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A Story of Struggle and Hope in Compton
Beacon Press
August 2006
On Sale: August 15, 2006
196 pages
ISBN: 0807032735
EAN: 9780807032732
Paperback
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Non-Fiction Memoir
After graduating from Yale University, Sarah Sentilles joined Teach for America and was assigned to a rundown elementary school in Compton, California. Through moving portraits of inspiring children, Sentilles relates a heartbreaking journey, as she learns about a failing school system, the true meaning of poverty in America, and the strength children exhibit when they're just struggling to survive. Beautifully written, charged with love and indignation, Taught by America is a powerful tribute to the young lives Sentilles witnessed.
"This is a poignant, touching memoir from a natural-born teacher. The education of Sarah Sentilles is something we can all learn from."
βGeoffrey Canada, author of Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun and president of Harlem Children's Zone, Inc.
"Sentilles gives a stirring description of working in one of our poorest school systems . . . [A] profoundly moving book."
βLibrary Journal (starred review)
"Hauntingly eloquent, this memoir raises chilling questions about race, social privilege, failing schools, and the loss of innocence. Sentilles's reflections on her students, their families, and the education they (don't) receive stays with you long after her story ends. This is a wakeup call that we as a nation cannot afford to ignore."
βJanie Victoria Ward, author of The Skin We're In
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