"This ethnographic study of a young African American boy's educational trajectory from Pre-K to second grade, examining how a district mandate to desegregate its schools altered the school-based experiences of Ta'Von and his fellow students. Taking a sociocultural perspective, the book examines the relationship between integration and social inclusion/exclusion, arguing that desegregation is not sufficient to create a truly inclusive schooling system. Citing instances of persistent inequality based on race, class, and gender, Dyson outlines how literacy, while complicit in both creating and magnifying these types of inequality/exclusion, can also be a powerful tool for remediating them and thereby creating truly inclusive spaces"--

Anne Haas Dyson is a professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her books include (with Celia Genishi) Children, Language, and Literacy: Diverse Learners in Diverse Times and ReWRITING the Basics: Literacy Learning in Children's Cultures.