The urban inclusive high school classroom is a challenge for both students with disabilities and their teachers. Pressure is intensified when a year long course of study ends in a mandated state examination in English Language Arts, required for student graduation. This article highlights the experiences of two teachers in a New York City inclusive high school serving a very diverse student body. Both teachers work collaboratively with special educators and share ways in which they successfully engage all of their students in a multicultural curriculum featuring both traditional and "modern classic" texts. Three important inter-connected topics addressed include: (1) discussing examples of classic traditional and multicultural literature; (2) creatively teaching classic literature to stimulate student engagement and original thinking; and, (3) using student knowledge about classic literature to teach sub-skills necessary for writing a strong essay that will serve them well for the state mandated exam, and ultimately, in college. (Contains 11 figures.)