In this episode, you'll hear about teens who are dealing with a range of obstacles and hardships. Odd as it may sound, some of the books are funny. Others are suspenseful page-turners. What they all have in common is a main character who finds him or herself in a terrible situation, but finds a way to respond with strength and hope.
Resilience Literature
Life After High School
Many teens enjoy reading up—choosing books where the main character is just a few years older than they are, and then reading in order to imagine what their life might become. Together the titles in this episode show teens the range of paths to adulthood and the struggles that are a natural part of the process.
Still Worth Reading
Given the current level of energy and enthusiasm for young adult literature, now is a good time to pause and look beyond current bestsellers to older, lesser-known titles: that is, young adult novels from the past that never grabbed the popular culture spotlight but are still worth reading.
A Conversation with Walter Dean Myers
If there is anyone in the world of children's and young adult literature who could be described as a living legend, it's Walter Dean Myers. Tune in to hear how his own experiences as a reader have shaped his approach to storytelling, what he seeks to offer young people through his writing, and the thinking behind a select handful of his novels – books that incorporate concepts as varied as magical realism, the social contract, and oral histories with our nation's war veterans.
Talking about Text Complexity
In this episode, you'll hear about a variety of books that may deepen our thinking about complex texts, including collections of poems and works of historical fiction, graphic novels and informational texts, and novels built on interwoven storylines. Together they offer reading options for teens with diverse interests, tastes, and sensibilities.
A Conversation with Rita Williams-Garcia
It's rare to find historical fiction that weaves rich period detail into the lives of memorable and endearing characters, but Rita Williams-Garcia's middle-grade novels One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be Eleven do just that. Tune in to hear Rita explain how she drew on personal and historical contexts to develop her characters and tell their story. You'll also hear about her great love for her work and her commitment to spending as long as it takes to get the story right.
Exploring the Disability Experience
Books about teens who are living with disability highlight the courage and emotional strength that people with disabilities can summon. They also challenge us to reflect on how we treat disabled people in our own lives. Tune in to hear about young people who are living with birth defects, cerebral palsy, autism, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, speech impediments, and traumatic war injuries.
A Conversation with Judy Blume
Tune in to hear Judy Blume talk about how she got her start and learned the craft of writing from her long-time editor, Dick Jackson; what it's like returning to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, which is the setting for her current novel; and how she's responded to the many parodies and tributes that seal her place in popular culture.
Using the RAFT Writing Strategy
This strategy guide introduces the RAFT technique and offers practical ideas for using this technique to teach students to experiment with various perspectives in their writing.
Supporting Student Comprehension in Content Area Reading
In this strategy guide, you'll learn a few simple, yet powerful, techniques to encourage students to use peer talk and writing to enhance their understanding of content area texts.
Preparing Students for Success with Reading in the Content Areas
In this strategy guide, you'll learn how to determine the level and type of support you need to provide students based on careful preparation as a content area expert.
Reading with Purpose in the Content Areas
In this strategy guide, you'll learn how to organize students and instruction to establish a sense of purpose for reading authentic texts in the content areas.
Reading in the Content Areas
In this Strategy Guide Series, you'll get information and ideas about teaching reading in the different content areas.
Teaching Reading with YA Literature: Complex Texts, Complex Lives
This book is designed to help teachers develop their own version of YA pedagogy and a vision for teaching YA lit in the middle and secondary classroom.
Zora Neale Hurston in the Classroom: "With a Harp and a Sword in My Hands"
The book offers a practical approach to Hurston using a range of student-centered activities for teaching Hurston's nonfiction, short stories, and the print and film versions of Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Sherman Alexie in the Classroom: "This is not a silent movie. Our voices will save our lives."
Provides high school teachers with teaching strategies, classroom activities, and student samples for teaching the works of Sherman Alexie.
Sandra Cisneros in the Classroom: "Do not forget to reach"
The third volume in the NCTE High School Literature Series explores the joys of reading and teaching the stories and poems of noted Mexican American author Sandra Cisneros.
Langston Hughes in the Classroom: "Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me"
Carmaletta M. Williams provides high school teachers with background on Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance as well as help in teaching Hughes's poetry, short stories, novels, and autobiography.
Judith Ortiz Cofer in the Classroom: A Woman in Front of the Sun
Carol Jago offers ways to teach the works of Judith Ortiz Cofer in the high school English classroom.
Amy Tan in the Classroom: "The art of invisible strength"
Offers high school teachers an activity-based approach to teaching the works of Amy Tan, especially The Joy Luck Club and The Opposite of Fate.