Developing Minds

Inspired by his own travels, screenwriter and author LaPoma's narrative is raw and edgy, effectively anchored by two protagonists whose brio and "same sense of adventure" keep the story alive...Entertaining and authentic look at the troubled American educational system, courtesy of two men propelled by perseverance and adventuresome spirits. --Kirkus Reviews, Recommended Review

There are at least two competing ways of sizing up Jonathan LaPoma's very entertaining novel Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story, and both have merit.
(1) It is a scathing comic novel about the failures of American urban education, sort of a M*A*S*H for Miami schoolteachers.
(2) It is a Bildungsroman about the personal growth of a young man who happens to be a Miami schoolteacher for a year. --Patrick Murtha, Book 'em, Danno

Readers will be gripped by the many dimensions the plot has to offer...The story is honest, authentic, entertaining and poignant, and the contrasting images of a young man trying to grow in his personal life and the failures of the Miami school system have been woven together well without sounding forced. --Mamta Madhaven, Readers' Favorite, 5-Star Review

Should be required reading for anyone who is considering or has ever considered teaching as a career. . . most highly recommended. --Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite, 5-Star Review

Poignant, engaging. . . a frighteningly accurate depiction of inner-city schools . . . a full-bodied work of fiction that will ring true with both students and teachers and provide a point of hope in an industry that has become increasingly profit-minded and complex. --Red City Review

DEVELOPING MINDS is a raunchy, yet captivating story of two best friends, one gay, one not, who decide to spend a year teaching in the dysfunctional Miami school district... Jonathan LaPoma is an extraordinary writer. --Stargazer Literary Prizes

Sometimes the meat of a title lies not in fire and flames, but in simmering passion. Such is the nature of the coming-of-age experience depicted in Developing Minds, which offers a multi-faceted exploration of growth, maturity, and eventual transformation on the parts of all involved. --Midwest Book Review

There is never a lack of style and all the words, carefully measured, enclose a meaning and a wink . . . The author delves into the intricacies of the human soul with padded outlines with rapid strokes, no less precise or less deep on a psychological level . . .—Kalyan Panja, Booktica

-“I was quite impressed . . . The humor was quite well-done, I found myself laughing out loud . . . As a young adult myself, I find Luke’s personal life so relatable and realist. We learn how to get out of toxic relationships, to be able to move on and to recognize true friends or, simply, the friends that are not good for you anymore. The author puts it in a subtle and smart way . . . The character development was rightfully done . . . don’t miss it!”— Trang Tran, Bookidote

Author Bio:

Jonathan LaPoma is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, songwriter, and poet from Buffalo, NY. In 2005, he received a BA in history and a secondary education credential from the State University of New York at Geneseo, and he traveled extensively throughout the United States and Mexico after graduating. These experiences have become the inspiration for much of his writing, which often explores themes of alienation and misery as human constructions that can be overcome through self-understanding and the acceptance of suffering. His five feature-length screenplays have won over 40 awards/honors at various international screenwriting competitions, and his novel DEVELOPING MINDS: AN AMERICAN GHOST STORY is a finalist in the 2015 Stargazer Literary Prizes for best Visionary and Metaphysical Fiction. He lives in San Diego and teaches at a public secondary school.