Lynch School of Education Professor Maria Estela Brisk‘s book  Engaging Students in Academic Literacies (Routledge, 2015) is drawn from her experiences helping teachers and students in the Boston Public Schools. Brisk is one of the foremost experts on bilingual education. Her text provides specific information to plan and carry out genre-based writing instruction in English for K-5 students within various content areas. Her approach to teaching writing and academic language is effective in addressing the persistent achievement gap between English language learners and “mainstream” students, especially in the context of current reforms in the U.S.