Inspired by the work of Muhammad (2020) and building upon the previous work of Hays (2021) in using young adolescent literature as a tool for social change, the authors highlight the ways in which educators such as Amardeep Bajwa can cultivate students' intellect through literature circle-based activities. More specifically, Hays worked with local…

Looking backwards, discussions around sexual orientation and sexual identity have been noticeably absent at the middle grades. As a result, middle grade teachers may find it difficult to know how to effectively select age-appropriate materials that include LGBTQ issues and content. To move the field forward, the authors specifically highlight four…

From a 40-year perspective, Don Gallo examines the field of young adult literature, comparing it to ice cream--its various flavors and levels of richness. The article proclaims the profundity of the field and the quality of its writers, summarizes historical highlights, defends it against its detractors, and explains the importance of helping…

While young adult literature increases adolescents' motivation to read, and adolescents choose to read young adult novels over more canonical works when given opportunities to choose, the authors present yet another reason for teaching young adult literature in the middle school classroom: it provides a medium through which adolescents and their…

Friendship lies at the very heart of the middle school experience. Here are books to help students navigate those waters, recognize what (and who) has value, and determine what kind of friend they want to be.

As teachers, our most important mission is to turn our students into readers. It sounds so simple, but it's hard work, and we're all on a deadline. Kittle describes a class in which her own expectations that students would become readers combined with a few impassioned strategies succeeded ... at least with a young man named Alan.

Certainly a major bump in the literacy road today is the apparent conflict between school literacies and the preferred literacy activities of students outside of school. After family conversation about a nephew who was getting poor grades in language arts, Hall shares her thinking on the dilemmas of what constitutes literacy, how literacies kids…

The behaviorist theory encourages educators to use rewards as teaching strategies. Extrinsic rewards eventually reduce intrinsic motivation, cheapen value and love of learning, give the wrong messages, and create an escalating no-win game. Three significant principles of motivation particularly important in fostering internal motivation for…

School districts have come to think of intervention for struggling readers as something accomplished in a session outside the classroom, one period long, taught by someone other than that student's usual teacher. This often leaves struggling readers in a learning environment where no theory or empirical evidence would predict substantial learning.…

While strongly endorsing a multi-pronged approach to vocabulary instruction, Moen takes pains to include and even emphasize work with English Language Learners. By adhering to the principles of A.C.T. (Access to texts, individual Choice of reading material, and Time to read), Moen finds myriad ways to make learning words a creative and social…

Presents two lists of young adult literature titles totaling 100 works. Notes that the first list includes books with lasting appeal and the second list includes some new and notable books to fill a summer reading list. (SG)

Offers brief descriptions, written by middle schoolers, of 12 books for adolescents, novels in which children and young people endure hardship and struggle, and triumph over the odds. (SR)

Suggests some criteria for evaluating young adult (YA) literature. Presents three ideas for criteria, and annotations of 12 YA novels published in 2001 or 2002 that meet the criteria. (SG)

Presents 13 works of nonfiction (published between 1993 and 2001) with strong appeal to middle level students. Notes that the books range in form from the essay to expository text to memoir and biography and cover everything from politics to slavery, from athletes to art. (SG)

Identifies a number of growth paths from 15 years of experimenting with Literature Circles. Presents an annotated bibliography of seven collections of very short fiction the author has been using to create collaboration minilessons. Notes that microfictions work on every level, are packed with craft, and often feature a surprising synthesis or…