Reviews

Punished for Dreaming is a fantastic addition to books about inequity in American education. I believe everyone should read this book, but you should especially read this book if you're new to the politics and money behind education. Like We Want to Do More Than Survive, Dr. Love utilizes effective storytelling to hammer down the harsh realities of our education system. It is the most engaging way to read about the history of education reform through the eyes of people impacted. That being said, if you have read We Want to Do More Than Survive and are generally up-to-date and into these topics, like myself, you may only find the last chapter relevant/new. I hope Dr. Love continues this research on educational reparations to write a book where the majority of it is focused on solutions. Since we live in a society that understandably stiffens at free handouts, there needs to be more work done to convince people these reparations will be more effective than current reforms. If you're a teacher, you will not find solutions in this book, as the problem is beyond what one individual is capable of accomplishing. However, if you are a co-conspirator, then there are some examples of how to support those doing the work at your schools. This would make a good book club book to discuss, and a suggestion I have for Dr. Love would be to add discussion questions to their books to facilitate these necessary conversations.