Includes two articles that discuss science fiction and future possibilities in information technology: "'Jurassic Park' and Al Jolson: Thinking about the Information Revolution" (Connie Willis) and "The Good and the Bad: Outlines of Tomorrow" (David Brin). (LRW)

Reviews 1994 Canadian publications for elementary and secondary audiences and presents an annotated list of 43 nonfiction, fiction, and picture books with specific age recommendations. (JKP)

Identifies and discusses themes and resources related to American academic fiction, novels whose main characters are professors, college students, and those associated with academia, and includes bibliographies on American academic fiction. Sidebars present the best academic fiction for 1980-1994, online catalog search strategies to access…

Presents a framework within which to organize and synthesize existing knowledge about children's understanding of the mental states of imagination, pretense, and dreams. Concludes that by the age of three, children understand important fundamental aspects of the mental nature, origin, and truth-relation of fictional mental states, but that their…

Discusses the writings of Amino Kiku, a modern Japanese female author. Questions why Amino is ignored in most compilations of Japanese writers. Concludes that she is ignored because Japanese women's literature is defined by men, all Japanese literary critics are male, and Amino's female characters are not defined by their relationships with men.…

Uses stimulated recall to elicit a retrospective account from a student following his production of an artistic text representing his view of the relationship of two central characters in a short story. Analyzes the student's process of composition. Suggests that nonlinguistic texts can help students construct meanings. (HB)

Explores important themes in Armenian-American poetry, fiction, and drama; and reviews a number of contemporary authors writing in English and Armenian. The Armenian identity forged in America is best expressed in the literature of Armenian Americans. Recent political events may enlarge the audience for these works. (SLD)

Presents guidelines used by a first-grade teacher to teach students to write fictional stories based on things they know and using children's literature as models. Describes the benefits of writing workshops and outlines a method for teaching techniques that professional writers use. (SM)

Explains how to perform a booktalk as a readers' theater script and offers guidelines for staging. Two examples are given, one for a picture book and one for a novel; and nine booktalks are provided for historical books that are suitable for adaptation as readers' theater scripts. (LRW)

Describes how a ninth grade teacher uses film, fiction, and composition to teach civic literacy. States that peer-response and peer-editing groups were also used. (PRA)

Introduces a new column written for the one-computer classroom and offers several perspectives for connecting software applications to trade book reading. Describes eight software packages for extending and enhancing students' reading of different genres: fairy tales, realistic fiction, science fiction, and biography and historical fiction in…

Discusses the way that realistic fictional narratives are an effective reading material for adolescents who are uninterested in reading. Provides an extensive list of short realistic novels that all tackle real issues faced by today's teen. (HB)

Studies the relationship between adolescent fiction and nonfiction and the attainment of critical reading skills. Outlines a teaching method focusing on social issues discussed. Outlines the contents of a number of adolescent novels used. Claims that this approach fosters critical reading and thinking skills. (HB)

Discusses the female characters in the novels of Lois Duncan, especially in their roles as victims. Argues that, although these characters often begin the novels as stereotypes, they usually turn out to be complex individuals by the novel's end. Shows how Duncan encourages readers to take responsibility for their actions. (HB)

Describes a project that immerses students in the world of Nazi-occupied Europe. Students study the works of Holocaust victims and survivors, examining influences on style, content, and themes as a writer. (AEF)