Noddings's radical choice for a particular stance in life is both what makes "Happiness and Education" a thought-provoking book and what also leads me to have some reservations. First, I briefly outline some of these reservations and focus on what I think are two important difficulties "Happiness and Education" faces:…

Books reviewed: "Teaching Toward Freedom: Moral Commitment and Ethical Action in the Classroom" by William Ayers and "Pedagogy of Indignation" by Paulo Freire.

Reviews the book, "Bringing in a New Era in Character Education," a collection of essays by prominent social critics and social scientists. Suggests that the book shows that the character education movement is a reaction to the moral vacuum created by the transformations of the middle and late 20th century. Notes that most of the essays…

Examines the novels of Cynthia Voigt in terms of the recurring theme that the sacrifice of one's self or one's interest, usually for the supposed advantage of others, can in the long run do more harm than good. A bibliography of Voigt's novels is provided. (two references) (CLB)

Examines the ethics of data collection and dissemination, suggesting criteria for the morally responsible treatment of evidence collection, dissemination, and use. Comments on the importance of V. Mike's proposal of an "ethics of evidence." (SLD)

Analyzes "The Idiosyncratic History of the University," a chapter in Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind". Focuses on Bloom's history of the university as explained through Socrates' philosophy. Concentrates on the role of philosophers in society past and present. Discusses the Enlightenment, Existentialism,…

Discusses Joan Del Fattore's book, "What Johnny Shouldn't Read: Textbook Censorship in America," and the complexity of problems posed by current censorship efforts. (SR)

In different ways, J. Carens and M. Weiner have overlooked important ethical issues raised by the human migration phenomenon. Weiner avoids moral issues in his conceptualization of alien admissions, and Carens focuses too intensely on the issue of whether national borders can be justified or not. (SLD)

This book offers ways to answer questions about public trust in teachers. Discourses on teachers as transmitters of moral and cognitive virtues and on the unsatisfactory nature of competing models of theory-practice relationships are grounded in an interpretation of Aristotle's Phronesis as moral wisdom. Education is only one of the purposes of…

A member of the Caldecott Award committee reviews recommended children's books published in 1991. Annotations are provided for 13 historical novels for middle-graders and young adults and 47 picture books that focus on folklore and fairytales, human values, celebrations, and the environment. A bibliography is included. (EAM)

Reviews "Appalachian Values," by author Loyal Jones and photographer Warren Brunner, which depicts the culture and values characteristic of Appalachian people. Although the book successfully illustrates the moral core of Appalachia, values are presented in a noncontroversial form, rather than as a part of individual or social conflict.…

Reviews four books dealing with different aspects of preschool and primary grades curriculum. The books address the following topics: the importance of a play-centered curriculum, problems and solutions related to children's transition from home or child care to school, how schools can teach respect and responsibility, and the theory and practice…

Reviews six books covering topics of (1) creativity and play in the early childhood curriculum; (2) the involvement of families in middle school education; (3) nonverbal communication; (4) developmentally appropriate classrooms for kindergarten through third grade; (5) schools' role in teaching respect and responsibility; and (6) the practice of…

Discusses how McCadden's ideas about teaching, children, and morality change during his time observing a kindergarten class. Notes that McCadden notices the subtle nuances of interactions among a teacher and her students and ably interprets their significance for both. Asserts that McCadden fails to connect his work with relevant research. (JS)

This paper reviews the book "Building Community in Schools," by Thomas Sergiovanni. The book's thesis--that schools are better understood as social rather than as formal organizations--is based on the assumption that the universal need for belonging and connection too often is unfulfilled in schools. The book recommends that school-reform efforts…