Presents a list of adult mystery titles for young adult readers. Includes first titles in a series (for reading in order); new and lesser-known mystery authors' works are the focus. Annotations include plot summary. The rest of each annotation is for professional use (includes date and name of award bestowed). (AEF)

Audiobooks are a lasting pleasure for children. This article discusses what to consider when choosing audiobooks for gifts: quality of story, quality of narration, and appeal to the child and the rest of the family. Includes an annotated bibliography of realistic fiction, fantasy, short stories, and nonfiction audiobooks for grades 1-12. (PEN)

Contains an annotated bibliography of African American literature (published between 1989 and 1994), including anthologies, fiction, poetry, drama, criticism, cultural studies, biography, interviews, and letters. (TB)

Advocates play in a child's life. Describes how science fiction seizes the imaginations of young readers with its tales of the future and of outer space. Talks about various nonfiction books about space. Elaborates a workshop on books about space exploration. Gives 10 questions about stimulating student response. (PA)

Describes a study that used the OCLC Online Union Catalog to identify those adult fiction books owned by the largest number of public libraries to determine whether a core collection of titles could be identified for use in evaluating adult fiction collections. Future research is recommended and a list of the top 99 titles is appended. (Author/LRW)

One way to encourage the development of critical thinking in physical education students is to incorporate sports fiction for young adults into the curriculum. This type of fiction can have a powerful effect on young people as they read about situations that they may have experienced or imagined. The article describes how to implement sports…

Considers how while some Robin Hood books are clearly intended for young readers, others blur the boundaries, sometimes in ways that help break down artificial boundaries dividing fiction for children from that for adults. Explores the legend's long history to help understand why the story lends itself to such a wide variety of retellings.…

Discusses the issues surrounding children's series books and argues the need for children to read more quality literature. Highlights include commercial successes; reasons for their popularity, including the comfort of easy reading and stereotypical characters, social appeal, and fulfillment of childhood needs; marketing; and the difficult…

Notes that the selections in this cluster of books, intended for students in the intermediate and middle school grades, portray youth as they courageously take strands for environmental protection or against societal injustice. Summarizes 10 titles including nonfiction, fiction, and picture books. (SG)

Drawing on works of literary theory and postmodern fiction, discusses the relationship between reader, writer, and text. Examines the boundaries and frontiers that writers patrol and readers inhabit as they live out their personal lives with texts. (DMM)

Presents 13 books which were suggested by teachers in response to the question: "What adult novel published during the 1980s would you recommend in your classroom?" Includes annotations for each book which describe it and its effects in the classroom. (SR)

Resistance to schooling of characters in 10 works of fiction was analyzed and findings applied to traditional literacy/adult basic education (ABE) programs. The results suggest that resistance occurs when values clash. Since ABE programs tend to reproduce the values of the dominant culture, they contribute to the resistance of those outside the…

Describes how a nine-week mini-course in science fiction and fantasy stimulated students to think critically and creatively and to make connections across disciplines. Notes that the mini-course was replaced by a required survey of the British classics, sacrificing critical literacy for cultural literacy. (RS)

Reports on comparisons of genres of award-winning picture books from Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the U.S. Most of the books were from the genres of folklore and fantasy. (NH)

Describes two approaches to introducing a novel to elementary students. Maintains that the second approach, which encourages reader response, is more effective than the first, which mandates the learning of 100 new vocabulary words. Describes a discussion technique based on a "discussion web" or map of possibilities that helps students to explore…