This is an important book, both for what it tells the world about how poverty looks from the inside out and for the problems attributed to poverty that should be categorized under life problems. Hearing how Nicole rose above the continuing put downs from her family, her schools and her community is really wrenching. What she doesn't know is that some of these things happen to middle class children as well and leave equally lasting scars. I think this diminishes the impact of her description of what poverty does - for example, hunger is certainly poverty related but her frequent moves while in her case the result of poverty in part also result from the choices her parents made just as they are for children whose parents focus on advancement in business with frequent moves or children of military parents.
At the same time, her astonishment at things most children take for granted is widespread among poor children because of their diminished environments is something we can do something about.. The inadequate schools are a shame to our nation and the general racism of low expectations is something we must end not just for moral reasons, but for the practical consequences that arise from our failure to provide for all children. We would be a stronger country if we changed some of our priorities.
Her title "Born Bright" means more than the fact that she was intellectually bright - almost all children entering schools are bright with hope and expectations, eagerness to learn, and open to new experiences. The fact that so many children that she knew were squelched by poverty and by the attitudes of the people they encountered especially in school serves as an indictment of our current policies.
I appreciate the author's courage in telling her story, warts and all. Now that she is a professional talking about poverty, she can have a large impact on how we think. I have given my copy of the book to our local library which often lacks books on this topic.
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