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The aim of this study is to develop a pedagogical approach to the teaching of literature in relation to value-based work, specifically regarding questions of sexuality and gender. The starting point for this approach is the pedagogue Gert Biesta’s vision of democracy as something that needs to be exercised within education, rather than a set of values that should simply be transmitted to the students. He also stresses the teacher’s role to actively interrupt the students’ predispositions for the education to be unpredictable, risky, and truly democratic. I combine this approach to teaching with queer theoretical, especially queer temporal, perspectives on sexuality, gender, and literature for ways to disrupt various interpretations of fiction. I also use Rita Felskis theories on literary engagement to interrupt and disrupt previous readings. In the analysis this approach is used to analyze readings of six books – three novels and three picture books: Moominpappa at Sea (1965) by Tove Jansson, Mamman och havet (2012) by Sara Stridsberg and Anna-Clara Tidholm, Darling River (2010) by Sara Stridsberg, Else-Marie and Her Seven Little Daddies (1990) by Pija Lindenbaum, Popular Music from Vittula (2000) by Mikael Niemi, and Kivi & Monsterhund (2012) by Jesper Lundqvist and Bettina Johansson. I study various previous readings of the texts, such as reviews, research, student essays and comments on online forums. This gives an idea of how the text have been read before, and how they are likely to engage the intended readers of this dissertation – interpretations which I disrupt using queer theoretical perspectives. The final chapter problematizes and further develops the thesis’ theoretical framework and discusses its implication for the teaching of literature, as well as for educational philosophy in general, regarding democracy, politics, and ethics.