Outlines a successful children's literature author's struggle with writing in high school and college. Contends that stories are vital because they are experienced. Notes that children's literature is about the possibilities of childhood. (PM)

Relates experiences that ask the question: "Why are we so afraid to talk about our differences?" Describes one experience following a racial incident at a middle school in which, given the space to talk, students expressed anger, frustration, sadness, compassion, questions, and ideas of ways to build bridges. (SR)

Notes that as an alternative to written responses to young adult literature (YAL) in the author's Adolescent Literature course, the preservice and inservice teachers must present at least one visual response to the class. Presents guidelines for the visual response. Gives some examples of outstanding visual responses in recent years. Encourages…

Presents two lists of young adult literature titles totaling 100 works. Notes that the first list includes books with lasting appeal and the second list includes some new and notable books to fill a summer reading list. (SG)

Presents student-written summaries about nine science fiction, mysteries, humor, historical fiction, classics, and books that may become classics that the students felt were the best books they ever read. (SG)

Describes how the author learned by watching low-achieving students play intricate card games such as "Magic" that they can learn, can remember, and certainly can master information. Realizes that these cards were advanced learning tools, multifaceted texts using color, symbols, images, texts, and metaphor to help create a world of…

Suggests that educators can provide the nurturing and encouraging atmosphere, the sense to say what works and what does not, and the freedom to let the students express whatever their synaptic processes produce without the fear that their lives and grades depend on it. Presents a "Top Ten List" of the best "rules" in teaching poetry writing. (SG)

Presents some poems the author has used with students, the prompts they considered, and the poems they wrote in response. Concludes that educators must take advantage of opportunities where students can share their poems so that they, too, can experience the power of the written word. (SG)

Describes a program where ninth grade writing students worked with preschool children in developing poetry. Notes that the ninth graders practicing poetry with their own young "students" encouraged an eye and an ear for poetry - its rhythms, language, line divisions, and repetitions. Presents and discusses some of the poetry that…

Shares some novels that can reinvigorate a "dormant reader." Presents annotations of nine titles and some additional titles related to the main nine titles. (SG)

Presents an annotated bibliography of nine books that kids think are great. Recommends the books on the basis of pure enjoyment. (SG)

Describes how a teacher of English as-a-Second-Language began, at first tentatively, to use poetry to offer his recent Chinese immigrant students as a feasible outlet to express themselves freely in English. Describes how he started from scratch, using Chinese poems in translation. Discusses the rewards reaped in the classroom by students and…

Describes how poetry and teaching poetry is a way to pay attention to the world, to feel connected to other people--a conduit to each student's truest discoveries, offering solace and courage and wisdom and survival. (SR)

Argues that the number one goal in teaching literature should be to create lifelong, reflective readers, and that the job of a novel at its highest level is to illuminate the human condition. Argues that good adolescent literature does all of these things, and does it in such a way that adolescents will ask for more. (SR)

Discusses the importance of talk in the classroom, in particular talk about books. Includes student conversations and comments about such discussion, and the lack of it in their classrooms. Describes what such discussion has to offer to individuals, classrooms, and society. Notes the difficulties of achieving discussion in the classroom. (SR)