• Nonfiction. By Susan Eaton. Algonquin, $24.95.Grade: A

Book in a nutshell: Since the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 declared separate but equal "has no place" in public education, many urban schools have nonetheless become overwhelmingly segregated by race. In Hartford, Conn. - the poorest city in the richest state in the country - parents had had enough.

In 1989, liberal activists with broad community support sued the poor school district in state court, arguing that the state should correct funding differences among school districts.

Despite inspiring plaintiffs' attorney John Brittain's early proclamation that the struggle was "not a tragedy but a cliffhanger," the results of the ongoing case are discouraging. The courts ordered only vague remediation. Children in Room E4 of Hartford's all-black and Latino Simpson-Waverly Elementary School are still performing poorly on tests, receiving much less money per pupil and shut out from opportunities of predominantly white students nearby.

Eaton spent as many hours in the classroom as the courtroom and describes vividly how Jeremy, Patrick, J.T. and their fourth-grade classmates interact and learn. She also details how the No Child Left Behind program forces good teachers to squash inquisitiveness with rote learning for tests.

Best tidbit: When the students in Room E4 enjoyed a rare field trip to the suburbs, their exposure to new things began soon after their bus pulled away from school. " 'Ms. Luddy!' Owen yelled. 'Look!' 'The river!' Rashida screamed, hand over beating heart. 'Land and water, Ms. Luddy!' Martin yelled. 'We're passing land and water.' The muddy Connecticut River trickled through concrete barriers. The children gasped and cheered. Faces jockeyed for good views. Noses pressed against bus windows. 'Whoa,' Kayla said, pointing, a hand over her mouth."

Pros: Every word of this well-written, suspenseful story is imbued with a love of children.

Cons: It's likely to scare away any reader without an intense interest in education.

Final word: Eaton's big book about the ongoing problems in America's beleaguered urban schools - so thorough it feels like a documentary on paper - is the gold standard for research and readability on the subject.