Genre-Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4–8

This research-backed guide provides educators with concrete strategies for implementing critical literacy practices through genre studies in upper elementary and middle school classrooms. Drawing from critical theory and radical change frameworks, it offers practical lesson plans and instructional tools that help students interrogate texts rather than simply consume them. The book moves beyond theoretical discussions to deliver immediately applicable approaches for teaching children's literature through a questioning lens. School librarians and teachers will find specific methods for engaging grades 4-8 readers in examining power structures, perspectives, and assumptions across multiple literary genres.

What distinguishes this resource is its genre-based organization, which allows educators to target critical literacy skills within familiar curriculum categories while providing the additional resources needed to transform standard reading lessons into opportunities for critical engagement. The book proves particularly valuable for those seeking to move students from passive reading to active textual analysis without sacrificing literary appreciation. Both aspiring and practicing educators will discover research-informed techniques that make critical literacy accessible and developmentally appropriate for middle grade learners, ultimately creating classrooms where students learn to read the word and the world simultaneously.