Among Schoolchildren [School Children] (The Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society Series)

340 pp. 8vo. Full red leather, gilt titles and decorations, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, ribbon marker bound in. Two-page frontispiece by Karen Stolper. Franklin Library's Signed First Edition Society released signed, limited editions of new works that preceded the trade editions, with a special foreword and frontispiece that appear only in the limited edition. Among Schoolchildren "tells in detail the story of a young teacher's daily life and work in the Kelly School, a part of the Holyoke, Massachusetts school system. From September to June, Chris Zajac, a caring, dedicated teacher struggles with the nearly superhuman task of teaching inner-city children, many from impoverished and broken homes. Her pupils are often ill-fed, victims of severe neglect, or worse. Readers will become engrossed in her daily battle to teach these youngsters. (Over half stay up until 12:30 a.m. to watch TV). She agonizes over her pupils, one Clarence in particular. Kidder allows the reader to savor the small daily victories and taste the angst of failure. A warm, honest, refreshingly positive look inside a classroom."