Book excerpt: Reading from a critical stance is a natural part of comprehension. It involves making connections between the text and the world, questioning the author and the text's purpose, and understanding how we are influenced by the text. In this clear, easy-to-use resource, the authors present a sound instructional framework that is based on the latest theory and research and brought to life through a variety of theme-based classroom lessons for the primary, intermediate, and middle school grades. For use with Grades 1-8.