I really like how this book gives lots of different ways to help students prepare for talking about issues in a safe and encouraging environment. While it does focus on book clubs, a lot of the reading and speaking strategies could also be used with larger groups. Overall, there is a lot in here to help a teacher set up and facilitate the discussion of difficult topics that many times students (and sometimes even teachers) shy away from because they can make people uncomfortable...but I think that those are sometimes the topics that need discussing the most.

Excellent practitioner text that offers a passionate defense for and practical guidance on letting students grapple with difficult material in the English classroom. I'll be using this with my methods students next semester!