Remedial, illiterate, intellectually deficient—these are the stigmas that define America’s educationally underprepared. Having grown up poor and been labeled this way, nationally acclaimed educator and author Mike Rose takes us into classrooms and communities to reveal what really lies behind the labels and test scores. With rich detail, Rose demonstrates innovative methods to initiate “problem” students into the world of language, literature, and written expression. This book challenges educators, policymakers, and parents to re-examine their assumptions about the capacities of a wide range of students.

Already a classic, Lives on the Boundary offers a truly democratic vision, one that should be heeded by anyone concerned with America’s future.

Preface
Acknowledgments

1. Our Schools and Our Children
2. "I Just Wanna Be Average"
3. Entering the Conversation
4. The Poem Is a Substitute for Love
5. Literate Stirrings
6. Reclaiming the Classroom
7. The Politics of Remediation
8. Crossing Boundaries

Epilogue: Lilia

Afterword
Notes
Bibliography