A day-long symposium in June 2007 by the Center for Teaching through Children's Books and the National College of Education Office of Partnerships at National-Louis University (NLU) convened for the purpose of immersing the professional community in the goal of teaching for social justice through literature for children and adolescents. The…

Many adults, even librarians who willingly add comics to their collections, often dismiss the importance of comics. Compared to reading "real" books, reading comics appears to be a simple task and compared to reading no books, reading comics might be preferable. After all, comics do have words, but the plentiful pictures seem to carry most of the…

When Dorothy arrives in Oz, the readers follow her into a land replete with little people, enchanted animals, evil witches, good witches, and eccentric characters. Such is the stuff of fantasy. Readers step outside their reality into a realm where imagination and suspension of disbelief allow anything to happen?and it often does. Yet, within the…

Fantasy and science fiction are two genres that are products of imagination. Both present alternate worlds governed by their own laws and values, but it is the plausibility of events in each world that sets the two apart. In fantasy, events happen by magic or inexplicable means. In science fiction, events could happen based on advanced…

Discusses the award-winning book "Bud, Not Buddy" written by Christopher Paul Curtis. Lists different versions of the book; suggests learning activities; lists sources for biographical information and interviews with Curtis, teacher guides, professional articles, and other Depression era novels; and provides a citation for the author's…

At least once a year, teachers generally request a historical fiction assignment. Bare facts make dry reading but historical fiction, set in an actual time period with plausible dialogue and credible characters, is more palatable to youngsters. This column discusses the most widely-requested historical periods of study for intermediate and upper…

Discusses Children's Book Week and the winners for 2002 of the Newberry Award, Newberry honor books, Caldecott Award, and other book awards. Suggests activities for the various books that were recipients of the awards. (LRW)

Briefly discusses the advantages of using literature to teach geography, and presents an annotated bibliography of 17 fiction and nonfiction books that may be used to develop an understanding of geography in children and young adults. The intended educational level of each book is included in its description. (CLB)

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this month's featured book is "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." The book was written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier (Jump at the Sun, 2001. 40p. ISBN 0786807148). This pictorial biography of the world-renowned civil rights leader has one of the most striking…

Discusses characters in books that are portrayed as oddball, or different from their peers, and are therefore misunderstood and often mistreated and ostracized. Suggests activities for elementary and middle school students based on books and films that include oddball characters. (LRW)

Addresses the theme of redemption and examines characters who try to make things right in literature and film. Reviews six books and two films and suggests creative activities for middle school students that tie in with the works cited. (LRW)

Discusses the need for young adult literature about the disabled, selection criteria for these books, and methods of presenting them to adolescent students. A list of recommended books includes 20 fiction and 9 nonfiction titles. (MES)

Discusses the importance of children's author Katherine Paterson, provides a brief biography, and suggests learning activities based on Bloom's Taxonomy for nine of Paterson's books. These activities are designed to encourage the acquisition of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. (17 references) (LRW)

Discusses various encounters children may have that leave lasting impressions, including encounters with animals or natural elements in general, those with people that evolve into friendship or tension, and fantasy encounters. Examples are given from films and literature, and sample creative activities involving encounters are suggested for…

Describes four types of book talks based on the aspect of the book that is the most important--plot summary, character description, short story or excerpts, and mood-based. (Author/EM)