Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-247) and index.

Pizza / Janet S. Wong -- How to say thy name / Yangsook Choi -- English learners -- Writing the Muslim American experience / Asma Mobin-Uddin -- Matching books to English learners -- Only a joke?: Humor as a bridge between cultures and languages / Uma Krishnaswami -- English learners' academic and social language: moving from surviving to thriving -- Creativity begins at home / Pat Mora -- I know the river loves me / Maya Christina Gonzalez -- Selecting and using fiction with English learners in grades k-6 -- Fear and joy in leaving your country / Joge Argueta -- Selecting and using poetry with English learners in grades k-6 -- Books as mirrors / Lulu Delacre -- Selecting and using nonfiction literature with English learners in grades k-6 -- I'm learning to speak English / J. Patrick Lewis.

Providing practical guidance and resources, this book helps teachers harness the power of children's literature for developing ELLs' literacy skills and language proficiency. The authors show how carefully selected fiction, nonfiction, and poetry can support students' learning across the curriculum. Criteria and guiding questions are presented for matching books and readers based on text features, literacy and language proficiency, and student background knowledge and interests. --from publisher description