Exploring History Through Young Adult Literature: Middle School

Giving students opportunities to read like historians has the potential to move their thinking and understanding of history in monumental ways. In Exploring History through Young Adult Literature: Middle School, Volume 1 each chapter presented in this volume provides middle school readers with approaches and activities for pairing a young adult novel with specific historical events, eras, or movements. Chapters include suggested instructional activities for before, during, and after reading as well as extension activities that move beyond the text. Each chapter concludes with a final discussion on how the spotlighted YA text can inspire students to be moved to take informed action within their communities or beyond. Through the reading and study of the young adult novels students are guided to a deeper understanding of history while increasing their literacy practices.

Paula Greathouse, Ph.D., is a clinical assistant professor at the University of West Florida where she works in the doctoral program. She was a secondary English and Reading teacher for sixteen years.

Andrew L. Hostetler, Ph.D., is an associate professor of the practice of social studies education at Vanderbilt University. His teaching and scholarship focuses on social studies methods, literacy in social studies, human geography, and teaching difficult discourses for community engagement and social change. He was a secondary social studies teacher for nine years.

Melanie Hundley, Ph. D., is a professor of the practice of English education at Vanderbilt University. Her teaching and scholarship focuses on digital and multimodal composition, teacher preparation, and young adult literature. She teaches writing methods courses and young adult literature.