526J o u r n a l o f A d o l e s c e n t & A d u l t L i t e r a c y 5 3 ( 6 ) M a r c h 2 0 1 0Critical Literacy as ResistanceLaraine Wallowitz (Ed.). 2008. New York: Peter Lang.From Contemplation to Action: Promoting Social Justice Through Children’s LiteratureCarole S. Rhodes, Lori Berman Wolf, & Jacqueline Darvin (Eds.). 2008. East Rockaway, NY: Cummings & Hathaway.“Part of finger bitten off during California health protest” was the headline of a recent AP article (Mohajer, 2009). Have we reached a stage in our democracy in which it is no longer possible for there to be civic discourse? There have been other, similar, episodes. One infamous incident from the era just before the U.S. Civil War occurred when Charles Sumner, U.S. senator from Massachusetts, was almost caned to death at his desk in the Senate cham-bers by Preston Brooks, a U.S. representative from South Carolina in 1856. Sumner was not aided because one of Brooks’s colleagues brandished a pistol. Brooks acted, as he saw it, in defense of the honor of the south and in retali-ation to slights Sumner had made against a relative, Senator Andrew Butler. The beating did not end until Brooks broke his cane over Sumner’s already un-conscious head. Senator Sumner could only return to public service after three Professional ResourcesTimothy Walker Kathleen Dudden Rowlandsdoi:10.1598/JAAL.53.6.10527R e v i e w s : P r o f e s s i o n a l R e s o u r c e sabsolutely crucial need to build skills of analysis and debate in schools from the perspective of critical the-ory. Advocates for the powerless in society will wel-come the philosophy, justification, and application of critical theory to content area literacy as outlined in both volumes. They illustrate the need for societal and political awareness across the curriculum, not merely within the history, government, or civics classroom. Lessons are outlined in curricular disciplines as di-verse as math, science, art, language arts, and foreign languages as well as civics and history.The authors included in the two volumes are not content with the mere premise of necessity for criti-cal literacy instruction in various content areas. Both books contain specific examples of teaching strate-gies, which teachers may use to help students become critical consumers of media. The term media enjoys an inclusive definition in the books. Artwork, math problems and equations, movies, and picture books are useful texts in the lessons outlined, as well as poems, books, and graphic organizers. The lesson ideas sug-gest that students become engaged in the creation of such media, not merely in observation of the examples of others. The chapters also include some introduc-tion to a narrative of one or more of the dispossessed groups, which are the focus of critical theory.The contributions edited by Wallowitz in Critical Literacy as Resistance are organized in three sections. The first contains articles, which attempt to set the philosophical foundations for the volume while ex-ploring critical approaches to math and science. The second section broadens the possibilities suggested by the first four articles by taking the reader into the realms of history, civics, and art. Finally, the third section purports to offer four specific examples of lit-eracy instruction, mostly in the language arts. The order imposed by the editor on the chapters seems rather arbitrary since the authors each include some philosophical justification and concrete examples of implementation of critical literacy instruction in their content areas. The instruction ideas are provided in adequate detail for the reader-educator to brainstorm new, individualized lesson ideas but are not generally outlined as complete lesson or unit instruction plans.Rhodes and his colleagues take a slightly differ-ent approach in From Contemplation to Action: Promoting years’ recuperation (“Charles Sumner: A featured bi-ography,” 2009). His name became a rallying cry for abolitionists, while supporting South Carolinians sent Brooks numerous replacements for his broken cane.Many other political debates over issues such as wars and finances, civil rights and nuclear testing, have turned into violent confrontations; yet, American politics has mostly been conducted in a more peace-ful manner. What nourishes civic discourse in our democracy? What inhibits discourse and brings vio-lent reaction, protest, riot, and crackdown? Civic discourse requires skills of reason as well as rhetoric. Informed public debate in a healthy democracy may turn violent, but this violence is much too frequently the recourse of those who do not create rational argu-ments and who lack skills and opportunity for debate. The building of political literacy and reasoning skills may commence in the homes of free peoples, but if such is not the case it is essential that it commence and continue in school. Civic literacy begins as awareness of political process and power and matures as the un-derstanding of these issues and mechanisms deepens.Integrated reading and social learning activities prepare future citizens for the political life of their country. Freire (1983) stated, “Reading the world pre-cedes reading the word, and the subsequent reading of the word cannot dispense with continually reading the world” (p. 5). Luke (1995) added, “There are no universal skills of reading. Reading is a social practice comprised of interpretive rules and events and con-structed and learned in institutions like schools and churches, families and work places” (p. 97). Teachers are irreplaceable in the process of building a politi-cally literate society. They must provide opportu-nities through which their students can come to be empowered in the public discourse. It is, of course, equally important that their students feel so empow-ered.. Citizens who can understand the public debate are more likely to engage positively and effectively in that discourse.Two recent edited volumes, Critical Literacy as Resistance and From Contemplation to Action: Promoting Social Justice Through Children’s Literature, may provide help to the teacher seeking to improve political lit-eracy instruction (Rhodes, Wolf, & Darvin, 2008; Wallowitz, 2008).