Working from case studies of teachers and from the actual language used by teachers and students, this book provides a rationale for and a description of a response-centered approach to the teaching of literature in the secondary school. Embedded throughout the book are student activities. Each chapter gives suggested readings of related articles and books, and some chapters have lists of recommended literary texts for secondary students. Chapters in the book are: (1) The Teaching of Literature; (2) Literature and the Reader; (3) Talking about Literature; (4) Writing about Literature; (5) Eliciting Response; (6) Planning for Response; (7) Selecting Texts; (8) Organizing Units on Literature; (9) Evaluating Students' Responses; (10) Ways of Knowing Literature; (11) Teaching the Short Story; (12) Teaching the Novel; (13) Teaching the Young Adult Novel; (14) Teaching the Essay; (15) Teaching Poetry; (16) Teaching Mythology, Fantasy, and Science Fiction; (17) Teaching Literature of Different Cultures; (18) Teaching Literature through Drama; and (19) Teaching Literature through Film. A short story ("Irene, Goodnight" by Theodore Weesner); an essay on censorship ("Freedom to Read: A Professional Responsibility" by Frances Beck McDonald); and a list of major book publishers of young adult literature and secondary literature textbooks are attached. (RS)