This article presents seven of the author's most compelling reasons for highly effective teachers to use literature in the classroom. They are: (1) As a hook to stimulate students; (2) To present culturally relevant material; (3) To thematically connect with different units and other subjects; (4) To improve reading comprehension and vocabulary; (5) To teach grammar in context; (6) To encourage oral communication; and (7) To differentiate according to student abilities. Activities are presented and literature examples provided are in Spanish, but the strategies described can be applied to any language. Also provided is a bibliography of the books mentioned in this article and a list of web resources.