The present study investigates the use of authentic texts (fiction and non-fiction) in 180 video-recorded language arts lessons across 46 secondary classrooms in Norway. It assesses how the texts are used and what kind of language arts-related activities and discourses students are engaging in. The study finds that a majority of the lessons do not contain instruction that systematically probes students' active use of texts; it also provides evidence about high quality text-based instruction by systematically mapping what happens in the lessons where such instruction does occur. Further, the study offers new insight into how some teachers successfully combine an emphasis on reading and writing when working with authentic texts.