This collection of papers brings together the foremost leading authorities and scholars on the issue of literacy for Latino students. After an "Introduction" (Maria da la Luz Reyes and John J. Halcon), there are 14 chapters in three parts. Part 1, "Sociocultural, Sociohistorical, and Sociopolitical Context of Literacy" includes: (1) "The Diversity of Schooling: A Cultural-Historical Approach" (Luis C. Moll); (2) "Teacher as Sociocultural, Sociohistorical Mediator: Teaching to the Potential" (Esteban Diaz and Barbara Flores); (3) "The Need for Educators with Political and Ideological Clarity: Providing Our Children with 'The Best'" (Lilia I. Bartolome and Maria V. Balderrama); and (4) "Mainstream Ideology and Literacy Instruction for Spanish-Speaking Children" (John J. Halcon). Part 2, "Biliteracy, Hybridity, and Other Literacies," includes: (5) "Starting Off Right: Planting the Seeds for Biliteracy" (Maria Echiburu Berzins and Alice E. Lopez); (6) "Unleashing Possibilities: Biliteracy in the Primary Grades" (Maria de la Luz Reyes); (7) "Literacy as Hybridity: Moving beyond Bilingualism in Urban Classrooms" (Kris D. Gutierrez, Patricia Baquedano-Lopez, and Hector H. Alvarez); and (8) "Hooked on Writing: Linking Literacy to Students' Lived Experiences" (Eloise Andrade Laliberty). Part 3, "Reading the Word by Reading the World," includes: (9) "Strategic Reading for Language-Related Disabilities: The Case of a Bilingual Latina Student" (Robert T. Jimenez); (10) "Reflections on the Power of Spanish: Confessions from the Field" (Carmen I. Mercado); (11) "Reading Adolescents/Adolescent Reading: Toward Critically Literate Latino Youth" (Roberta Maldonado); (12) "Literacy Development of Latino Students: Using Our Present Realities To Shape Our Futures" (Bobbi Ciriza Houtchens); (13) "It's about YOUth! Chicano High School Students Revisioning Their Academic Identity" (Maria E. Franquiz); and (14) "Parent Narratives: The Cultural Bridge between Latino Parents and Their Children" (Alma Flor Ada and Rosa Zubizarreta). An afterword, "Re/constructing a New Reality" (Maria de la Luz Reyes) concludes the book. (All chapters contain references.) (SM)