In today's developing view of education, a disquieting trend looms--the erosion of students' right to choose what they read. This erosion, fueled by an alarming surge in censorship attempts, casts a shadow over the very essence of intellectual exploration. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented number of challenges aimed at restricting…

Critically analyzing the representation of pedagogy in the novels of J.M. Coetzee, this insightful text illustrates the author's profound conception of learning and personal development as something which takes place well beyond formal education. Bringing together critical and educational theory, "Pedagogy in the Novels of J.M. Coetzee"…

This book revolves around educating recently arrived immigrant youth in the United States who are emergent bilinguals. Drawing on a seven-year research collaboration with three ESL teachers in an urban secondary school in the United States, it addresses questions around taking a critical approach to language and literacy education, including what…

STEAM education can be described in two ways. One model emphasizes the arts and is not as concerned about the accuracy of the STEM fields. In the second model, STEM content is the prevailing force with a focus on accuracy, and the arts are used in limited and secondary resources for the teaching of the content. However, in order to promote…

Although the United States prides itself as a nation of diversity, the country that boasts of its immigrant past also wrestles with much of its immigrant present. While conflicting attitudes about immigration are debated, newcomers--both legal and otherwise--continue to arrive on American soil. And books about the immigrant experience--aimed at…

"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry is a popular historical novel for adolescent readers about the Nazi occupation of Copenhagen, Denmark during World War II and the efforts of Danish resisters who successfully rescued 98% of that nation's Jewish population. While this 1998 book is considered to be a fictional account, most of the events in…

This article lists 30 titles, published between September 2007 and November 2008 (with reviews published in 2008), which the "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ's") Adult Books for High School Students Committee decided to recognize as the best for high school readers. The list includes realistic and historical novels as well as some genre-blending…

Known for her commitment to excellence in education, Sharon Draper was named National Teacher of the Year in 1997. In 1994 her first novel, "Tears of a Tiger", was published, and since then she has written more than fifteen books for middle and high school readers. "Tears of a Tiger" received the John Steptoe Award for New Talent, and her novels…

This textbook is a young-adult adventure novel. It is the fifth in the series.

This textbook is a young-adult novel. It tells the story of a 15 year-old boy named Grant Thornton, the son of a minister, living with his family in poverty. Grant gives up his chance at college to work for his uncle as a businessman in an effort to earn money for the family.

"On the Staff" is the fourth of the series of historical fiction novels in the series, "The Blue and the Gray--on Land." Like its predecessors, it is set during the time of the United States Civil War. In this volume, the hero, Deck Lyon, has grown somewhat older, and his character and ability have been considerably developed;…

Figurative language enlivens a text, providing visuals in the minds of readers. This lesson will have students listening to and reading selected texts as they seek out their favorite literary devices. During the five to seven 50-minute sessions, grade three through five students will: acquire a clear understanding of the concept of figurative…

"On the Blockade" is the third historical fiction novel in the "The Blue and the Gray Series." Like the first and second volumes, the plot dates back to the War of the Rebellion, and takes place in the midst of scenes on the Southern coast, where the United States naval operations occurred. Many of the personages of the…

Minkel Walter, recently read about a school district in Texas that's supplying its fifth- and sixth-grade students with laptops. Along with electronic copies of textbooks, the laptops will also contain a "library" of about 2,000 books--"classics of Western civilization"--packaged by Vital Source Technologies and sold for about 5200 per computer.…

This lesson is an exploration of figurative language using the novel "The Phantom Tollbooth" and various Web resources. Students examine figurative language in the story and create a chart representing the literal and figurative meanings of words and phrases. During the four to eight 40-minute class sessions, middle school students will: read the…