Teaching Stories

Starred review from November 1, 2004
An anthology of highly enjoyable observations on teaching, this masterpiece is based on a course Pulitzer Prize winner Coles (Children of Crisis) has taught at the Harvard Graduation School of Education for over 20 years. Great authors such as Leo Tolstoy, John Cheever, Charles Baxter, Toni Morrison, and Tobias Wolff are among those chosen to provide readers with a look at the intricacy, richness, and diversity of the teaching profession. The stories are so vivid and powerful that they should appeal to everyone, and readers will find their curiousity aroused again and again. Good examples include Baxter's "Gryphon," featuring an unusual fourth-grade teacher who mesmerizes her class by predicting each student's future, and Richard Yates's portrait of loner Vincent Sabella, a "tough" student in "Doctor Jack o'Lantern." Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.-Susan Mcclellan, Avalon P.L., Pittsburgh

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2004
Coles, renowned psychiatrist and author of " Children of Crisis " (1967) and " The Spiritual Life of Children " (1990), offers a collection of stories examining the interplay between teachers and students and the everyday drama, tensions, and joys of classrooms and learning. Divided into sections on challenges, observations, class and race, and personal experiences, the stories, excerpts, and essays offer a broad range of teaching and learning experiences, reaching beyond the pedantry of classroom lessons to the more poignant social and psychological interactions between people that leave lasting impressions. The collection brings together writings that are famous in their own right to explore the complexities of learning from a variety of social angles. Among the writers are James Agee, Julia Alvarez, John Cheever, Anton Chekhov, Flannery O'Conner, Thomas Hardy, Toni Morrison, Leo Tolstoy, and Coles. The afterword includes commentary by Erik H. Erikson and Anna Freud. This is a thoroughly enjoyable collection that offers readers a literary perspective on learning. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)