The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Foreword / Zlata Filipovic -- Freshman Year-Fall 1994 -- Ms. Gruwell's diary entry -- First day of school -- Racial segregation at school -- Getting "jumped" -- Race riot on campus -- Buying a gun -- Death of a friend -- Gang initiation -- Rushing a sorority -- Tagging -- Proposition 187: discrimination -- Dyslexia -- Juvenile hall -- Projects -- Russian roulette -- Freshman Year- Spring 1995 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Romeo and Juliet: gang rivalry -- Teenage love and running away -- Coping with weight -- Learning about diversity -- Oklahoma bombing -- Farewell to Manzanar: Japanese internment camps -- Overcoming adversity panel -- John Tu: father figure vs absent father -- Freshman turnaround -- Sophomore Year-Fall 1995 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Homelessness -- Cystic fibrosis -- Shyness -- Twelve angry men -- Honors English -- Medieval Times -- Lesson on tolerance -- Toast for change -- Change for the better -- Testifying in murder case -- Teenage alcoholism -- Shoplifting -- Anne Frank's diary -- Teen diarists -- Zlata's diary, Bosnia vs. LA riots -- Peter Maass: article on Bosnia -- Zlata -- Sophomore Year-Spring 1996 -- Letter to Zlata -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Meeting a Holocaust survivor -- Woman who sheltered Anne Frank's family -- Moment -- Zlata accepts our invitation -- Dinner with Zlata -- Diverse friendships -- I am a human being -- Terrorism -- Day of tolerance: a field trip -- Doing speed -- Basketball for Bosnia: weight -- Zlata's letter -- Divorce -- Friends join class -- Letter from Miep -- Junior Year, Fall 1996 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Racist teacher -- Grandmother's death -- Race riot -- Grade accountability -- Suicide -- Running away -- Getting a job -- Misogyny -- Molestation -- Boyfriend abuse -- Domestic violence -- Child abuse -- Death of brother -- Junior Year-Spring 1997 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- Anne Frank's friends visit -- Masking fears -- Living in the projects -- Dyslexia -- Letter from Miep -- Student editing -- Abortion -- Catalysts for change -- Freedom Riders -- American diary-voices from an undeclared war -- Fund-raiser concert -- Freedom writer poem -- Freedom writers unite -- Strict father -- Arlington Cemetery -- Lincoln Memorial: Freedom Writers have a dream -- Covering up the swastika -- Hate crimes -- Holocaust Museum -- Dr. Mengele's experiment with twins -- Dinner with Secretary Riley -- Stand -- Secretary Riley receives Freedom Writers' diary -- Candlelight vigil -- Departing DC -- Returning a family hero -- Jeremy Strohmeyer: murder -- David Cash -- Peace march for Sherrice Iverson -- Senior Class President -- Separation anxiety -- Staying together -- Senior Year- Fall 1997 -- Ms. Gruwell's diary entry -- Cheryl Best: inspiration -- Eviction notice -- Financial problems -- Illegal immigrant -- First Latina Secretary of Education -- Pursuing filmmaking -- Road not taken: contemplating college -- Finding a mentor -- Being a mentor -- Los Angeles Times article -- Letter from prison -- Deadbeat dad -- Sorority hazing -- Fear of losing a father -- Death of a mother -- Senior Year- Spring 1998 -- Ms Gruwell's diary entry -- GUESS? Sponsorship -- Spirit of Anne Frank Award -- New York City roommates -- Celebrating Anne Frank -- Abuse of power -- Peter Maass: the role of a journalist -- Book agent -- Getting published -- Basketball playoffs: teamwork -- Lesson from Animal farm -- Attitude adjustment -- Introducing Senator Barbara Boxer -- Attention deficit disorder -- Homosexuality -- Prom queen -- Whoever saves one life saves the world entire -- Breaking the cycle -- Football all-American -- Baseball dilemma -- College acceptance -- Fear of abandonment -- Teenage pregnancy -- Southwest Airlines -- Computers for college! -- Giving tree: crackhead parents -- Graduation class speaker -- From drugs to honors -- Overcoming the odds -- Graduation! -- Epilogue -- Tenth-anniversary journal entries -- Twentieth-anniversary journal entries -- Acknowledgments.