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Reading for Action: Engaging Youth in Social Justice through Young Adult Literature
This book illustrates how teachers can draw upon young adult literature to facilitate students’ social action. Each chapter centers on one novel that represents a contemporary topic including police brutality, women’s rights, ecojustice, and bullying. In each, authors provide pre-, during-, and after reading strategies for teaching that connect the social issues in the texts to students’ lives and to the world around them. They then offer 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. In addition to methods for scaffolding students’ analysis of texts and topics, authors also offer a plethora of additional resources such as documentaries, canonical companions for study, connected music, and supplementary lesson plans.
218 pages, Hardcover
Published June 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 13, 2021
This book wasn't really designed to be read cover to cover, but that's what I did. Each chapter outlines a potential unit surrounding a young adult book that can be connected to a social justice topic. I appreciated the repetitive structure of the topic and book overview, then the description of teaching the book, the ideas for action projects, and then the resources. The canonical companions especially were helpful. Even though I don't anticipate teaching any of these specific units within the next two years, this was still super helpful as I prepare to have students read YA novels and complete action projects in book clubs. It gave me lots of ideas for small assignments that I can give that would be connected to any book.
Part of me wishes that I had read this book in its entirety when I first started it in 2019. At the same time, had I read it then, I would've been unable to think through each of these units in the context of a real classroom. And even now, I struggled to think of teaching any of these books a a whole class novel. I can just hear student voices echoing in my head, voices that refuse to acknowledge that privilege, institutionalized racism, or sexism exist. Voices who refuse to acknowledge the existence of the gender spectrum at all. And the parents! Even with the student choice that I offer, I still get complaints.
That being said, Darragh's affection for Gabi, A Girl in Pieces really had me imagining what it would be like to teach that book. I also really liked the chapter on The Serpent King. The latter is a book that I think I could actually teach whole class at my current school. I've read all but The Girl From Aleppo, and Gabi and The Serpent King were not my favorite books personally, but I think this book proves just how teachable they would be.
I think that a lot more teachers need to read this book, or hear Darragh talk for at least an hour or so, because the ideas expressed here on the value of YA lit need to be common knowledge.
Part of me wishes that I had read this book in its entirety when I first started it in 2019. At the same time, had I read it then, I would've been unable to think through each of these units in the context of a real classroom. And even now, I struggled to think of teaching any of these books a a whole class novel. I can just hear student voices echoing in my head, voices that refuse to acknowledge that privilege, institutionalized racism, or sexism exist. Voices who refuse to acknowledge the existence of the gender spectrum at all. And the parents! Even with the student choice that I offer, I still get complaints.
That being said, Darragh's affection for Gabi, A Girl in Pieces really had me imagining what it would be like to teach that book. I also really liked the chapter on The Serpent King. The latter is a book that I think I could actually teach whole class at my current school. I've read all but The Girl From Aleppo, and Gabi and The Serpent King were not my favorite books personally, but I think this book proves just how teachable they would be.
I think that a lot more teachers need to read this book, or hear Darragh talk for at least an hour or so, because the ideas expressed here on the value of YA lit need to be common knowledge.
December 16, 2019
This book, written by two former secondary English teachers, looks to examine 12 current social topics using young adult literature as their vehicle.
Each chapter looks at one topic and provides educators with brief information about the topic, a synopsis of the book and how it relates to the topic, and then concrete suggestions for how to teach this book to encourage action - before, during, and after reading.
There is even a section on Social Action. At the end of each chapter is a list of Supplemental Resources, including Canonical Comparisons, Connected YA Literature, Connected Music, and References.
The topics, along with their books are: Bullying - Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, Global Poverty - I Will Always Write Back, Mental Health - The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, The Gender Spectrum - When the Moon Was Ours, Human Trafficking - The Queen of Water, Refugee Crisis - The Girl from Aleppo: Nujeen's Escape from War to Freedom, Women's Rights - Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, Social Class Disparities in the United States - The Serpent King, Police Brutality - All American Boys, Immigration Reform - Enrique's Journey, Sexual Orientations & Stigmas - I'll Give You the Sun, Environmental Protection & Ecojustice - The Marrow Thieves.
The Introduction gives high quality information about the benefits of reading and using YA Literature to address issues that today's children / teens are faced with. There is also an Index at the end.
As I said at the beginning, these authors are former secondary English teachers - they are now professors. They understand that time is precious, so each "chapter" or topic is no more than 9-12 pages.
An excellent resource!
Each chapter looks at one topic and provides educators with brief information about the topic, a synopsis of the book and how it relates to the topic, and then concrete suggestions for how to teach this book to encourage action - before, during, and after reading.
There is even a section on Social Action. At the end of each chapter is a list of Supplemental Resources, including Canonical Comparisons, Connected YA Literature, Connected Music, and References.
The topics, along with their books are: Bullying - Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, Global Poverty - I Will Always Write Back, Mental Health - The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, The Gender Spectrum - When the Moon Was Ours, Human Trafficking - The Queen of Water, Refugee Crisis - The Girl from Aleppo: Nujeen's Escape from War to Freedom, Women's Rights - Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, Social Class Disparities in the United States - The Serpent King, Police Brutality - All American Boys, Immigration Reform - Enrique's Journey, Sexual Orientations & Stigmas - I'll Give You the Sun, Environmental Protection & Ecojustice - The Marrow Thieves.
The Introduction gives high quality information about the benefits of reading and using YA Literature to address issues that today's children / teens are faced with. There is also an Index at the end.
As I said at the beginning, these authors are former secondary English teachers - they are now professors. They understand that time is precious, so each "chapter" or topic is no more than 9-12 pages.
An excellent resource!
July 18, 2021
I admittedly skimmed some sections of this book because the way it’s set up (with each chapter focused on a different injustice in society) meant that I had more to learn in certain chapters than others. I really liked the easy application for teachers of the Before, During, After activities, as well as how each chapter included text and media pairings. It was a 4/5 for me only because some of the texts/activities might be for a different target audience than my Honors sophomores. However, a great and applicable read for any teacher hoping to start social justice conversations and action in their classroom!
July 18, 2021
Honestly, I did not read this cover-to-cover because it is not meant to be - especially if you aren't reading every "anchor" text that is mentioned per topic. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean it isn't a useful book. I think it does a great job of providing various social justice topics and activities. I particularly like that it has before, during, and after reading ideas. I don't think I would use this for whole-class texts, but it is a useful tool to add to my already existing book clubs with additional title recommendations for each topic.
June 19, 2021
I am probably going to use this text in a young adult literature and social justice class. It's a good reference for addressing tough issues through YA lit. I like all the additional resources and connected texts.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews