This article presents findings from the BMBF-funded DigiLi-Project Learning with digital media in inclusive classrooms, which were obtained as part of an unpublished master’s thesis associated with the project (Spieß, 2025). Using a Design-based Research approach, a learning arrangement was tested in which students read youth novels of their own choosing on sustainability topics related to the SDGs and reflected on them collaboratively. The analysis shows that structured follow-up communication (Placemat, Etherpad) promotes deeper text comprehension, resource interdependence, as well as reflection on real-life contexts and agency in the context of sustainable development.