When it was released in 1999, The Freedom Writers Diary was met with critical acclaim and financial success -- but it was not released without controversy. In 2008, a teacher was suspended for a year and a half without pay for teaching the book without school board or parent approval (the book has strong content/language, which parents and administrators objected to). Nevertheless, The Freedom Writers Diary became a #1 New York Times Bestseller. Most reviews called the book "interesting" and "unique" but ultimately "disappointing", "discouraging" and "inauthentic."
In The Freedom Writers Diary, Gruwell writes about how she one day intercepted a racist message passed between some students in her classroom. Alarmed, she asked her students if any had heard of the Holocaust. However, only one had. She told her students to read more about the Holocaust and instructed them to write about the parallels between the events in their lives and the events in history. This book is made up of those papers and letters.
The book was adapted into a film called Freedom Writers in 2007. Directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Danny Devito, Freedom Writers received mostly positive reviews upon release. Reads the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus: "Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns."
