Muses over difference and denial, spotting villains, and gritty inner-city and suburban teenage realities as reflected in several current books, as well as in some by Kurt Vonnegut. (SR)

Reviews "School Matters" by Peter Mortimore, a rigorous longitudinal study of the effects of elementary schools in London. Concludes that school differences influence student development, and explores the connections between school leadership, classroom life, and student cognitive and noncognitive development. (FMW)