Describes observations of recreational reading material selection by kindergarten and first-grade boys and girls. Discussion covers gender-related preferences in choices of recreational library materials, fiction and non-fiction choices, flexibility in reading choices, and gender roles. Observations made in 1983 and 1984 are appended. Five sources…

Describe a study which analyzed sexism in recent children's science books and made comparisons to books published in the 1960s and 1970s. Factors considered included: male-oriented illustrations, overuse of masculine pronouns, references to animals, exclusive language, careers for males, and the male figure as imagery. (EM)