Simon and Schuster Short Prose Reader combines high-interest reading material with creative, principled writing instruction. Short, high-interest readings provide ideas for writing, suggest ways to approach a topic, and illustrate strategies for organizing and presenting information. Each essay is accompanied by questions and assignments that guide students in analyzing what they have read and in composing their own essays.

Table of Contents:
Thematic Contents Editing Skills: Contents Preface   Chapter 1: ACTIVE READING             Learning to Be an Active Reader             Keeping a Journal             Previewing the Reading             A First Reading             Staying Aware of Conventions             A Sample Essay: Bob Greene, “Handled with Care”             Marking the Text             Clarifying Meaning             Making Inferences and Associations             Writing to Understand and Respond   Chapter 2: THE READING-WRITING CONNECTION             Writing in Response to Reading             Building an Essay             Sample Student Essay: Tara Coburn, "Someone to Help"             Resources for Writers on the Internet             Responding to a Reading             Russell Baker, "Learning to Write"             Suggestions for Writing   Chapter 3: STRATEGIES FOR CONVEYING IDEAS: NARRATION AND DESCRIPTION             Images and Ideas             The Point of Narration and Description             The Principles of Narration and Description             The Pitfalls of Narration and Description             What to Look For in Narration and Description             Evan Thomas, “Rain of Fire”             Mike Royko, “Jackie’s Debut: A Unique Day”             William Recktenwald, “A Guard’s First Night on the Job”   (Combining Strategies)             Jack Lewis, “Road Work”             Kelly Berlin (student), “Domestic Abuse”   Chapter 4: STRATEGIES FOR MAKING A POINT: EXAMPLE AND ILLUSTRATION             Images and Ideas             The Point of Example and Illustration             The Principles of Example and Illustration             The Pitfalls of Example and Illustration             What to Look For in Example and Illustration             Elizabeth Berg, “My Heroes”             Brent Staples, “`Just Walk On By’: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space”             Daniel R.  Meier, “One Man’s Kids”             Tim Jones, “The Working Poor”    (Combining Strategies)             David C. Lair (student), “My Key Chain”   Chapter 5: STRATEGIES FOR CLARIFYING MEANING: DEFINITION AND EXPLANATION             Images and Ideas             The Point of Definition and Explanation             The Principles of Definition and Explanation             The Pitfalls of Definition and Explanation             What to Look For in Definitions and Explanations             Gloria Naylor, “`Mommy, What Does “Nigger” Mean?’”             Isaac Asimov, “What Is Intelligence, Anyway?”     (Combining Strategies)             Wayson Choy, “I’m a Banana and Proud of It”             Lilly Gonzalez, “Viva Spanglish!”             Kerri Mauger (student), “Nothing to Be Scared Of ”   Chapter 6: STRATEGIES FOR SORTING IDEAS: CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION             Images and Ideas             The Point of Classification and Division             The Principles of Classification and Division             The Pitfalls of Classification and Division             What to Look For in a Classification             Judith Viorst, “Friends, Good Friends—and Such Good Friends”  (Combining Strategies)             Franklin Zimring, “Confessions of an Ex-Smoker”             David Elkind, “Types of Stress for Young People”             Juleyka Lantigua, “The Latino Show”             Bobby Lincoln (student), “Contemplating Homicide at the Mall”   Chapter 7: STRATEGIES FOR EXAMINING TWO SUBJECTS: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST             Images and Ideas             The Point of Comparison and Contrast             The Principles of Comparison and Contrast             The Pitfalls of Comparison and Contrast             What to Look For in Comparison and Contrast             Mark Twain, “Two Views of the Mississippi”             Suzanne Britt, “Neat People vs. Sloppy People”    (Combining Strategies)             Brendan O’Shaughnessy, “A Whole New Ballgame”             Kathy Seal, “The Trouble with Talent: Are We Born Smart or Do We Get Smart?”             Lynn Cooper (student), “Watching from All Sides”   Chapter 8: STRATEGIES FOR EXPLAINING HOW THINGS WORK: PROCESS AND DIRECTIONS             Images and Ideas             The Point of Writing about Process and Directions             The Principles of Process and Directions             The Pitfalls of Process and Directions             What to Look For in Process and Directions             Carol Fleischman, “Shopping Can Be a Challenge”              (Combining Strategies)             Garrison Keillor, “How to Write a Personal Letter”             Emily Nelson, “Making Fake Flakes”             Steve Daly, “Change Agent: How Baker Pulled Off the `Werewolf’ Metamorphosis”             Ann Moroney (student), “A Graceful Stride”   Chapter 9: STRATEGIES FOR ANALYZING WHY THINGS HAPPEN: CAUSE AND EFFECT             Ideas and Images             The Point of Cause-and-Effect Writing             The Principles of Cause-and-Effect Writing             The Pitfalls of Cause-and-Effect Writing             What to Look For in Cause-and-Effect Writing             Ellen Ullman, “The Boss in the Machine”             Stephen King, “Why We Crave Horror Movies”      (Combining Strategies)             Jade Snow Wong, “Fifth Chinese Daughter”             Greg Critser, “Supersize Me”             Brian L. Carter (student), “Almost a Winner”   Chapter 10: STRATEGIES FOR INFLUENCING OTHERS: ARGUMENT AND PERSUASION             Images and Ideas             The Point of Argument and Persuasion             The Principles of Argument and Persuasion             The Elements of Good Argument             A Sample Annotated Argument:  Stephanie Pescitelli (student), “Misunderstood Medicine”             What to Look For in Argument and Persuasion             Debate: Do Same-Sex Couples Make Good Parents?          James C. Dobson, “Two Mommies Is One Too Many”          Jeff Pearlman, “Mom’s the Word”             Debate: Is Violent Media Harmful to Children and Adolescents?                   Gerard Jones, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”          John Leo, “When Life Imitates Video”          Perspectives on Immigration to the United States          “American Public Opinion” (graph)             Robert J. Samuelson, “We Don’t Need `Guest Workers’ ”             “Enforcement” (graph)             Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Next Step for Immigration”             “Where They Work” (graph)             Anna Qunidlen, “We Are All Immigrants”             Wasserman, “The Congressman Checks in Back Home” (cartoon)             Chapter 11: COMBINING STRATEGIES: FURTHER READINGS             David G. Myers, “Do We Fear the Right Things?”             Langston Hughes, “Salvation”             Judith Ortiz Cofer, “More Room”             Barbara Huttmann, “A Crime of Compassion”   Appendix: WRITING WITH SOURCES             Using Sources in Your Writing             Locating Sources             Evaluating Sources             Working with Sources             Writing a First Draft             Avoiding Plagiarism             Documenting Your Sources: MLA Style             Sample student essay with sources: Brian L. Carter, “People, Pigeons, and Payoffs”   Credits Index