This survey drew on a variety of national surveys and book industry publication and sales statistics to examine the number and kinds of people reading fiction, poetry, and drama. The survey used data from three different national surveys of readers conducted in the mid-1980s and including over 30,000 subjects to conclude that while literature…

This collection of poems, short fiction, and essays on teaching writing, 25 pieces in all, are personal reflections and excerpts from the work of writers and writing teachers. These works, reflecting diverse approaches to teaching, are intended to help writers with what and how they write and what and how they teach. (MS)

The result of a review of fiction for young people ages 9 through 14, this bibliography contains titles of works of fiction that achieve the goal of combining a good readable story with sensitivity to a wide range of negative stereotyping. The bibliography begins with an introduction that discusses in detail the reviewing process that culminated…

A study was conducted to explore student response to literature and the influence of classroom experiences on that response. Three novels were selected for study: "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger, "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, and "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway. Each of 54 freshman English students read one of the…

This study involving 120 fifth grade and 120 kindergarten children (all middle class) was designed to assess the extent to which children's understanding of observed violence as fantasy (fictional), as opposed to real (documentary), influences their subsequent aggressive behavior. Children were exposed to a violent televised episode that was…

This paper describes the content and implementation of a course designed to teach science and technology majors about science fiction. Although many students had expressed little interest in the imaginative world of literature, the scientific content of the texts used attracted their attention and legitimized their involvement in something outside…

Children's fiction books can be used to develop concepts of number, shapes, words, etc. (JH)

An undergraduate course in ancient history which debunks the current hypothesis that the earth was visited from outerspace is described. (DE)

Part of a series: "National Library Week, April 20-26.

This paper discusses the role that geography plays in the enhanced comprehension of some literature. One way to demonstrate the value and utility of geography is to show how geographers can contribute to other fields and the interrelationships with other disciplines. Many novelists have used geographical concepts to good advantage. Examples…

Science fiction offers many perspectives on human communication, including (1) a recurring theme about intrapersonal communication, (2) a nontraditional perspective on "family" communication, and (3) a philosophy of communication that can be drawn from some fantasy literature. Although numerous science fiction stories describe alien creatures who…

A study was conducted to discover the components of books that children prefer over and above those children's books that adults critically acclaim. Forty intermediate-level fiction books included in the "Children's Choices" listings for 1978 to 1980 were read by three adult researchers and classified according to A. Applebee's taxonomy…

This publication outlines a unit of study which uses speculative fiction and artistic expression to help students in grades 7-12 view technology and understand how it changes. Speculative fiction is defined as that type of fiction that deals with different assumptions and projections about the future. Throughout the unit the art form highlighted…