This course uses literature by a diverse array of global authors as a window into youth experience and representation. We identify dominant narratives constructed through education, culture, religion, and media, and examine how authors and readers offer counternarratives. We work within social justice and decolonizing frameworks to understand how global power relations and our own perspectives are shaped by U.S. and European imperialism. We embrace the liberatory and expressive possibilities of narrative, while also recognizing the constraints exercised by the publishing industry and English language dominance. Literature opens up conversations about the lived experiences of youth. It invites us to empathize with experiences beyond our own, and provides an opportunity to highlight how cultural contexts shape interpretation. Together we will read, reflect, and analyze global texts by, for, and about youth. Accountability for readings takes the form of quizzes and reading responses. Students build skills of critical analysis through writing assignments, examining the array of choices authors make and the impact they have on audiences. Class is structured as a collaborative and interactive experience, with an emphasis on small group activities and participation.