One of the primary aims of schools is supposed to be to educate children and young adults to be caretakers of our fragile and complex democracy. School is the one common American experience with the hope to inspire students to participate in the ongoing pursuit of a more caring and thoughtful society and a more harmonious world. Young adult literature may be the perfect medium for teachers to use to truly engage their students in the cultivation of civic habits of mind and explicitly connect these to Edmundson's notion of our Final Narratives, as a way for students to wrestle with and articulate who they are, what they value, and how they want to live their lives. Through these books, the issues are situated in stories that are enjoyable, relevant, and interesting; they open up endless possibilities for students to engage in meaningful dialogue and debate of issues and ideas that truly matter to them and society. Good books bring purposefulness and intellectualism to civic issues, while they also bring--perhaps most importantly--good writing, creativity, and joy to reading and learning. Steven Wolk explores how a wide range of middle grade and young adult literature can be used to teach caring and critical readers in a democratic classroom environment.