"Teaching for Joy and Justice" is the much-anticipated sequel to Linda Christensen's bestselling, "Reading, Writing, and Rising Up." Christensen is recognized as one of the country's finest teachers. Her latest book shows why. Through story upon story, Christensen demonstrates how she draws on students' lives and the world to teach poetry, essay, narrative, and critical literacy skills. "Teaching for Joy and Justice" reveals what happens when a teacher treats all students as intellectuals, instead of intellectually challenged. Part autobiography, part curriculum guide, part critique of today's numbing standardized mandates, this book sings with hope--born of Christensen's more than 30 years as a classroom teacher, language arts specialist, and teacher educator. Practical, inspirational, passionate: this is a must-have book for every language arts teacher, whether veteran or novice. In fact, "Teaching for Joy and Justice" is a must-have book for anyone who wants concrete examples of what it really means to teach for social justice. Following an introduction, this book contains the following parts: (1) Writing Poetry; (2) Narrative Writing; (3) Writing Essays; (4) Literature in Context; (5) Language and Power; (6) Responding to Student Work; and (7) Grading: Moving Beyond Judgment.