Explores contemporary fiction by Native American authors, a body of work filled with imagery of both traditional tribal and mainstream American cultures. Native American fiction demonstrates the capacity of this literature to reflect the dynamics of American Indian cultural survival in the face of the objectification forced on the culture by the…

The author's doctoral dissertation started out as qualitative research--interviews with beginning women teachers exploring the transition from teacher education into the classroom. She explains why the material could be better conveyed in the form of the bildungsroman, a German term for a novel of formation or education. Chapter five of the…

This an annotated bibliography of children's books (fiction, picture books, general information, biographies, and folktales) about Brazil also describes three related classroom activities. (DGM)

Examines why editors publish certain books and trends in book publishing: memoir, business, management, history, spirituality, religion, science, self-help, and fiction. Provides an annotated bibliography of 21 books predicted to do well in the fall of 1997. (PEN)

Describes the development of "Alien Rescue," a hypermedia-based program designed to engage middle school students in solving a complex problem related to the solar system and that has a science fiction premise. Discusses planning; producing and testing; theoretical influences on the design methodology; and trends in educational software…

Suggests that a college English-as-a-Foreign-Language course using science fiction texts and films can help students whose imminent concern is not only language proficiency, but also the culture of an English-speaking world. Presents two techniques for helping students enjoy reading, thus enhancing their language skills. (Author/VWL)

Examining National Center for Health statistics, questions whether fictional television accounts of teenage suicide affect the teenage suicide rate. Assesses four films about teenage suicide, nationally televised in 1984 and 1985. Accounts for holiday and temporal effects, television new stories, and large city influences. Finds that the films did…

Discusses four types of historical understanding and argues for a developmental sequence in historical understanding. Suggests two frameworks: (1) the story-form framework (ages up to 8) and; (2) a romantic framework (ages 8-15), sketching a curriculum based on each. Argues that these forms are necessary for acquiring more sophisticated levels of…

Describes how writing fiction helps students to write more effectively, think more critically, and enter difficult territory of complex issues. Illustrates how two students' stories led into discussions of meaning and values. (KEH)

Focuses on letter writing as a way of evaluating children's growth as responders to fiction. Points out that not all children will enter into letter writing with equal success but concludes that it is a potentially powerful tool for teaching and learning. (MG)

Trends and cultural differences are examined in the history of the novel in France and the United States since 1906. These trends and cultural differences are proposed as a way of teaching American culture. (MSE)

Claims that too many authors of young adult fiction do not use females in the main character roles. Provides examples of novels which are written by women and focus on a girl's coming of age, without falling back on stereotypes. (MG)

Highlights characteristics of most anorectic sufferers while describing three books on the topic. Offers an extended bibliography of several additional books about anorexia nervosa. (MG)

Presents an interview with T.A. Barron, an author of a trilogy of novels about a 12-year-old girl. Topics include character development, adult/child relationships, themes, writing processes, the influence of children on the writing, adult science fiction and young-adult classification of the books, and research and rewrites. (AEF)

The literature on how children begin understanding subjectivity and point of view in fictional stories is considered. Examination of the oral stories of a five-year-old child indicated the ability to depict the beliefs, intentions, feelings, and perceptions of the story characters. Implications for assessment and interventions to help children…