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    AdLit 101

    What’s being done to improve the teaching of reading and writing in our secondary schools? And what can you do to teach reading and writing more effectively in your classroom? Learn more about the state of adolescent literacy, get practical advice on teaching reading and writing, and browse the library of research, reports, and guides. 

    AdLit 101 Overview

    • AdLit 101 Overview
    • The Big Picture of Adolescent Literacy
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    In the Classroom

    Find multimedia resources to help you improve teaching and learning in your classrooms — including a classroom strategy library, video modules demonstrating effective practices, professional development webcasts, and more.

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    Books & Authors

    Here you can find diverse fiction and nonfiction books, meet some of your favorite middle-grade and YA authors, dig into our book discussion guides, or explore our step-by-step author study toolkit.

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    Topics A-Z

    Find articles, expert Q&A, video, research and reports, and additional resources that provide research-based information for educators, families, and others who want to help young people become better readers and writers. 

    See All Topics

    • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
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    • See All Topics
Young African American boy looking off with the Capital building in the background

Black Was the Ink

By:
Michelle Coles
Age Level:
Middle Grade, YA
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Published:
2021
Awards:
2022
Grateful American Book Prize

Through the help of a ghostly ancestor, sixteen-year-old Malcolm is sent on a journey through Reconstruction-era America to find his place in modern-day Black progress.

Watch our video interview with Michelle Coles.

Find This Book

ISBN 978-1643794310

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Grateful American Book Prize Winners

The Grateful American Book Prize recognizes authors who create absorbing works of literature for 7th to 9th graders about American events and personalities.

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Theme:
Black history and culture

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AdLit is a national multimedia project that provides educators and families with resources to support readers and writers in middle school and high school. We are an education service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in our nation’s capital.

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