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Literally Unbelievable: Stories from an East Oakland Classroom Paperback – September 14, 2016

4.7 out of 5 stars 63

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The systemic racial and socio-economic inequality in American education continues to leave vulnerable populations of children behind, but mere statistics cannot possibly tell the whole story. As a new teacher thrust into the classroom mid-year—in the part of Oakland, California that police call "the Killing Zone"—Bronwyn Harris learned to make her own way as she helped parents advocate for their children with school officials and law enforcement, all while enduring a revolving door of school administrators. As intelligent, hardworking, funny, and loyal as any schoolchildren their age, Harris’s students were also incredibly empathetic in the face of staggering trauma and instability. But she quickly realized that her teacher prep classes had not covered making reports of child abuse, teaching traumatized children, helping students cope with difficult emotions, or keeping a class calm during a lockdown.Described by Anne Lamott as “lovely, important, heartbreaking, inspiring,” Literally Unbelievable chronicles the lives of Harris's students and shows the difference a caring teacher and support from the greater community can make. "This book offers an accessible, sobering introduction to under-resourced public schools for those wishing to learn ‘what it’s really like.’ But it also conveys the profound richness and importance of the students that this system has left behind. This should be required reading for all prospective teachers, policy makers, and researchers."—Emily Penner, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of EducationUC Irvine

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About the Author

Bronwyn Harris is from Petaluma, CA, and lives in the East Bay. She earned her BS in psychology from UC Davis and her teaching credential from CSU Sacramento. From 2000 to 2007, Harris was a classroom teacher in Oakland. Later, as the Director of Education for Harbor House Ministries, she was again able to impact under-resourced children, as well as to employ some former students, now teens. Harris currently works as a writer, editor, and tutor.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 14, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 174 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1535582553
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1535582551
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 63

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Bronwyn Harris
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Bronwyn Harris began her teaching career in East Oakland in January 2000, teaching first-graders who had already gone through one teacher and six substitutes during that school year. In the first five minutes of teaching, one student threw a book at her head and she realized she had no set curriculum with which to teach them. In addition, she was a “roving teacher,” meaning that she moved classrooms every three weeks.

Teaching at this school did not get easier as she transitioned into teaching third grade, but the students were incredible: creative, thoughtful, loving, angry, at-risk, misunderstood, valuable, and overlooked. After eight principals in less than eight years, Harris had to face the fact that she couldn’t keep working in such an environment and left the school district, but has stayed in touch with many of her students.

During her time teaching, Harris would tell many of her middle-class white friends about what was going on at her school, and found that many of them didn’t believe her, which is how the title of the book came to be. This also strengthened her resolve to write down the true stories so that people would know this side of life in the Bay Area.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
63 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017
If it was possible to give a higher rating, I'd gladly do that.  Let me start, though, by saying that this is not an easy read. This isn't the sort of book you grab to take with you on a beach vacation and forget about your troubles.  It's real, passionate, honest, and heartbreaking.  It tackles subjects that a lot of us would rather sweep under the rug because we're just not comfortable discussing it.  And now, in a time where politics and negativity are swimming around us like crazy, it is quite political.  But please, please don't overlook this powerful read because of that.  Be open.  Be willing to read these stories and really consider them.  Let them change you.  

Generally, I have an incredibly difficult time reading nonfiction.  It's just not something that has ever appealed to me and I find the writing style of most authors in this area to be dry.  In this case, though, Bronwyn Harris presents a reality that is often overlooked in a manner that is both easy to read and incredibly effective.  I could see some of these things playing out almost as if I'd been in the room to witness them.  Having worked for several years in a school in a similar area to the one Ms. Harris taught in probably makes it far easier for me to believe and understand the realities she presents throughout this book.  That might not be the case for every read and I imagine there will be a great many people who pick this book up and are shocked to the point that they flat out don't believe these very true stories.  The are true, though, and stories like them are all too true in other parts of the country.  As a society, so many people work very hard to help underprivileged children in other countries.  That's great, of course, but it's entirely too easy to overlook the great need of so very many of the children right here in our country.  

As a parent and a former educator, I am both appalled and utterly moved by what these children endured on a daily basis.  I am infuriated by the way that our education system has and continues to fail to meet the needs of students in so many ways.  I am also touched and impressed by the effort that those teachers, the few and far between who stick it out with the children others overlook, and really give them the things that others can't or won't.  This book prompted so many heavily emotional reactions from me that I really can't begin to explain them all.  I'm begging you, though, even if you hate nonfiction, even if you are sure that racism is dead and gone and that equality operates across the board in our country, please read this.  Yes, you might be offended.  Yes, you might be angry.  Good!  Get angry!  Be offended by the reality that our world doesn't look the same from every set of eyes.  Then get up and help do something about it.  
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019
4 1/2 stars, highly recommended. The author spent nearly a decade teaching in an under resourced school in a poor area of Oakland. She describes the reality of the childrens’ lives and the ways in which the education system is poorly designed and ill equipped to give them the education they need. This book is written in a matter of fact manner. I hope it calls you to action. I don’t live in the US but many of the issues she raises still resonate.

(My rating system, within the genre of this book
5=Highly recommended, will re-read
4=Recommended
3=good read, minor flaws
2=ho hum, or major flaws
1=something really wrong with this)
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2020
Even though I know poor school districts struggle, seeing the stories of the kids & teachers makes it all more real. This book gave me a lot to think about.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2017
An important read for all educators and parents as well as concerned citizens. Difficult subject matter in an easy, quick read, which left me reflecting on and questioning my own life experience. This book helped me to better talk to my own (private school, suburban) students about societal inequalities and injustices in concrete ways with specific, relatable examples. I have given this book to many fellow educators, and plan to keep handing out copies to anyone I think might read it with an eye for gaining insight into their own place in education and/or society and enact small (or big) changes as a result of reading it.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2017
This is a story hundreds of teachers would like to write but are too busy swimming upstream trying to save their students. So much truth. This book can help parents understand why their children can attend school daily and still not achieve. It's not about blame but understanding what the problems are so real change can take place.
6 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2018
This book explores many of the educational and social issues students of color face. We have long neglected our most vulnerable students: and until we learn to value and trust educators like Ms. Harris we will continue to fail them. Standards and testing are not going to save education. Providing committed educators with the resources they need and the freedom to teach as they see fit will. Bravo to Browyn Harris for understanding this and writing her story.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2017
Bronwyn, my daughter's friend, has written down her story and the story of the children in Oakland that evokes my sadness and frustration over injustice. However, she has also shared her philosophy that there is hope and love for every person and everyone matters.
Changing the world is not without sacrifice and her efforts encourages me to do the best I can to change my world, one person at a time.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2017
Loved this book. It was an easy page turner. Most importantly, it was such an eye opening view of a world I couldn't eve imagine existed. Never mind just a few miles away from my idyllic home. Brava Bronwyn. The world needs these stories!
4 people found this helpful
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