Organized by subgenres and popular themes, this guide provides librarians, teachers, counselors, and other education professionals a wide range of suggested reading from the "realistic-problem novel" subset of modern young adult literature. The fact that adolescents are captivated by books about protagonists facing the same fundamental challenges as them has been well established. While many forms of literature can potentially help young adults navigate though their development and establish their identities, contemporary realistic-problem fiction has a unique ability to engage and benefit the reader. The plights of the characters in these novels are strikingly similar to the real problems and issues that the teen reader is typically experiencing, making these books especially appealing and powerful. This guide provides an effective road map for librarians, teachers, and other professionals working to guide teens through life by introducing them to books that discuss real-world problems and issues. This Is My Life: A Guide to Realistic Fiction for Teens focuses on stories set in contemporary times, with emphasis on works published in the past decade, however, this guide also includes classics and older benchmark titles. The readings suggested range from lighthearted, humorous novels to books with dark or serious themes.

Implementation of the Common Core State Standards with the integration of children's literature can transform teaching and learning into a holistic and engaging experience. Tackling nearly every aspect of the English Language Arts Standards and the measures they employ, it offers a thorough plan for engaging elementary school students with literature. It explores the benefits and teaching principles behind CCSS, and explains how to apply them to literature. Along with the strengths it has in connection to CCSS, you will learn about the history of children's literature and what both fiction and nonfiction bring to the classroom. You will find plenty of practical applications of the CCSS, including book lists and lesson ideas, along with thorough examples. There is also a wealth of information on the kinds of readers you will encounter and explanations of how to meet their needs. A final section focuses on creating a curriculum, connecting the theory throughout the book with concrete lessons plans and units that cover the main CCSS skill sets. Offers an easy-to-understand explanation of the CCSS Defines and explains the CCSS three-prong approach to text complexity Provides usable lesson and unit plans Explains how to use children's literature as a primary tool for implementing the CCSS

Convey the magic found in fantasy literature. Enhance your skills in working with and presenting the often overlooked genre of fantasy. This valuable resource offers specific guidelines and examples to help teachers and librarians promote fantasy literature to students and to use fantasy in their lesson plans and programs. It also provides an in-depth view of the background, purposes, sources, and uses of children's and young adult fantasy literature.

Practical ideas for lesson plans and program suggestions

Ready-to-use booktalks and display ideas

Up-to-date Internet resources included

Extensive annotated bibliography for collection development

A wonderful resource of new literature ideas for teachers and librarians "

This book advocates for a stronger role for young-adult literature in ELA classrooms, compellingly documenting how this body of work meets both the needs of adolescent students and the demands of the common core for complex texts and tasks. Integrating Young Adult Literature through the Common Core Standards provides a compelling template for teachers that uses young adult literature and inquiry learning to meet students' needs and the demands of the common core standards. The first part of the book addresses the widely adopted common core state standards by examining closely the standards' model of text complexity and demonstrating how young adult literature can fill the requirements of this model. The second part provides theoretical discussions and analysis of the standards as well as concrete applications of young adult literature within the classroom in order to give school professionals a comprehensive understanding of how young adult literature and the standards can work together. The book empowers schools and teachers to make intelligent, informed decisions about texts and instructional practices that benefit their students. Finally, the authors explore a powerful teaching approach that integrates current understandings about learning, young adult literature, and the common core standards in a way that will facilitate greater learning and understanding in English classrooms.