Bronx Masquerade

This unique novel follows the voices, in prose and poetry, of students in an English class. The students are from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and initially judge each other. All struggle with personal issues, and through their writings discover something about themselves and the experiences of their peers, and learn that they can be honest with themselves, their classmates, their families, and their community. The core of the book is using communication to discover one's personal and cultural identity, and it encourages education, empathy, and understanding. Suitable as a class, literature circle, or independent novel for grades 8-12.