A Trio of Texts to Teach Teens By
By Grant Maher

Here are three recommended books for the teacher who wants to blaze a path towards a better world, one teen student at a time.

Creger, John. The Personal Creed Project and a New Vision of Learning: Teaching the Universe of Meaning In & Beyond the Classroom. Portsmouth, N.H. Heineman. 2004

Creger asserts that there is only one prime goal for learning—“the growth and development of a fully realized, well balanced personality”— a goal which our current educational system often pays lip service to but seldom supports. No mere lip service here--Creger delivers the groceries with his Creed Project, a values based writing program that his students say reinvigorates their commitment to learning. He explains how “depersonalization” shuts down kids in our schools and how it can be alleviated by reconnecting young people to a world of meaning both inside and outside of the classroom through reflective writing. This visionary book is essential for those who want to transcend the current educational milieu and rise to a higher plane of teaching, what Creger envisions as “teaching for the 21st century.”


Warner, Mary L. Adolescents in the Search for Meaning: Tapping the Powerful Resource of Story. Toronto. Scarecrow Press. 2006.

Warner has done a large study on what teens get of their reading material. Her survey results will astonish you and change the way you think about teens and reading (one surprise: how influential those “Chicken Soup” books really are). Based on the testimony of actual adolescents, Warner has assembled a definitive listing of authors and books that are guaranteed to deliver maximum impact to teen readers. This book is a must-have for the teacher who wants to put students in touch with stories that will help them make sense of their lives and give them a deeper understanding of the world.


Zemelman, Steven. Harvey Daniels. A Community of Writers: Teaching Writing in the Junior and Senior High School. Porstmouth, N.H. Heineman 1988.

This book writes the book on “process writing.” Teaching writing any other way, it is now widely recognized, is simply the wrong way. Zemelman and Daniels explain in a very engaging style how to conceive of and teach writing as a journey rather than a goal, while aiming a glaring spotlight on practices from the past (like flooding student papers with red ink) that just don’t work or are even harmful. Classroom climate, time-management, writing workshops, peer-editing and more are discussed in depth. Although this book is getting a little dated (and some of the practices in need of a make-over) no writing teacher at the junior high level or above should step into a classroom without having read it.