This article examines adolescent literacy practices related to "The Hunger Games," a young adult novel and the first of a trilogy. By focusing on the interaction of social identities, discourses, and media paratexts within an online affinity space, this ethnographic study offers insight into how young adults engage with contemporary…

In the last ten years, historical fiction picturebooks have won numerous children's literature awards and have assumed a prominent role in the literacy landscape of elementary and middle school classrooms. Whether read in read-alouds, study groups, as a focus of genre study, or as a supplement to the social studies curriculum, historical fiction…

Concerns for the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and the children of families who so self-identify suggest that teachers may need additional support in fostering classrooms that welcome all students. The field of children's literature has long-standing interests in multiple cultures and the literature…

O'Connor, an author of realistic fiction for children, shares her attempts to strike a balance between carefree, uncensored, authentic, realistic writing and age-appropriate writing. Of course, complicating that balancing act is the fact that what seems age-appropriate to her might not seem so to everyone. O'Connor suggests that while it may be…

The relative absence of nonfiction in literature for young readers may have serious implications because nonfiction literacy matters. Nonfiction material is the crucible within which readers can gain the knowledge and skills that enable them to reach sound decisions in all arenas of life, avoid gullibility born of ignorance, and participate in an…

The Nancy Drew books are entertaining for the adolescent, but do not provide them the opportunity to gain insights into the way in which human beings experience life and, in the process, grow.

Discusses the need for would-be writers to undertake on-the-scene research to become thoroughly familiar with a writing topic. Relates some of the author's experiences gained through such "field" work. (HTH)

An annotated listing of picture storybooks, realistic fiction, and fanciful fiction. (RL)

Suggests ways to guide students in the skills of plot development so that they produce interesting fiction. (DD)

Introducing children to fantasy literature allows them to safely explore the problems and joys of being human. (JH)