Through stories of youth using their many voices in and out of school to explore and express their ideas about the world, this book brings to the forefront the reality of lived literacy experiences of adolescents in today's culture in which literacy practices reflect important cultural messages about the interplay of local and global civic engagement. The focus is on three areas of youth civic engagement and cultural critique: homelessness, violence, and performing adolescence. The authors explore how youth appropriate the arts, media, and literacy as resources and how this enables them to express their identities and engage in social and cultural engagement and critique. The book describes how the youth in the various projects represented entered the public sphere; the claims they made; the ways readers might think about pedagogical engagements, practice, and goals as forms of civic engagement; and implications for critical and arts and media-based literacy pedagogies in schools that forward democratic citizenship in a time when we are losing sight of issues of equity and social justice in our communities and nations.

Augusta's pirate-captain father insists that pirates must be rotten, sneaky, and brainy. But Augusta prefers fanciness to foulness. Despite the crew’s opposition, she sets out to prove that a successful pirate can be fancy, sneaky, and brainy, too. In Bad Pirate, unlikely buccaneer Augusta Garrick that integrity pays off, even when it means running against the pack. In Good Pirate, the sea pup is still under pressure to fit in, this time by abandoning her love for fancy things. After all, says her father the captain, a good pirate must be rotten, sneaky, and brainy. But is there really any reason a pirate can’t be sneaky, brainy, and fancy? When the rest of the crew is captured by Captain Fishmonger’s mangy pirate cats, Augusta gets the chance to show just what a well-dressed, sweet-smelling, clever pup can do. With swashbuckling energy and satisfying pirate dialogue, Kari-Lynn Winters has written a sequel worthy of Bad Pirate’s popular and critical success. Dean Griffiths brings personality to every crewmember, telling stories within stories through his richly detailed illustrations. A treasure for any landlubber who knows you can’t judge a mind by its cover.

Phoebe, the daughter of a white French-Canadian mother and a Jamaican English-speaking father, dislikes her school nickname of "French Toast." Gently prompted by her blind grandmother, she uses descriptions of familiar foods from both cultures to explain the family's varied skin colors—and realizes she can take ownership of the nickname proudly.

Through stories of youth using their many voices in and out of school to explore and express their ideas about the world, this book brings to the forefront the reality of lived literacy experiences of adolescents in today's culture in which literacy practices reflect important cultural messages about the interplay of local and global civic engagement. The focus is on three areas of youth civic engagement and cultural critique: homelessness, violence, and performing adolescence. The authors explore how youth appropriate the arts, media, and literacy as resources and how this enables them to express their identities and engage in social and cultural engagement and critique. The book describes how the youth in the various projects represented entered the public sphere; the claims they made; the ways readers might think about pedagogical engagements, practice, and goals as forms of civic engagement; and implications for critical and arts and media-based literacy pedagogies in schools that forward democratic citizenship in a time when we are losing sight of issues of equity and social justice in our communities and nations.

In a read-aloud perfect for conversations about team stewardship and growth mindset, a boy overshadowed by a family of skilled hockey players finds an innovative way to shine. In Jackson Moore's small town, his family is known for producing hockey heroes-but he worries that he'll never measure up to their amazing skills. On the ice he feels like a potato on skates, and his teammates begin to wonder if he really is a Moore. Then, when a shortage of equipment puts his team at risk of losing their spot in the Winterfest Tournament, Jackson makes a game plan of his own and realizes that his problem-solving and stewardship abilities are hallmarks of a true MVP. Just like Jackson, award-winning author Kari-Lynn Winters grew up playing in the shadow of a big hockey family. In On the Line she demonstrates with heart and humor how scoring goals is not the only path to team heroism. An author's note furthers the conversation about sportsmanship, teamwork, and building supportive communities. Lively art by award-winning illustrator Scot Ritchie perfectly captures the action on and off the ice as Jackson learns to celebrate the skills he has-and to enjoy the game in spite of the ones he doesn't.