René Saldaña, Ph.D.
Email: rene.saldana@ttu.edu
Phone: 806-283-6284 (cell)
Office: Education 325
Dr. René Saldaña, Jr., is the author of several books for children and young adults,
among them The Jumping Tree, The Whole Sky Full of Stars, A Good Long Way, and the bilingual Mickey Rangel mystery series. He is a professor who teaches in
the Language, Diversity, and Literacy Studies. His research looks at the use of culturally
relevant literature in the largely underrepresented classrooms as a way to improve
children's reading abilities. He and Dr. Ana Torres continue to organize the School-wide,
Community-based Read-aloud and Book Giveaway in several local elementary schools.

Education
- Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing, Georgia State University
- M.A. in English, Clemson University
- B.A. in English, Bob Jones University
Areas of Expertise
- Culturally Relevant Literature
- Non-traditional Writing in the Academy
- The Weeklong, Uninterrupted Read-Aloud
- Children's and YA Literature
Selected Publications
Fiction:
The Jumping Tree. New York: Random House/Delacorte, 2001.
A Good Long Way. Houston TX: Arte Público P/Piñata Books, 2010.
Heartbeat of the Soul of the World: Stories. Donna TX: Juventud Press, 2015.
The Curse of the Bully's Wrath/La maldicíon de la ira del abusón: A Mickey Rangel Mystery. Houston TX: Piñata Books/Arte Público Press. 2018.
Scholarly Works:
"A Writer Writes: Three Lessons." The English Journal. 2019.
(Mis)Understanding Culture: Literacy through Lived Experiences. The English Journal. 2020.
"On Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima and Becoming a Life-long Reader, and How I Nearly Blew It as a Teacher: An Extended Testimonio." Study & Scrutiny: Research on Young Adult Literature, 3(2), 20-30. 2019.
"Confronting Death and Mourning in the Liminal Through Short Stories." In Michelle Falter and Steven Bickmore (Ed.), Moving Beyond Personal Loss to Societal Grieving: Discussing Death's Social Impact through Literature in the Secondary ELA Classroom (pp. 13-21). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 2018.
"Hook Them with Leyendas: Mixing in Some Spooky Tales to Get Kids Reading." Literacy Today, 14-15. 2018.
Don't Be Fooled: Nothing's Wasted on the Young. On Dr. Sylvia Vardell's blog, Poetry For Children. 2017.
"Why Not Hugs and Tugs Instead of Thugs? People of Color Interacting Positively in Picture Books." Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature.
"Forgive Me My Bluntness: I'm a Writer of Color and I'm Right Here In Front of You: I'm the One Sitting Alone at the Table." http://latinosinkidlit.com/2014/09/08/forgive-me-my-bluntness-im-a-writer-of-color-and-im-right-here-in-front-of-you-im-the-one-sitting-alone-at-the-table/comment-page-1/#comment-2076. September 08, 2014.
"Mexican American YA Lit: Literature with a Capital 'L.'" The ALAN Review: 39.2. Winter 2012.
"The Case of the Missing Mexican American Detective Stories: Mystery Solved?" The ALAN Review: 39.1. Fall 2011.
"Mestizaje: Forging Identity Through Hybridity." A chapter in Young Adult Literature and Adolescent Identity Across Cultures and Classrooms: Contexts for the Literary Lives of Teens, edited by Janet Alsup. Routledge. 2010.
College of Education
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Address
Texas Tech University, College of Education, 3002 18th Street Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
(806) 742-2377 -
Email
educ.webmaster@ttu.edu