Stories from Afar: Using Children's and Young Adult Literature to Teach about Latin America

An evocative piece of literature has the potential to move, rouse, and incite. Teachers have long noted that students who ordinarily are not interested in reading the classroom textbook, can become interested in an event, time period, or culture, when introduced to a richly descriptive storybook or novel. Some educators are now asserting that providing students with books that interest them may even help close the achievement gap.