More than 50 years after the "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka" decision, the democratic promises inherent in "Brown" have yet to be fulfilled (Franklin 2005) and educational quality, or lack thereof, continues to be intimately linked with social constructions of race (Baszile 2008; Ladson-Billings 2012).…

People who read become absorbed in a process of discovery about the world around them; books open doors to otherwise inaccessible places and introduce readers to profound new ideas. Approximately 15 seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade members of the StreetSquash Book Club in Harlem meet on Friday afternoons to read, write, and discuss topics…

Presents a case study using a novel to teach of racial, gender, and class bias. Urges use of fiction in teaching geography as a way of introducing students to the ambiance of time and place. Stresses ability of fiction to hold students' interest. Explains that small groups of students research the geography of the novels. (DK)