Summarizes a study of 13-year-olds' expectations about the ways in which stories will end, and their ideas about what makes a "good" ending. (AA)

Discusses the portrayal of mothers in contemporary fiction for young adults. (DD)

Reviews two works of fiction and three of nonfiction that have been translated from English to Spanish. (GT)

Describes successful pre-reading techniques for vocational tenth graders. (DD)

Discusses John Masefield's abilities as a storyteller and recommends his books as good literature for children. (JM)

Suggests that in her novels of fairy tale/fantasy fiction for adolescents, Robin McKinley emphasizes the values found in most fantasy fiction, courage and honor. Also suggests she makes an important contribution to balancing gender roles in young adult fiction by portraying female characters who are physically strong, smart, and courageous. (RS)

Examines children's picture books about soldiers and war, including fiction, folktales, and historical fiction, analyzing their implicit and explicit messages about war and the military, and evaluating them for gender stereotyping. Finds that the soldiers conform almost uniformly to an exaggerated male stereotype. Shows different value judgments…

Considers that because literature can exert such a powerful hold on the imagination, certain works can be used to invite students to become more literate and to encourage students to take responsibility for their ongoing personal development. Notes that reading and other ways of learning are shown in fictional works of Louis L'Amour to be a rich…

Describes the treatment by several novelists and ethnographers of the rainwitch myth of southwest native culture, which concerns a woman who has magical powers to bring about rainfall. Discusses the influence of classical mythology on its development in modern times. (DM)

Shares a story about a young girl who gains confidence through encouragement from and interaction with a special teacher. (MG)

Examines the treatment of foreign characters in adolescent fiction series of the twentieth century. Numerous examples of stereotypical images, portrayals of foreign inferiority, dialect, and derogatory designations are provided, along with some positive images. The potential impact on adolescent readers is discussed. (43 references) (CLB)

Annotates 112 children's books selected by children as the best of those published in 1989. (MM)

Defines the boundaries between "realist" literature and science fiction and fantasy. Describes science fiction writing assignments. Mentions science fiction and fantasy books suitable for the uninitiated reader. (RS)

Describes the background to some books written by the author, and discusses her desire to motivate those adolescents who do not usually read to read her books. Expresses a desire to write quality books that will win adolescents over to reading. (MG)

A discussion of Romantic literature examines the links between literature and history and a mythic mechanism, a recurrent polarization between two opposite trends (myth and history) at the level of discourse, symbols, and representation. Mytho-romantic and neo-romantic are distinguished and examined. (Author/MSE)