Thinking Themselves Free presents humane, tender portraits of a small group of teen mothers trying to finish high school, and describes the ways in which reading, writing, and schooling shaped these young women's lives. The book suggests ways in which deeply held ideas about class, appropriate gender roles, and the expression of emotion in school affect educators' relationships with students who are different from the middle-class norm. Teachers of teen mothers describe with poignancy the young women's struggles to balance motherhood, work, and school, and suggest how schools could change to become more open to the diversity of life choice these women express. Because this book addresses the problems of struggling readers, working class students, and the teachers who serve them, its greatest audience will be among pre-service and in-service teachers and teacher educators interested in literacy education, qualitative research, education reform, gender equity, social justice, and the teaching of young adult literature.

A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature, Ninth Edition,gives future teachers, practicing teachers, librarians, and parents many examples of quality children's literature to guide them in choosing the best books for the classroom, library, or home. The Handbook analyzes children's books that showcase positive examples of the literary elements, formats, and genres that are the focus in the field of children's literature. The books are noteworthy children's books, from classics to favorites to just-published titles, all selected as thought-provoking, important, or motivating choices. The authors suggest that readers examine the Handbook and then apply the literary concepts to additional reading from today's ever-expanding selection of children's books.