| By Michelle Lee, Kristen Dorsch, & Mark Mikula |
During Black History Month, celebrate African American literature with the first in Gale’s new line of For Students special editions: African American Literature for Students (AALfS), Volume 1, released in December 2019. It includes fourteen entries on novels, poems, short stories, and dramas that have never before been covered in For Students. Entries include works from tried and true authors, such as Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes, as well as works from contemporary authors, such as poet Tyehimba Jess and science fiction writer N.K. Jemisin. The classic and contemporary works covered also include a discussion of the social, political, cultural, and historical context of each work.
AALfS is specifically designed to meet the curricular needs of high school and undergraduate college students and their teachers. Each work was chosen by an advisory panel of teachers and librarians—experts who have helped us define the information needs of students and ensure the age-appropriateness of this reference’s content. Within the pages of AALfS young researchers will discover everything they need to complete homework assignments and lead classroom discussions.
Every entry in the For Students series includes an introduction, author biography, plot or poem summary, and character descriptions; a discussion of the themes, style, and historical context of the work; a critical overview and criticism; and a list of sources, suggestions for further reading, and suggested search terms.
For Students entries contain many classroom-ready features, including:
- Critical thinking questions
- Classroom activities
- Primary source links
- Media adaptations
- Compare and contrast feature
- “What Do I Read Next?” suggestions
Gale’s new For Students special editions – including AALFS – provide much-needed representation of literary works for all students and highlight diversity and inclusion. Special editions also include LGBTQIA+ Literature for Students, Volume 1 (released August 2020) as well as additional special editions planned for future release, including Hispanic and Latino American Literature for Students, Volume 1 (August 2021); Native American Literature for Students, Volume 1 (January 2022); Canadian Literature for Students, Volume 1 (June 2022); and Disability Literature for Students, Volume 1 (February 2023).
African American Literature for Students, Volume 1 is available in print and eBook format on Gale eBooks.
AALFSMeet the Authors
Kristen, Michelle, and Mark are senior content developers at Gale, where they work on the K12 Curriculum and Humanities team.