Among Schoolchildren

Tracy Kidder. Harper Perennial, $13.99 (352pp) ISBN 978-0-380-71089-8

`` Christine Zajac teaches fifth grade in a racially mixed school in a poor district of Holyoke, Mass. . . . Through Kidder's calmly detailed re-creation of Zajac's daily round we come to know her students' fears and inmost strivings; we also share this teacher's frustrations, loneliness and the rush of satisfaction that comes with helping students learn,'' wrote PW. ``A compelling microcosm of what is wrong--and right--with our educational system.'' (Sept.)

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