Despite a heightened focus on information literacy, students and adults alike struggle to assess online information. In this article, the authors argue that the K-12 information literacy curriculum needs to focus on supporting students to develop identities as expert information seekers to address complex and mutable modern literacy needs. The…

Although viewed (and dismissed) by many as primarily a tool for communication, language (and literature) cannot be understood only in relation to "what" it communicates. A study of "how" it is shaped uncovers the social forces that provide its broad and complex template in the acts of reading and writing. This article focuses…

Building on the groundbreaking research of the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media & Learning initiative, this book crosses the divide between digital literacies and traditional print culture to engage a generation of students who can read with a book in one hand and a mouse in the other. "Reading in a Participatory Culture" tells the story of an…

In an effort to promote cultural literacy in children and young adults, the Racism and Social Justice Committee of the National Council for the Social Studies created the Carter G. Woodson Book Award. The purpose of the Woodson Award, given annually since 1974, is to promote the writing, publishing, and dissemination of sensitive and accurate…

Examines the development of multicultural literature for children and youth in the mid-20th century in the light of feminist theory. Phases of curricular revision are described; and the works of four white women writers, Florence Crannell Means, Ann Nolan Clark, Marguerite de Angeli, and Lois Lenski, are reviewed. (Contains 71 references.) (LRW)

Discusses resources available on the World Wide Web related to children's literature. Highlights include Web sites that have curriculum ideas for teachers and suggested activities for classes; sites set up by authors and illustrators to promote their work and communicate with their readers; and a list of recommended Web sites. (LRW)

Suggests women writers as alternatives to traditionally taught male writers, identifies women writers as representatives of parallel tradition and genres not usually studied in a survey, and discusses some of the best feminist scholarship and criticism. (MM)

This edition of the guide to Newbery and Caldecott Awards provides an annotated listing of winning children's books since the inception of the awards (1922 and 1938 respectively) through the 1996 selections. The annotations serve as a reliable source for collection development, reader's advisory, curriculum development, and other programs. The…

Lists 128 authors whose work is included in the reading program approved for use in journalism classes in California, including Woody Allen, Pearl S. Buck, Jesse L. Jackson, and George Orwell. (DF)

This volume, the fourth in a series, brings together the conversations of the profession that were explored during the 1993 and 1994 Summer Institute for Teachers of Literature. This anthology of essays considers what "American literature" is and how definitions of this category affect teaching practices. The essays argue for the…

A course emphasizing the relationship between literature and human rights can provide opportunities to examine the history of social protest literature and to look at the distinctions between authors and cultural or historical contexts. One such course used guest lecturers involved in human rights struggles and special events outside the…

This study presents a descriptive analysis of attitudes toward integrating works by women into American literature classes and reflects the perspectives of 254 English department chairs. Overall, attitudes were positive, with female chairs more enthusiastic and works by women more likely to be integrated in schools with gender-integration…

Describes a computer-literature project for middle school and high school students that was developed through the Fairfield-Westchester Children's Reading Project (CT) to promote online discussions between students and authors. Classroom activities are described, project financing is discussed, and teacher responses that indicate positive effects…