The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools

Russakoff provides a critical and detailed account of the politics, money, and failure in a recent push to convert the Newark New Jersey public school system into a charter school system. At the center are political leaders such as Cory Booker and Chris Christie, a new generation of philanthropists such as Mark Zuckerberg, and, of course, the often-unheard and underrepresented parents and children of the Newark school systems. Cross’s friendly and genial voice often belies the content, but that only makes the points hit harder. Russakoff is quite critical at times, but Cross’s calm, steady, and gentle delivery make the listener more receptive to the prose. His narration is deliberate and articulate, keeping listeners fully engaged and clear about what is transpiring in the book. At times, some might find him too monotonous, but given the various characters and complexities of this book, it works quite well. A Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover. (Sept.)