A Mirror for America

Reading All American Boys with my white kids.

Lost & Found

Finding myself in Looking for Alaska.

In Soma Veritas

The drug-filled dystopia that is Brave New World.

The Ghosts of Slavery

The spectral, searing power of Toni Morrison’s Beloved.

When Pigs Cry

The importance of faith and kindness in Charlotte’s Web.

The Voices of Reason

Teaching Twain — and teaching students to speak for themselves.

Young Love in the Crosshairs

Reading Judy Blume’s oft-targeted Forever as an adult.

Courting Controversy

Teaching Uncle Tom’s Cabin in high school.