Myers, Walter Dean. Harlem. New York: Scholastic Books, 1997. This award winning picture book/poem is composed of a great number of images of Harlem. The book is illustrated by the author's son and comes with a cassette in which the poem is read by Sean Combs.
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York: Harper Teen, 1999. This award winning novel traces the plight of Steve Harmon and is at the heart of this unit.
Teachers' Sources
Allen, Janet. Yellow Brick Roads; Shared and Guided Paths to Independent Reading, 4-12. Portland: Stenhouse, 2000. This book is the Bible for believers in educator, Janet Allen's philosophy on education, a philosophy being explored through New Haven's new curriculum.
Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle. Portsmouth, NH: Heineman, 1998. A classic in middle school education written by one of the leaders in the field
Buckner, Aimee. Notebook Connections; Strategies for the Reader's Notebook. Portland: Stenhouse, 2009. A great resource on how to make the reader's notebook a success in the classroom, includes strategies for use in classroom.
Fletcher, Ralph. A Writer's Notebook; Unlocking the Writer Within You. New York: Harper. A great book on journal writing for teachers and students alike.
Fletcher, Ralph and JoAnn Portalupi. Writer Workshop; The Essential Guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heineman, 2001. A great resource on Writer Workshop by one of the leaders in the field.
Gallagher, Kelly. Teaching Adolescent Writers. Portland: Stenhouse, 2006. This book's focus is on raising the standards of writing in middle and high school.
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books,1994. This is my favorite all time book on writing. There are lots of good practical ideas for writing as well as advice on life. A must read for all writers.
Olsen, Carol Booth. The Reading/Writing Connection; Strategies for Teaching and Learning in the Secondary Classroom. Boston: Pearson, 2002. This critically acclaimed book looks at theories of the reading/writing connection and provides useful activities for teachers.
Oliver, Mary. A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry. New York: Harcourt, 1994. This book is a must have for teachers who need to review poetry before beginning to teach it to students.
Rief, Linda. Inside the Writer's-Reader's Notebook. New York: Heinemann, 2007. A great book for ideas on how to set up a writer-reader notebook, with lots of student examples.
