimate way, and I feel priveleged to have been introduced to the children of Mott Haven and to the grown ups who love and care for them.

Jonathan Kozal has taken away the protective myth that America's school children are all treated equally, with dignity and given unvarying opportunities. In his latest book, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS, Kozal's readers get a glimpse into a reality that replaces equal value with present day segregation to children of the poor. Although many in power would like to ignore the disgrace of how our underprivileged students are educationally treated in areas such as Mott Haven, New York, Kozal's first hand account of such inequality calls for a recognition and reformation of America's priorities. Told in the children's words, this book contributes awareness to the desperate need for compassion to and knowledge of the struggles of many American youth. The facts are both shocking and compelling, and will challenge the values one holds to necessitate action on our children's behalf. As Kozal states, the reality is that "...there are few areas in which the value we attribute to a child's life may be so clearly measured as in the decisions that we make about the money we believe it's worth investing in the education of one person's child as opposed to that of someone else's child." Once read, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS destroys the bliss of ignorance. One is faced with the decision to powerfully act or despairingly ignore.

kozol is my hero. i am a teacher in washington, dc. i see the same things kozol sees, i feel the same way he feels and i am continually frustrated by those who don't. it is impossible to listen to the news and read the papers and get a clear picture of the inequalities in urban education. these kids are every bit as dynamic as kids in the suburbs, and i might even argue that they are more dynamic because they are forced to rise above their problems again and again. i challenge others to forget what the politicians say, forget what the media says, become a teacher or a volunteer in the inner city and meet these special kids. don't let this book just be one that sits on your shelf. use it to motivate you to help make a difference.

Having recently read Jonathan Kozol's "Savage Inequalities", I am struck by Kozol's change of pace. Kozol is not a renegade, not a defender of children in this book, but a personal friend. I am struck with the lyricism and melody of the book. It is written from the heart, out of love and admiration for the forgotten children of the South Bronx.

Kozol has no children of his own. A bachelor in his sixties, Kozol marvels at the innocence of the children from the South Bronx and is touched by their true friendship. The children want to get to know him better, want to know all about him and look forward to his visits. Kozol visits with them regularly, tutors them during long visits, and attends mass with them. He is deeply moved by the children's wanting to involve him in the Catholic rituals of mass, including taking communion. Kozol says the kids want him to "try the bread and wine, its good." Kozol has a definite message. Despite poverty, violence, absence of parents, absence of security; all children are born into hopeful innocence which takes years to destroy.

I was overcome with emotion during many passages in this book. It is a very personal book which bares the author's soul. I recommend this book for everyone. Kozol is a testament to the goodness in mankind. Goodness that often goes unrecognized. I give the book 5 stars, but I give Mr. Kozol an infinite number of stars, for his devotion, for his love, for his hope for the children of the South Bronx and their future.

As the end of the book drew near, I knew that I did not want it to finish. Through Kozol's descriptive, real life language, I felt as if I knew the students and wanted to continue along life's journey with them. I became frustrated, because I want to know what happens to the individual children. Are they able to remain strong with the help of the people at St. Ann's? Or do they fall into a life filled with crimes and drugs? Although I am upset, it is good, almost like a passion that is a direct result of Jonathan Kozol. Within an instant, he invites his readers to come along with him into this world in the South Bronx, a world that many people have not entered and maybe never will. Therefore, I believe Ordinary Resurrections is extremely powerful, for it has the capability to extend its arms and touch many people; there truly is no limit to the people who Kozol may affect. This idea of having no boundaries is crucial in today's society, because people should take the time not only to acknowledge, but help those who are less fortunate. It's a frightening world, especially for our youth, which is why they need our guidance and assistance to make sense of it all and find their own path.