Teachers put much effort into selecting books and planning literature activities that will engage their students. On reflection, the author recognized a need to give students more freedom to choose what to read. Research shows that "when students were provided opportunities to select which text(s) they would read for a given topic or unit,…

Describes the following features of the Cutler Playwrights Festival: (1) the contest, which involves publicity and choosing a play; (2) the workshop, in which the play's content, expert, release time, size, and follow-up are decided; and (3) the production, which determines the cast and crew and the final performance. (JD)