Fascinating study of the year in the life of the high school students who excel in Science Fair competitions and the teacher who mentors them in Greenwich, Connecticut. Much of the writing is technical and scientific, as these young people are involved in scientific innovations and inventions of their own. There is success, failure, and apathy. These are teenagers, and one becomes involved in their lives outside of the lab as well as in. The teacher who mentors them is dedicated and cares deeply, yet is also given enough room in these pages to share glimpses of his home life and personal struggles. Highly recommended!

An excellent book about Andy Bramante. A teacher who has taken teaching to another level. His passion to see his students succeed is one that we don't often see in the public school system.

His students are entering science contests I had never even heard of! And winning! Not with your standard rotating planets or baking soda volcanoes. No, they are looking for cures for disease, amazing inventions and prize money that exceeds anything I've seen.

We follow a year in his classroom. No text books, not tests, these kids choose a project and work on it in this research style classroom for the entire year. One has been on Stephen Colbert. One left high school and started his own company.

I had no idea all of these competitions were going on. An outstanding look at excellence in teaching and allowing your students to discover their own talents.

Excellent Work!

Netgalley/September 4th 2018 by Ballantine Books

I was able to read this book through the auspices of NetGalley. I thank them for the early look.

Andy Bramante is the kind of teacher that everyone should have at least once in their educational career. A career changer, he left a successful career in corporate chemistry to teach in one of the most exclusive school districts in the country, Greenwich, CT. With a median income of on average $100,000 (average income is much, much higher), and stratospheric property taxes, the Greenwich Public Schools stand up next to many preparatory schools that might easily be an option for the well-heeled families of Greenwich.

People move to Greenwich for the schools and, in particular, for Andy's Honors Science class. His class does not follow a curriculum or have assignments and tests. Instead, self-directed students come to Andy with a germinating idea of a science project, a hypothesis, and develop a method to realize their project. Andy's selective class is most like an organized independent study program.

There are goals in mind. Andy shepherds more students to high profile science fairs than practically any public school teacher in the country. His students frequently take top (monetary and scholarship) prizes in these competitions. These are the unimaginably brilliant kids that frequently show up on morning TV shows with a method of detecting Ebola or Zika or developing fast. cost-effective de-salinization methods. A large number of Andy's students are first or second generation Americans, often Asian-American, who either have Tiger Parents, a natural scientific bent, or a cultural ethic that includes education as a number one priority. It's something of a stereotype, but it does speak to the value added existence of immigrant populations in America.


If these young people have barriers, it is taking part in typical teen activities. Dating, prom, and other social interactions seem to take a back seat to what is going on in Mr. B's classroom. However, to get into a top rated college (most aspire to Harvard), they must produce a well-rounded resume including sports, band, theatre, or other extra curriculars including STEM clubs aimed at young women taught by young women.


Following the activities of these young people for a year sounds like a promising premise for a book but, at least for me, the book fails.


First, books like this tend to be written about children in high risk, underserved populations. Rooting for the underdog and the inspiring teachers who offer them a leg up out of poverty is uplifting. Look at books like "Up the Down Staircase," "Freedom Writers," or "Stand and Deliver." Inspirational teachers like Jaime Escalante are inspirational and aspirational.


Which is not to denigrate Mr. B. Himself a child of poverty, he achieves a career with a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. To give up his high achieving corporate career to inspire and mentor teens, even if it is in a prestigious school, is laudatory. However, there does not seem to be a comparison between the well-equipped lab he has assembled (with his own hard work), and the grinding poverty of an LA barrio classroom.


As for the writing in the book itself, it is plodding. Following the actual hard work of the students is realistic, but provides not "Eureka" moment, unless you count having to choose between your second choice colleges, Duke and Stanford when Harvard rejects you.


There is one passage in the book that horrified me, and makes me think that the editor was as bored as I was to let it pass. At one point, when talking about an experiment by William Yin, senior class valedictorian and committed procrastinator, the author uses a play on words based on "The Three Little Pigs," and painfully uses the phrase, "Not by the hair of his yinny yin yin." It is a horrific example of racism and immature writing. It should have been excised by the editor on the first pass.


Also, instead of the author offering a disclaimer in the introduction or in a footnote, "Names have been changed to protect the identity of participant," she repeatedly writes, "Let's call this person Y." It's annoying. It's awkward. It's clunky and draws attention to itself rather than the story being told.


By the end of the book, it sounds as if Mr. B. will be searching out a new career path, disheartened by the lack of recognition, petty jealousy, and politics of a modern school system. If that happens. it's a shame because clearly he is a gifted teacher with much to give to students. Perhaps his next stop will be administering a program that brings less entitled children to gift of STEM education. That's a book I'd be interested in reading.

I read the class with great anticipation . I am a high school chemistry and biology teacher and was looking for an interesting story with lots of insight into, perhaps , starting a similar science discovery program at the school where I work. Unfortunately I found the novel to be written in a disjointed and slightly boring way. It did have many resources that can be explored by a science teacher. If I were to begin this reading this novel again I think that I would pick and choose what chapters to read and I would skim over parts that I did not think necessary . As a resource text this was very helpful.

Although I am not an educator, I come from a family chock full of teachers, professors and principals. Now I know what I am getting all of them for Christmas. THE CLASS was a truly fascinating and inspirational read at a time when I really needed to feel some hope, especially about our public educational system and those students muddling their way through it.

I loved this book so much. It was a fascinating look into the world of high level science fairs and the influence of a great teacher who truly cares about his students. If you like books like The Overachievers you will enjoy this book. If you ever read about high school students working in labs at universities with professors and producing award winning science projects and wondered "how does that even happen?" this book will answer that question. "The Class" is well written and a quick read. Highly recommend.

A fantastic tale of innovation, creativity and perseverance, this story is sure to inspire.

I love stories about truly fantastic teachers. Educators who take seriously their roles in the lives and futures of students. Andy Bramante goes the extra mile, and his students shine because of it.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. Highly recommend!

The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero was an interesting account of the year in the life of high school science teacher and his research students. The students explore topics that can have life-changing impacts on many of us and they are still in high school! They explore topics like cancer, water filtration, disease and the list goes on and on. The students enter science fairs at the national and global levels and this teacher has a track record of multiple winners. For me, this story demonstrates what children can do when we allow them to explore their interests and passions. Their value to society far exceeds anything that could be measured by standardized testing. I would recommend this book for teachers and older students. The author related some quotes which would be viewed as offensive. If these were a bit less harsh, I would recommend for middle grade students as demonstration of perseverance, inquiry, and determination which exemplifies a growth mindset.

This title was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Had a difficult time getting into this book and connecting with characters. While all of them were real people, their stories were trivialized to focus more on the teacher than on his students.

Great window into the lives of a dedicated science educator and his students; will recommend to many readers for its insights into the successes and challenges of working in public education.