Jade Ed.

by H.M. Mann

Jade Currie, an African-Italian American from Long Island, New York, has her first teaching job in the Southern town of Calhoun, Virginia, and it doesn't take her long to realize that she's in trouble. Big trouble. Her principal hides in her office, the assistant principal thinks he's Elvis Presley, her colleagues think she's "uppity," and only the janitor and secretary have her back. Fortunately, most of her students love 'Meka and Melody, mothers at 14; Gary, who misses school to care for his dying mother; Stevie, who has four different "baby mamas"; ZeeJay, who wants to be a DJ if his mama doesn't kill him before he graduates; and literally 150 more equally unforgettable students. Based on true stories from urban public school trenches and told with warmth, humor, and plenty of tears, JADE ED. is a multicultural teaching odyssey readers will never forget.

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

H.M. Mann is the pseudonym of multicultural romantic comedy novelist J. J. Murray, who writes multicultural poetry, short stories, plays, and novels with a Southern U. S. flavor. His influences include the works of Ernest Gaines, Margaret Walker, Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and the music of Muddy Waters, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder. Readers can connect with J.J. Murray/H. M. Mann by e-mailing A3JMurray@msn.com or AuthorHMMann@hotmail.com or through Facebook.

Reviews

[kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very unexpected read.....i truly enjoyed it.

The characters in were real. With real issues that face underprivileged children everyday. Teachers are the real heroes who enlighten and inspire.

[Ashley Teagle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book me to an usually long time to read. There are many reasons why I thought I would love this book: I thought the portrayal of a new teacher was realistic; I thought the main character was witty and at times funny; and I enjoyed watching Jade succeed as a teacher.

So, I'm not sure why I didn't exactly love this book because there are many things to love about the book. It wasn't that I thought it was poor writing, but I guess I didn't feel like the story itself necessarily pulled me in.

Although it was nice after all the drama Jade experiences to have a pretty happy ending.

I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to--I ended up reading it just to say I had something to read. Perhaps if someone ever asked what book should they read next just because they feel like reading something, but aren't looking for anything in particular.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but not as much as the two others I've read by this author. There is certainly his trademark humor there, although much of it is edgier, perhaps more sarcastic. It is a personal look at many of the tough issues in schools, through the eyes of new teacher Jade Currie. I liked her a lot, and her passion for teaching comes through loud and clear, but much of it was not easy to read. Jade went through a lot of tough experiences, and so did way too many of her students.