The way that people of different identities are portrayed in children's books can send subconscious messages about how positively or negatively children should think about people with those identities. These messages can then shape the next generation's perceptions and attitudes about people, which can have important implications for belief…

Teachers hold significant power to determine which books or printed materials students might access, choose, or reject. It is important to consider how teachers' objectives, understandings, or perspectives serve as literacy sponsorship and implicitly privilege or suppress which texts, genres, or authors students access. This case study examines…

The controversy over which books should be included in school reading lists and library shelves is outlined and analyzed. The three standards generally accepted for a "good" book are identified and discussed. The problems which arise in book selection are described, along with the stages of selection and use at which challenges are most likely to…

Discusses the evolution of multicultural literature for young adults; the role of publishers and others in making more multicultural materials available; and issues involved in authoring books with such themes. A bibliography of 8 selection tools and an annotated bibliography of 88 works for young adults are appended. (KRN)

Politics and children's literature would seem to be two areas of thought which are incompatible; politics being the administration of power, control, government, and regulation, and children's literature embodying the freedom of the imagination at a period in life described as "literary innocence." Embedded political perspectives,…

A survey was conducted of more than 300 instructional developers, asking which books they would recommend for a variety of different uses. To assist them, a listing of 139 instructional development books taken from a recent journal article was included with the survey. Participants, who represented a diverse but highly-experienced group, were…

Few children possess the knowledge and experience to identify the best books from the numbers that flood the market, so it is wise for authors, publishers, librarians, teachers, and parents to be aware of any body of informed critical opinion regarding excellence in books for children. The contribution of the conscientious critic is as valuable to…

Argues that reading is a useful tool in successful living as well as a pleasure in itself and discusses the importance of making books accessible to children and teaching them how to select appropriate reading materials. (CHC)

A study was conducted to discover the components of books that children prefer over and above those children's books that adults critically acclaim. Forty intermediate-level fiction books included in the "Children's Choices" listings for 1978 to 1980 were read by three adult researchers and classified according to A. Applebee's taxonomy…

We should resist the temptation to label our times the Age of Television--it really is an era of mass communication, and books play a strong role in this process. A positive correlation between increased television viewing and the increased use of books is indicated by new highs in library circulation figures in the past two decades. Television…

Given the vulnerability of the language arts to "back to basics" pressures, it is wise to consider the purposes that literature serves for young readers. Children read for a variety of reasons, including to escape, to understand themselves and others, and to learn about other times, places, and peoples. Characteristics of excellence to look for…

Contemporary changes in ideology and attitudes are reflected in all literature, and that written for children is no exception. This "mimetic approach" to the study of literature takes into account the influence of history on art. Although traditional themes persist, three types of modern themes are becoming increasingly prevalent in children's…

This study was prompted by the lack of consistency in defining the interests, both general and in the area of reading, of children in the primary grades. Analysis of more than 15 introductory texts used to teach reading indicated that interest measurement is based on certain unquestioned theoretical assumptions. Students in 27 first- through…

Questionnaire responses from 259 college students were employed to determine how eight media were used in the satisfaction of ten needs. It was found that television was the most generally satisfactory medium, averaged over the ten needs, and that film was the most need specific. Television and radio paralleled each other in their ability to…

Because violence is an inescapable reality of the world, this paper asks the question, "Does violence have any place in children's literature?" For centuries, children's literature has encompassed stories in which the virtuous were rewarded and evildoers suffered retribution. Historically, violence was frequently part of punishment.…