"Among Schoolchildren" by Tracy Kidder
One of the first books I ever read by Tracy Kidder. This was a very enjoyable read, well-paced, well-written, a very good insight into terrible conditions (at the time it was written) that teachers face on a daily basis.
Tracy received permission to "sit" in Mrs. Zajac's 5th grade class, for a whole year, at Kelly School in Holyoke, Connecticut,( where she had grown up and eventually became a teacher.)
Tracy takes the time to introduce the reader to all of Mrs. Zajac's students, their backgrounds, their personalities, pleasures, pains and problems. One child in particular becomes not only Mrs Zajac's "cross to bear", but the one student she absolutely refuses to give up on. All the children become family, and dear to the reader. It is a very sad day for the reader, writer and teacher when Clarence is sent to another school. One wonders whatever happened to him.
Tracy is such a great author, approaching subjects that will be of interest to various folks.
Hope you can locate this one, and give it a shot.
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