Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-202) and index.

"How can Canadian educators begin to instill cultural sensitivity and social awareness in elementary and secondary school students? This vital text attempts to answer that question by bringing together literacy scholars and practicing teachers in a unique cross-Canadian exploration of children’s literature and social justice. Through reflection on the experience of teaching with various Canadian texts including picture books, novels, and graphic novels, the contributors behind Challenging Stories create a “pedagogy of discomfort” that will encourage both educators and their students to develop critical literacy skills.

The compelling contributions to this collection highlight the complexities of teaching with texts that address issues of discrimination, historical marginalization, colonialism, racial and gender intolerance, sexual orientation, language, and cultural diversity. The authors offer first-hand insight into the possibilities and challenges of implementing curricular and pedagogical changes to promote equity and social justice in the classroom. Featuring the stories of participating teachers and an annotated bibliography of children’s literature, this invaluable resource will prove to be essential reading for current and future educators." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS

Foreword / Dr. Joyce Bainbridge

Introduction

SECTION ONE Unsettling Our Sense of Place through Reading Canadian Literature
Chapter 1 Aren't We All the Same? The Challenges of Choosing Multicultural Literature in Historically Monocultural Communities / Geraldine Balzer
Chapter 2 "I Wouldn't Stand Too Close to This Story If I Were You...": Vancouver Island Teachers Explore Social Justice Issues / Angela Ward, with Allison Balabuch, Lauren Frodsham, Dale Jarvis, Tanya Larkin, Carol Nahachewsky, Katherine O'Connor, Devon Stokes-Bennett, and Allison Preece

SECTION TWO Encounters between Readers and Challenging Texts
Chapter 3 Multimodal Perspectives on Teaching Canadian Literature for Social Justice / Ingrid Johnston, Karen Jacobsen, and Bill Howe
Chapter 4 Challenges for Teachers and Schools: Creating Spaces for LGBTQ Literature in Schools / Anne Burke and Aedon Young
Chapter 5 The Limits of "Understanding": Teaching Residential School Stories in the Classroom /
Amarou Yoder and Teresa Strong-Wilson

SECTION THREE Opening Minds: Pedagogies for Social Justice
Chapter 6 A Plurality of Voices for Social Justice: Implementing Culturally Responsive Pedagogies in a Grade 6 Classroom /
Anne Burke, Theresa Powell, Shawnee Hardware, and Laura Butland
Chapter 7 Opening Doors, Opening Minds: The Role of the Inquiry Group in Teaching for Social Justice /
Lynne Wiltse and Shelby LaFramboise-Helgeson

Afterword / Ingrid Johnston

Bibliography of Children's Literature

Author Biographies

Index

"This edited collection highlights the value of contemporary Canadian literature for addressing issues of social justice in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. The collection describes how a group of teachers selected Canadian social justice literature and developed curriculum around this literature. The authors also explore the complexities teachers face in addressing controversial and sensitive topics with their students. The chapters, many co-authored by participating teachers, offer insight into the potential and the challenges of making these curricular and pedagogical changes in the classroom to promote equity, empathy, and social awareness in students. The chosen texts address a variety of issues related to social justice, including discrimination, historical marginalization, racial and gender intolerance, sexual orientation, and language and cultural issues. Although the study focused on teaching Canadian texts, the stories address possibilities for developing culturally sensitive curricula and empowering pedagogies."-- Provided by publisher.

Issued also in electronic formats.