This groundbreaking study of an innovative charter school looks closely at adolescent identity by analyzing the language of narratives told in school. The author helps us to understand why adolescents sometimes make choices that seem incomprehensible to the adults who work with them. This unique book links issues of school reform with close analysis of language and interaction within a school to help us understand the needs and desires of some of today's diverse adolescent students. Both compelling and illuminating, this important book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the human effects (and not just the resultant test scores) of school reform.