""Because African American adolescent males ""are ""unique ""and face their own challenges, they must identify texts that mark their times and their lives. If we create opportunities for this to happen, they will not only begin to trust the texts, they will begin to trust us, too. Then maybe, we'll hear one of them say, "'Education is on our side, '" or, "'I used to keep it gutter, but now I am all good.' "This is my hope."""" - Alfred TatumNo reading strategy, no literacy program, no remediation will close the achievement gap for adolescent African American males. These efforts will continue to fail our students, says Alfred Tatum, until reading instruction is anchored in meaningful texts that build academic and personal resiliency inside and outside school.In "Reading for Their Life "Tatum takes a bold step beyond "Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males." He shows how teachers can encourage adolescent African American males to connect with reading by defining who they are through textual lineages - texts with significance, carefully chosen for instruction because they are "useful" to young black males and because "they matter." With works ranging from "Up from Slavery "and "Sounder "to the contemporary "Handbook for Boys, "Tatum helps you: