"In Just read it, Jarred shows middle- and secondary ELA teachers the transformative power of independent reading in a school and community. Amato has witnessed a growing disconnect between what many schools do and what many students need - and the ripple effects of the covid pandemic have shined a light on the deep equity and access issues related to reading and writing that exist in public schools, particularly in disenfranchised communities. He believes in the power of independent reading - with access, choice, and time built in and protected - to turn around the reading attitudes of students but also help them achieve huge gains in all areas of literacy, learning, and civic engagement. With the tools Amato provides in this book - all honed through his years in middle school and high school classrooms -- teachers can "create a classroom environment where independent reading thrives, where students are centered, where their stories, lives, and experiences matter" - and where reading and writing achievement soars"