Examines two common informal models for editorial decision making-- the referendum model and the target group model--and suggests a prioritization model that offers greater precision at the price of a modest increase in formality. (GW)

Describes an informal reading inventory designed especially for secondary students which includes silent reading passages and an interest inventory. (MKM)

Discusses several junior/young adult books which deal with teenagers' problems and have strong appeal to young readers. (MKM)

In order to improve the reading attitudes and literary discrimination of children, we must know both their interests and the best books of the past and present. We must then see that the right book gets into the right child's hands when he has the opportunity to sit down and enjoy it. (Author/GC)

Suggests that a series of short interest inventories spread over a period of time is helpful both to teacher and to students. (DD)

Investigates the effect of three types of characters and settings on the reading interests of first and third grade children. (MS)

Lists an annual annotated bibliography of trade books compiled to aid teachers, librarians, and parents in identifying books children like. (MB)

Reports on a study which examined reading lists of Native and non-Native students in one Alaskan school to determine whether Native children prefer books about Alaskan people. Findings indicate that both groups choose high quality books, regardless of cultural content. (ARH)

The reading interest of adolescents was surveyed in relation to their personal and academic characteristics, both objective and based on teacher judgments. A table was prepared which demonstrates the effects of those characteristics and judgments on the percentages of students reading each topic voluntarily. (JAZ)

Deaf students entering postsecondary programs were surveyed about their recreational reading habits and preferences. Responses showed that deaf students read, on the average, 10 books a year, 4.1 magazines a month, and 6.4 newspapers a week. It was concluded that recreational reading is relatively independent of reading achievement. (Author/CB)

Describes the Author Festival held every two years in Humboldt County, California, at which students meet authors of juvenile and young adult books. Though the festival focuses on the students, authors have the opportunity to discuss their works with each other, and the festival conveys appreciation of their works. (SRT)

Following a brief discussion of two facets of written material readability--reading ease and human interest--two reasons why written instructional material may be so difficult to read are considered: use of technical vocabulary and abstract language. Suggestions to make written instructional materials more readable are provided. (MBR)

Discusses the handling of the issue of nuclear holocaust in books for children. (EL)

Although basic literacy will continue to be necessary for survival, mass communications and information technology are bringing about an inevitable and lamentable decline in reading for pleasure and in the love of literature for its own sake. (TE)

Concludes that cultural identity does not seem to differentiate newspaper readership or time spent with newspapers among Hispanics. (FL)