The current curricular emphasis on analytical writing can make it feel risky to teach creative writing in ELA classrooms. But the opportunity to write fiction in school opens many doors for young people: doors the author argues are critical to the development of our students, our education system, and even our democracy.

This book will delight English teachers weary of focusing relentlessly on argument and information writing. Veteran teacher Ariel Sacks vividly describes the many academic, social-emotional, and community-building advantages of teaching imaginative writing in the classroom, not least of which is the impact it has on equity for marginalized students. Her book is a teacher-to-teacher text that folds in detailed, practical guidance about how to design lessons and meet standards, while presenting a powerful central argument: that the writing of fiction should be treated not as a luxury for some, but as a center of the English curriculum for all students.