BOOK: De Gelukkige Klas - Theo Thijssen

Title: De Gelukkige Klas
Author: Theo Thijssen
Genre: Novel (1926)
Publisher: Salamander Klassiek (Classics)
Pages: Hardcover 277
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10

Summary: The (fictional) diary of teacher Staal, writing about a year in the life of his class in an elementary school in 1926. The students are all from poor families and most of Staal's co-workers (and his wife) think those children don't need to learn anything, because they'll end up in shitty jobs or unemployed anyway. But Staal has ideals and wants the best for 'his' kids. Mostly he wants them to be happy.

Spoilerfree Review
What I like best about reading books that were written a long time ago is to recognize how people haven't changed one bit over time. They still have the same doubts and discussions these days. I'm sure if a present day teacher kept a diary, it would say exactly the same about the different kids in the class. The cheeky one, the shy one, the helpfull one, the mean one; all types are present. And you come to care about each and every one of them. When Mr. Staal has to decide who will benefit from the free language classes after school, you too want all the kids to get that chance.
Although Staal's thoughts and writing are often naive, he is certainly one of those teachers the kids will remember.