ABSTRACT
Taking action can occur any time and is significant on both small and large scales. Environments that support taking action pay attention to children’s interests; many involve students in working with others to solve problems in their communities. Myth #9 disrupts the belief that reading comprehension consists of understanding and repeating back an author’s message. A more critical approach focuses on what the reader does differently in the world as a result of reading. Myth #10 challenges the assumption that children start off on an equal footing. This ignores the effects of poverty and restricted access to books and powerful reading. Children deemed to be at risk experience skills-based programs and rote learning. Children become powerful readers when reading materials are diverse and include people like them. Diversity pays attention to race, ethnicity, and gender identification. Teaching in the cracks is one way to challenge unfair mandates. The chapter ends with an essay by Stephanie Jackson about how parents took action for their children. Literature featured in this chapter includes Last Stop on Market Street, Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression, and Not My Idea.
