Ruth's Thoughts: Introduction

Looking down the names of contributors on the front cover made me want to curl up in a quiet corner of a library and just read, read, read from the front cover to the back. However, in the world of full-time work and living with a two year old, this was obviously unrealistic. So I settled with absorbing the book in pieces. And this may be even better, because I can savor it over time.

I love the way the Table of Contents in organized. It's a conversation in and of itself. Very cool. I also appreciate the wealth of information in the appendix. And following Appendix B is a gold mine -- brief biographies about each of the contributors and their EMAIL ADDRESSES! Wow . . . they care enough to want to continue having a conversation about adolescent literacy with the readers of this book.

I was struck in the introduction how the goal of this book is to be a "handbook that helps shape both public conversation and classroom practice" (xii). It's designed for all middle and high school teachers -- not just language arts teachers. Plus it's designed for school administrators AND local, state, and national policy makers. Wow. It's empowering to see a stand for all of us to come together and play together (so to speak). It's time that we all see adolescent literacy as part of our job descriptions. I'm looking forward to learning how I can help non-language arts teachers see the subject of adolescent literacy as a crucial part of their work as well.