Offers "A Modest Proposal" to assist teachers and other school personnel in their attempts to anticipate censorship trouble directed most particularly at middle school language arts teachers. Suggests the creation of a "Published Materials List," and outlines steps for creating and disseminating a list. Discusses several benefits with the use and…

Suggests guidelines, taken from adult reading groups, for teachers to use when establishing reading club groups in the classroom which include discussing the purpose for reading clubs, demonstrating how to choose a book to read, and establishing rules for the reading club groups. (NH)

Examines some of the issues related to evaluating and selecting picture books, informational books, and multicultural literature. Discusses historical trends in each of the three genres from before the 1950s through the 1990s. (RS)

Argues that good young adult books about war can help teenagers appreciate the blessings of peace and the horrors of war, and perhaps may inspire them to do what they can to preserve peace. Describes briefly 71 young adult war books worth reading. (SR)

Explores why the most therapeutic books for children are the ones they choose themselves, based on the experiences of a psychoanalyst. Presents several examples of children who chose unexpected books that helped them deal with their problems and explains that books need to fit the child's emotional needs. (LRW)

Discusses how to evaluate collective biographies of women, offering specific evaluation and selection criteria that examine the author, the collection itself, bias and stereotypes, the relationship of the collective biography's text to other books, and the intended audience. Discusses 29 books that offer collective biographies of women. (SR)

Presents annotations of 30 works of adolescent literature published in 1996 and chosen by teenagers. Includes bibliographic data and grade level suggestions. (RS)

Discusses nine books (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) for children that center on bats. Focuses on one book ("Silverwing") as an example of the animal fantasy genre, which can tell the adventures of a particular animal, impart environmental knowledge and concerns, and include intriguing, solid facts about the animal in question. Offers…

Presents brief annotations of 39 illustrated children's books (published in 1997 and 1998) in which a triumph was achieved, a treasure was found, a discovery was made, a challenge was overcome, an inspiration was felt, or a surprise was experienced. (SR)

Offers brief descriptions, written by middle schoolers, of 12 books for adolescents, novels in which children and young people endure hardship and struggle, and triumph over the odds. (SR)

Suggests that modern realistic fiction for young readers is intensely moralistic and directive at the spoken and unspoken behest of the adults who write, select, and buy that literature. Discusses moral tales, early realistic fiction, modern realistic fiction, and choosing realistic fiction. (RS)

Offers brief annotations of 30 trade books for adolescents published in 1998 chosen in voting by over 11,000 students in grades 7-12. (SR)

Argues that math stories engage children and connect mathematical ideas to students' own personal experiences; that such books provide learning opportunities for children with different learning styles; and that children advance not only their mathematics skills but their critical thinking, language arts, and comprehension skills through such…

Notes that English teachers have to do their part in teaching literary-cultural literacy, but they also have a responsibility to expose students to the wide range of literature that exists outside of the de facto Young Adult Literature perpetuated by school curricula. Presents annotations of 10 new or overlooked Young Adult books worth reading.…

Discusses approximately 25 instructional materials to give ideas for after school enrichment programs. Lists 10 resources for finding such literature. (SG)