Los Angeles, California is one of the top most visited cities in The United States and also one of the prettiest. Filled with beaches, modern buildings, mountains, and palm trees, Los Angeles seems like an amazing place to live, but if you ask a student from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1993, they would say they’d rather live anywhere else. The school in Los Angeles County was filled with crime, shootings, and racial hostility. It was not uncommon to lose a friend or family member. It was not uncommon to feel scared walking home. It was not uncommon to drop out of high school. Despite all the differences she had with students, one teacher, Erin Gruwell, was able to change these common occurrences and transform her students lives. Through 150 diary entries, you get to know what the students situations were like at home or with their gangs. From being molested to homeless, these students had overcome almost anything you could imagine. It was revolting to read about the things these kids are forced to deal with. The only main character you will encounter is Mrs. Gruwell, the rest of the students stay anonymous. This, I will say, was something I struggled with while reading this book. Without hearing a direct name, it is up to the reader to figure out the gender, …show more content…
Most of the students are from different races, gangs, family backgrounds, and home situations, but one thing they all have in common is the hatred for school. Throughout the book, this develops and they gradually look forward to school and Mrs. Gruwell’s room is a safe place for them. Out of her 150 students, most of them walked into their freshman year not expecting to graduation, if they lived that long. When, graduation came, every single one of those freshmen that were hesitate towards graduation, walked up on the stage and accepted their