This article explores a third-grade teacher's use of critical writing pedagogy to encourage students' exploration of issues that were important in their lives from personal as well as social perspectives. She used a particular version of critical writing pedagogy--social narrative writing--in which students read and discussed children's literature with social and political themes; shared notebook responses to these books; used fiction writing as a tool for constructing and analyzing problematic issues; used a wide range of cultural resources as the characters they created took on the identities, dilemmas, and obstacles of self and others; and participated in making this writers workshop a writing collective. We analyzed the texts of picture books produced by the 19 children in the class. We also examined the power relationships that dominated students' narratives--in this case, the focus was on bullying--and observed students using writing as a form of social action as they brought their grievances about school culture into the open. We conclude with a discussion of the problems and potential of critical writing pedagogy--specifically social narrative writing--on teaching, curriculum, and community in this third-grade classroom. (Contains 3 tables and 3 notes.)