The Canadian young adult novel "The Maestro" by Tim Wynne-Jones foregrounds the relationship between imagination and subjective agency. While Burl uses his imagination at the beginning to protect himself from his abusive father, his fantasies become dress rehearsals for small performances that allow him to try on new identities and exercise…

This article analyzes the 2002 Coretta Scott King Award book by Mildred Taylor entitled "The Land". The novel and its author are situated within a tradition of historical fiction written by and about African Americans. I then offer an analysis that utilizes Critical Race Theory as an interpretive tool for examining the ways Taylor embeds meanings…

Jenny Robson's "Savannah 2216 AD", a dark, futuristic novel for young adults, provides a strong critique on much of the world's predilection for saving Africa's animals at the expense of those human communities who are perceived to be in the way of the preservation of the continent's remaining wild spaces. Using Robson's novel as…

Introduces this theme issue that explores the nature of adolescence and the positive psychology movement that focuses on positive aspects of adolescent development. Articles in this collection provide a window into the exploration of youth strengths. (SLD)

Provides a descriptive list of two dozen Spanish language books for children and young adults on subjects ranging from science and mathematics to history and literature. All the books come from publishers in Spain, and many of the books can be used with students learning Spanish as a second language as well as with native Spanish speakers. (GR)

Finds several difficulties with the theory advanced by R. Howard and shows that alternative explanations relating to changes in the chess environment, including increased access to chess knowledge, offer better explanations for the increased presence of young players at top-level chess. (SLD)

Reviews book describing service delivery model for transition program. Describes book as combination of pragmatic, specific information about transition program curriculum and philosophical and historical information. Suggests described program is comprehensive, community-integrated effort at transition program for students with mild disabilities.…

This one-page abstract summarizes the final report of a federally funded project titled, "Maintaining the Work Rate of Youth with Severe Handicaps." The study evaluated the effects of two self-management techniques, self-monitoring and self-solicitation of feedback with seven 18- to 20-year-old severely and moderately retarded youth over…

Reviews seven new poetry collections that appeal to young adults and notes the need to incorporate poetry into educational programs. Discusses enrichment, language play, humor, rhyme and rhythm, fantasy, personal concerns, moral issues, cultural perspectives, and traditional values and beliefs. (AEF)

Discusses "Coming of Age: The Eighth-Grade Class of 1988 12 Years Later" (National Center for Education Statistics), a report that provides a comprehensive snapshot of the educational, socioeconomic, familial, and communal experiences of a cohort of 1988 eighth graders at a time of economic transformation. The report conveys the diverse and…

The selections of this annotated bibliography of books for children and young adults that feature biracial or biethnic families are coded according to overall literary and aesthetic quality. Twenty-four books are listed, with a fairly complete review and cataloging information for each. (SLD)

Writers across time have valued the use of fiction as a means of truth-telling. Fiction that portrays sexual minorities can lay claim to a place in the school curriculum for many of the same reasons that people include Shakespeare or Twain: they speak to the human experience in all its variety. But for those same reasons, fiction that speaks to…

Discusses the treatment of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in young adult problem novels and reviews eight novels that deal with AIDS. Emotional and educational issues are addressed, and a sidebar lists resources on AIDS for young people, including books, articles, videos, and pamphlets and posters. (LRW)

The average number of points assigned by 15-25 reviewers to each of 13 guidance and career development videotapes is recorded in a video quality assessment matrix. Reviewers were participants in Colorado State University's 1989-90 Colorado Career Guidance Video Review Project training sessions and videotapes were rated on: (1) instructional…