Dr. Brooks’ research interests include the reading processes of African American middle school students, reader response analyses of African American children’s and young adult literature, and literacy events and practices of adolescents in after-school settings. She has published in Reading Research Quarterly, The New Advocate, Children’s Literature in Education, Journal of Children’s Literature, English Journal , and The Journal of Negro Education . Before coming to higher education, Dr. Brooks taught at the elementary and middle school levels for six years.