Literature: The Book, the Place and the Pen–A Teaching Resource Book

The study of literature is an important part of all young people’s education. In these times of a worldwide pandemic, teaching is more challenging than ever. This book will help teachers — traditional school or homeschool — of middle school and high school students to find fresh ways of looking at literature and lessons to ground the learning with tasks and projects. The various chapters look at fiction — both short stories and novels, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and even one on fables, fairy tales, and folktales. Some introductory material includes a good outline of the writing, revising, and editing processes. Each chapter has a good list of suggested readings from which the teacher might choose. These chapters all lay a good foundation while still leaving plenty of room for creative additions and expansions of the lessons. There are basic lessons for students in reading strategies, note-taking, and journal keeping to help build good skills. There are plenty of writing exercises and fun projects to keep students engaged. There is only one rubric included, and more might be a helpful addition for those teaching. This is a book middle and high school teachers will appreciate.