Describes aspects of several libraries in Rio de Janeiro. Topics covered include library policies, budgets, periodicals and books in the collections, classification schemes used, and literary areas of interest to patrons. (6 references) (CLB)

Reports findings of a survey in which approximately 800 fifth and sixth grade students chose their favorite children's "classics." (FL)

Advocates the rights of early adolescents to (1) information they need on subjects such as AIDS, drugs, and reproduction; (2) information on topics they enjoy which may not be grounded in a school's curriculum; and (3) a sense of history. Seventeen recommended books are described in this context. (MES)

Suggests that L.T. Meade, a writer of books for adolescent girls in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, shifted from writing pious and didactic novels to novels that challenged the traditional role of women, in order to meet the continually changing interests and needs of her readers. (JC)

Describes the construction of a nonreading instrument (Preschool Reading Attitudes Scale) designed to assess attitudes toward reading in young children, aged three through five years. Demonstrates the scale to be valid and reliable with these age groups. (HOD)

Describes how an English teacher in a Queens, New York, ghetto school introduced her grade nine students to Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations." Focuses on students' responses, which eventually became enthusiastic, and discusses the use of classics within the curriculum. (KH)

Suggests sports literature as an alternative to traditional course work in high school reading classes. Explains how best to use it. (FL)

Reviews recent literature on student motivation and links it with possible classroom practices for improving the reading and study skills of adolescents. (FL)

This book provides a straightforward approach to finding and recommending good novels based on what sparks a reader's interest. With emphasis on award-winning fiction, the guide features more than 500 novels published between 1990 and 2001. This companion title uses the same easy-access organization used in the original "Now Read This: A Guide to…

In the mystery genre, the one characteristic that the enduring figures of Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and Encyclopedia Brown have in common is a rational mind. The source of their strength is their ability to think and think well. A study examined some typical examples of the mystery genre in young adult literature and surveyed children and…

This paper asks how findings from emergent literacy (the study of the reading and writing behaviors that develop into conventional literacy) can combine with findings from oral language development to expand the services provided to preschoolers with language impairments. After giving an overview of major concepts and research of emergent…

Suggests offering literature to children that is meaningful in terms of the child's growth and furture, and the future of people, rather than avoiding all books showing people and the world in less than idyllic contexts. (TO)

Discusses a study that sought to identify and describe the content interest patterns and print and television media preferences of middle-grade children and determine the relation of these patterns to sex, race, or socioeconomic status. (TO)

Reports on a national program that provides free books to underprivileged children in hopes of increasing their interest in reading and their ability to read. (VJ)