Reading (Dis)ability in Young Adult Literature

Abstract

In this chapter, a team of university educators describes how they explored and applied the lens of disability studies to young adult literature with pre-service teachers. The authors first provide a detailed overview of disabilities studies as a theoretical tool and then describe how they worked with teacher candidates to develop their understanding of criteria for evaluating nuanced representations of disabilities and determining their authenticity. Activities, discussion questions, and practical considerations are provided. They end with implications for teaching, including the benefits of such work for shaping how future teachers construct their notions of youth as well as how they select curriculum for their classrooms.