Reading for Justice: Engaging Middle Level Readers in Social Action through Young Adult Literature

The book uses young adult literature to teach middle level English language arts students about oppression and social action. It provides teaching strategies, research, writing, and digital literacies, and encourages students to take action in their communities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 154 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

This book is a valuable resource for middle level English language arts teachers who are looking to incorporate young adult literature into their teaching to facilitate students' understanding of issues of oppression and provide them with opportunities for social action. The book is organized into chapters, each centered on a novel that represents a contemporary topic such as the refugee crisis, Indigenous rights, trauma, and bullying.

In each chapter, the authors provide pre-, during-, and after reading strategies that connect the social issues in the texts to students' lives and to the world around them. Research, writing, and digital literacies are emphasized throughout, and authors also include topics for teaching at the intersections of the focal topic with other areas of social justice.

Furthermore, the authors provide a multitude of avenues for student action, emphasizing the need to move readers from understanding and awareness to asserting their own agency and capacities to effect change in their local, national, and global communities. Additional resources are also included as extensions, such as documentaries, young adult literature companions for study, connected music, and supplementary lesson plans.

By incorporating young adult literature into their teaching, middle level English language arts teachers can help students develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and a sense of social responsibility while also promoting their understanding of important social issues. This book is a must-read for educators who are committed to creating inclusive and equitable learning environments for their students.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 236 x 157 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781475866339