O'Donnell-Allen, director of the Writing Project at Colorado State University, shows middle and high school teachers how to use literature to challenge students to consider difficult issues such as racism, sexism, and inequality, and shows how to help students develop the moral and intellectual skills to respond to these issues by means of civil discourse. She presents strategies for small-group and whole-class instruction, illustrated with examples from three real-life classrooms: a rural 6th grade classroom, a 10th grade pre-AP English classroom, and a multi-age class of at-risk students. The instructions and activities she gives for scaffolding students' learning are accompanied by suggestions for grouping students, documenting discussions, and assessing civil discourse skills. The author also gives suggestions for dealing with parent or administrator opposition to using tough texts. Appendices offer a list of print and online resources for finding tough texts and dealing with censorship, plus student worksheets. The book also includes chapter study questions for groups of pre- and in-service teachers. It is illustrated with b&w photos of real student projects. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)