Children's literature serves as mirrors and windows for the students we teach today. Through literature, children should be able to see their own reflections as well as the world around them. Yet despite their long history in the United States, Asian Americans have not always been represented in children's literature. This study analyzed the…

When schools and teachers adopt core reading programs they can use them with fidelity or make intelligent decisions about the texts, lessons and components they select to use. The evidence suggests that these programs are not research-based documents, but rather compromises between what the research suggests about effective reading instruction and…

This content analysis study examined 99 basal reading narratives from three publishers: Harcourt, SRA-McGraw Hill, and Scott Foresman. The stories were classified according to the ethnicity of the major characters. The observed frequencies were compared to expected frequencies to indicate over representation, adequate representation or under…

In this interview, children's author and illustrator Tomie de Paola discusses children's books and reading instruction. (SJL)

An examination of basal readers shows that the world portrayed in them is unrealistic, boring, and one that misrepresents and underrepresents women and minorities. (IRT)

Discusses the trend towards voluminous study guides with work sheets and drills for children's books, subjecting great literature to the practices of basal reading textbooks and discouraging children from reading. Urges teachers to trust the book to do its own teaching, and to learn to get out of the way. (SR)

Uses one basalized revision of Judy Blume's "The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo" to illustrate how publishers change literature to fit their self-imposed constraints. Criticizes publishers' emphasis on learning words and skills, which causes them to fracture and narrow language, and results in adapted and synthetic texts instead…

Suggests that children's literature scholars have aided in the basalization of children's literature by being naive about what basals are. Argues that basals cannot be improved except as a means for helping children become more controlled readers. Argues that scholars must offer teachers alternate visions of education and how literature fits in…

Indicates that pictures that elicit children's language depict more actions, children, and people than do pictures that elicit lesser amounts of language from children. (FL)

Proposes using literature to teach reading to learning-disabled students as an alternative to basal readers, because authentic text is more predictable, cohesive, and interesting. Additional components of a literature-based program include reading aloud, silent reading, self-selection of materials, meaning-centered curriculum, oral response…

Reports on a study which examined students' attitudes toward reading basals as opposed to children's novels. Notes that children overwhelmingly preferred novels over the basal series. (MM)

Describes an approach to reading instruction that uses children's literature to complement basal reading instruction to create a literacy environment that teaches children to develop a lifelong love of reading. (MG)

Investigates two types of texts (a reading scheme book and a children's literature text) to see how the reader is constructed by the text, and what kind of reading support is offered. Finds that the literary text offers more reading support than the supposedly carefully constructed reading scheme book, which constructs a passive reader to whom…

Children's literature and the social studies need to be integrated so that holism is involved in pupil learning. A variety of kinds of reading materials should be available to learners so that each social studies unit might be meaningful and interesting. Individual differences among pupils' abilities and achievements must be adequately provided…

Defines "junior reading books," shows that evaluation of such books is desirable, discusses four possible approaches that could be used in evaluating the books, and provides a detailed analysis of part of the "Wide Range Readers," books widely used in British schools. (FL)