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2026 Reading Challenge

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Kenneth Chanko has read 27 of 36 books.

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Kenneth Chanko

Goodreads Author

Born

in Manhattan, The United States

Website

https://www.kennethchanko.com

Genre

Fiction, Contemporary

Member Since

May 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/kennethchanko

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Kenneth Chanko's debut novel, "Exit Tickets," was inspired by his ten years of teaching in Manhattan and South Bronx public schools. A former entertainment journalist whose byline has appeared in The New York Times, New York magazine and Entertainment Weekly, Chanko switched careers in 2005 to become a New York City public school teacher.

"Exit Tickets" has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a powerful, realistic portrayal of life in the American public education system," with the novel being awarded PW's "Editor's Pick" in its January 12th, 2026, issue. And Kirkus Reviews has praised it as "a masterful tapestry of strife and resiliency." Chanko is currently working on a sequel to "Exit Tickets."

Please visit: www.kennethchanko.com ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi, I am excited to read this book whether I win the giveaway or not. I teach in NYC as well, going into year 18 as a career changer via the Teaching Fellows and it has been super rewarding and super challenging. I wish you the best of luck on this new venture of yours! I am interested in writing too, how did you find the shift from full-time teaching to full-time writing?

Kenneth Chanko Hi Eric,

Thanks so much for your message and for your interest in my novel. I think you'll enjoy reading "Exit Tickets."

Going into Year 18 -- impressiv…moreHi Eric,

Thanks so much for your message and for your interest in my novel. I think you'll enjoy reading "Exit Tickets."

Going into Year 18 -- impressive!

I also got into teaching via the NYC Teaching Fellows (I'd been an editor/entertainment journalist/film critic, having majored in journalism at UW/Madison), at the age of 46, or maybe I was 47. I taught for 10 years, one year at the D75 school where my novel is, essentially, set, and then the last nine years at a school in the South Bronx.

(I didn't exactly make it too difficult for discerning readers familiar with the NYC DOE to figure out, from the novel, which school I actually taught in; I just reversed the school's trio of digits: in my book it's P.S. 961, and in reality, it is the RFK School 169, on 88th bet Park/Lex.)

Where do you teach, and what grade(s)? Let me know. I'm curious.

If you'd be interested in a 10-min appetite-whetter blog post read before starting my novel, go here, at your convenience:

https://www.kennethchanko.com/post/ru...

It's where you'll find the 'origin story,' for lack of a better phrase, of my book's creation. I think you'll find it intriguing, involving as it does my arrest by the NYPD while teaching in the South Bronx. Yup, no kidding.

Okay, this is almost assuredly more than you bargained for.

But if you'd like to stay in touch, that would be great. We could take this to email. My address is: ken@kennethchanko.com -- and it can also be found on my website: www.kennethchanko.com

In fact, I'd like to get your email address, assuming you'd be okay with sharing it, in order to put you on my list of folks who from time to time get my emailed newsletter, which involve updates on what I'm up to as related to my writing life (I'm currently working on the first draft of a sequel to "Exit Tickets"). Or, we could just continue to communicate here on Goodreads.

Whichever works best for you, I look forward to keeping in touch, if you'd be so inclined. Enjoy the rest of your summer off!

Oh, and good luck on the Giveaway. I will be alerted about who the five lucky winners will be by the end of this week.

Best,
Ken
email: ken@kennethchanko.com
New York, NY(less)

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Kenneth Chanko’s books

Average rating: 4.49 · 47 ratings · 30 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Exit Tickets

4.49 avg rating — 47 ratings — published 2025 — 3 editions

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Kenneth Chanko's Blog

Rubber Room Writings

If I hadn’t been arrested on Valentine’s Day in 2014, you wouldn’t be reading this. There’d be no blog because there’d be no book.

Not that I want to spoil your reading of my debut novel—I know you’re eager to get your hands on "Exit Tickets" (pub date: Nov 18)—but that agonizing experience provided me with the time to start scribbling and informed the plot of "Exit Tickets."

Not, however, while I w Read more of this blog post »

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Published on November 14, 2025 04:41 • Tags: the-origin-story-of-exit-tickets

Kenneth is Currently Reading

Kenneth Chanko is currently reading

The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music

by Colin Asher (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 07, 2026 05:04AM

Kenneth Chanko is currently reading

Paradiso 17

by Hannah Lillith Assadi

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Oct 03, 2026 10:42AM

Kenneth Chanko is currently reading

Trust Exercise

by Susan Choi (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 12, 2026 12:02PM

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Kenneth Chanko wants to read Anti-Palestinianism: An urgent examination of the widespread racism against Palestinians in the Western world by Saree Makdisi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Kenneth Chanko and 2 other people liked Shay's review of What Now: On Palestine, Freedom, and Our Global Future: "ARC from NetGalley Baconi is an incredible writer and deeply grounded in the history of the Palestinian struggle. I am beyond impressed that he managed to pack both so much nuance and so much moral force into such a short work, making powerful moral a" Read more of this review »
Oct 09, 2026 05:10AM · see review
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Kenneth Chanko liked Roy's review of Wildsam Field Guides: Manhattan (American City Guide): "Very worthwhile set of essays, short listicles, maps, and other ways to try to capture the essence of Manhattan. Really a wonderful book to read if you're going to spend any time in Manhattan, or if you want to get a feel for the city WILDSAM advertis" Read more of this review »
Oct 07, 2026 05:27AM · see review
Kenneth Chanko started reading The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music by Colin Asher (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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A top-notch collection of essays.
Oct 03, 2026 10:43AM · like · see review

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Kenneth’s Quotes

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”
― Groucho Marx, The Essential Groucho: Writings For By And About Groucho Marx

tags: animals, books, dogs, friends, humor

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