To Sir, With Love

On Monday I went shopping with grandma H., and we went to Hobby Lobby, MGM shoes, and the thrift store. I always pick up a few books when I'm at the thrift store because they are so cheap. The book To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite  looked familiar. Had I heard about it in my college classes? It looked pretty interesting, since I am a teacher and it is about a teacher in London. The unique twist is that it deals with the racial prejudices against blacks in London at that time. The main character, who becomes a teacher, could not find any other jobs in London because of his skin color. He was highly educated, but no one would touch him. After almost two years of looking for work, and going to interviews only to be told they couldn't hire when they saw his color, he stoops to take a teaching position. (By the way, I love how he thinks that it would be easy!)

This teaching position is at a difficult school in town, where kids are poor and parents aren't the best support. Very much a working-class community. He definitely has a lot to accomplish. But, of course, after a rough start, he begins the task of teaching them knowledge about school and life, with respect for each other along the way. It really is quite inspiring.

There was just a bit of suggestive descriptions in the book, but nothing graphic. Far less than many teenage novels that are out right now, anyways. I would recommend it to high schoolers, but not junior highers, unless they were already mature readers. Certainly anyone in the teaching profession would enjoy perusing its pages. It doesn't end with all conflict gone, but it does end on an uplifting that this teacher has indeed instilled something of value into his students.

Apparently this was also  made into a movie. I was reading it between selling tickets to the volleyball game, and a few people commented on this fact. I might have to go find the movie somewhere, just to see how it compares to the book. All in all, I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in either race relations in other countries or the teaching profession in general.