Teaching Tough Topics shows teachers how to lead students to become caring citizens as they read and respond to quality children’s literature. It focuses on topics that can be challenging or sensitive, yet are significant in order to build understanding of social justice, diversity, and equity. Racism, Homophobia, Bullying, Religious Intolerance, Poverty, and Physical and Mental Challenges are just some of the themes explored. The book is rooted in the belief that by using picture books, novels, poetry, and nonfiction, teachers can enrich learning with compassion and empathy as students make connections to texts, to others, and to the world.

LARRY SWARTZ is an instructor in literacy as well as dramatic arts at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. He has been an educator for over thirty-six years and is well known for his use of childrenâ??s literature to help young people grow as readers, writers, and citizens of the world. As a classroom teacher, consultant, author, and speaker, Larry has shared his enthusiasm and expertise with teachers, administrators, teacher-librarians, and parents throughout Canada, the United States, and Asia. He is the author of several teacher resource publications.

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