Through a workshop format, students will become skilled, enthusiastic, lifelong readers, writers, and thinkers who recognize the impact and the beauty of the written word. Choice and volume are cornerstones to both the reading and writing instruction, as students will only become more effective readers and writers by actually reading and writing in large volumes. Common literary and informational texts, along with student-selected, current middle grade and young adult literature, will provide mirrors for students to see themselves in, as well as windows that allow them to understand others better. Instruction will be guided by the PA Common Core standards.