DESC: When Ron Clark walked into his fifth grade class in rural North Carolina, he was confronted with a tremendous challenge. The children had little interest in learning and were sorely lacking in guidance. How would he transform a group of apathetic kids into disciplined, thoughtful, and curious students? He quickly realized that they needed to learn some basic rules. Clark compiled a list of 55 lessons and soon, his fifth grade students--who once struggled to read at the third grade level--were reading at the sixth grade level...and loving it. What's more, they were gaining something crucial--self-respect. Those 55 lessons evolved into what Clark calls THE ESSENTIAL 55--guidelines for living and interacting with others. THE ESSENTIAL 55 will prepare parents and educators to teach students the rules of life--everything from knowing how to say thank you, to acing an interview.