America street edited by anne mazer biography

In this time of banning books, Americans have seen a rise in censorship for books and materials that are seemingly innocuous. It is true: Legislators have spent long hours creating lists of books that will never see the light of day again. The labels of “harmful” and “explicit” are the loaded words and excuses that advocacy groups are tossing around in order to strike books from school and library bookshelves. According to Pen America, “The 2022-23 school year has been marked by an escalation of book bans and censorship in classrooms and school libraries across the United States.” Specifically, to date, there have been 3,362 bans put into place. Pen America is an advocacy group with a lofty mission: to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. 

Certainly, book bans are challenging the teaching profession. Teachers lament that they have no freedom of literary choice in the classroom. For the sake of education, is there any way to circumvent these annoying book bans? How can teachers celebrate multicultural literature without breaking the law?

Enter the anthology.

Each month “The Reading Quilt” provides a short review of a book that a teacher may use to spark conversations about culture and race, along with a learning activity that may help students understand human behavior. Using the acronym QUILT, the review offers readers information about the Quality of writing, Universal theme, Imaginative plot, a mini-Lesson plan, and Talking points that stem from the book’s premise. This month’s selection is a multicultural anthology titled America Street: A Multicultural Anthology of Stories edited by Anne Mazer (Persea Books, New York, 1993).

The anthology offers a lot of benefits: First, in just a few pages, a short story provides the opportunity to take a look into a window or mirror to learn more about other cultures or make a heart connection to a part o

A Fourth of July celebration turns deadly for a group of teens in Ross’ YA psychological thriller.

Eighteen-year-old Riley March and four girlfriends—Cam, Val, Nia, and Blake— are off on a celebratory Independence Day weekend away, their last before they all leave for college in the fall. Their destination is the exclusive and remote Palm Key Island, the perfect location for wealthy kids to spend their leisure time. Some of their other friends from school are there, too, including Riley’s crush, Sebastian. Riley needs to make sure no one finds out her biggest secret: She really doesn’t belong in this group, as she is not rich like her friends. Their weekend of sun, booze, and partying starts to go wrong when Val disappears after a night out clubbing—she’s presumably off with a boy—and warnings of an approaching hurricane sour the mood. As the group (joined by some male friends) hunkers down, trapped inside their rental with no internet or electricity while waiting for the storm to pass, tensions build and relationships start to unravel. They learn why their summer house rental is so cheap as casualties begin mount. The author’s compelling, fast-paced thriller pays homage to slasher movies and serial killer lore with a fun hook: “Things no longer seem fun and light anymore as I remember we’re about to be trapped in a hurricane—and in a murder house, no less. The only thing worse than that is being trapped in a hurricane, in a murder house, in complete darkness.” As the scares spiral, Ross maintains a tight focus on the complex, complicated relationship dynamics within the group of teen girls, all conveyed from Riley’s outsider/insider’s perspective. Still reeling from a close friend’s death by suicide the year before, the group’s secrets start to spill out, unveiling a history of bullying, competition, and privilege in a well-balanced narrative arc.