Teaching students how to read from a critical literacy stance is a timely and rel- evant practice in a world where text is available at the swipe of a finger. To be critically literate readers and thinkers, students must learn to question what they read, asking themselves who wrote the text, why the text was written, and how the text positions themselves and others. Genre-Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4–8 provides strategies and resources to school librarians and teachers interested in engaging middle-grade students in reading children’s litera- ture through a critical literacy lens. Genre-Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4–8 is for any- one with an interest in contemporary children’s literature and critical literacy, but it is particularly useful for school librarians and educators. In many cases, prepa- ration programs for school librarians and teachers do not teach candidates how to incorporate critical literacy practices in library and classroom settings. Genre- Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4–8 equips library and teacher candidates with practical, research-based ideas for enacting critical lit- eracy practices in middle-grade libraries and classrooms. Chapters include infor- mation about children’s literature genres and contemporary titles, and the book may serve as a supplemental or primary text for university courses in children’s literature, literacy education, or language arts methods. In addition, Genre-Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4–8 can be a resource for prac- ticing librarians and educators who are seeking an introduction to critical literacy or searching for ideas to integrate critical literacy in their teaching. The strategies presented in this book can inspire, enrich, and enliven instruction. This book is built on the premise that different genres demand a different mind- set from readers. For example, when reading contemporary realistic fiction from a critical literacy stance, readers should consider how authors shape the readers’ understanding of contemporary life by analyzing which social issues are at the fore- front and which groups of people are privileged and marginalized in the text. Mean- while, reading a nonfiction book about history demands that critically literate readers unpack the motivations behind why certain events are given prominence and which events may have been omitted. In Genre-Based Strategies to Promote Critical Lit- eracy in Grades 4–8, we select titles from different genres and discuss how students can learn to analyze them from a critical literacy perspective. We share a variety of strategies for reading children’s literature from a critical literacy perspective. Introduction