'Enduring literature that Impacts lives'

 

“I hope to be remembered for writing books about social justice that also have enough aesthetic value to endure as works of literature.” – Jonathan Kozol

 

Born on Sept. 5,1936 Kozol is an American writer and educator best known for his books on both public education and homelessness.

 

After writing a novel The Fume of Poppies, he began a string of award-winning nonfiction works with the book Death at an Early Age in 1967.  A description of his first year as a teacher in the Boston Public Schools it won the National Book Award in Science, Philosophy and Religion and has sold more than two million copies in the United States and Europe alone.

 

His book Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America also won numerous awards including the Conscience-in-Media Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.   His book Amazing Grace:  The Lives of Children And The Conscience of a Nation earned him the prestigious Ainsfield-Wolf literary award, which honors works that make important contributions to the understanding of racism and the appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture.

 

Kozol also founded The Education Action Fund, which serves as a nonprofit charitable fund to provide assistance to many of the children and families profiled in his books.

  

“I try to write a narrative that will not only challenge but also entice the reader into the lives of children.”