This groundbreaking text provides practical, contextualized methods for teaching and discussing topics that are considered taboo in the classroom in ways that support students’ lived experiences. In times when teachers are scapegoated for adopting culturally sustaining teaching practices and are pressured to whitewash the curriculum, it becomes more challenging to create an environment where students and teachers can have conversations about complex, uncomfortable topics in the classroom. With contributions from K-12 teachers and scholars who have used literature to engage with their students, chapters confront this issue and focus on themes such as multilingualism, culturally responsive teaching, dis/ability, racism, linguicism, and gender identity. Using approaches grounded in socioemotional learning; trauma-sensitive practices; and critical, historical, and racial literacy, this text explores the ways in which books with complex themes can interact positively with students’ own lives and perspectives.

Ideal for courses on ELA and literature instruction, this book provides a fresh set of perspectives and methods for approaching and engaging with challenging topics. As literature that addresses difficult topics is more liable to be considered controversial to teach, teachers will benefit from the additional guidance this volume provides, so that they can effectively reach the very students these themes address.