A selection of academic libraries was studied to examine ownership of best-sellers from 1940 to 1990. The trend is to keep a higher percentage of older best-sellers in fiction than newer ones. Nonfiction appears to be more sporadic but still follows this trend. Findings indicate new collection development policies may be needed to protect…

"Manga," or Japanese comics, differ from American comics by their lack of color, the attitude of their audience, and their acceptance of nudity. Several science fictional and action-oriented "manga" for young adult and general audiences are described. (AEF)

Traces the 48-year history of the "white-life" novel in American literature and argues that these novels, written by black or other non white authors, conform to majority group tastes and expectations for reasons of attaining literary and financial success at the expense of denying the author's own heritage. Several literary works are…

Examines, via the multicultural feminist perspective, 16 young adult novels about non-white, non-American, or nonheterosexual characteristics concerning themes of oppression and resistance. Findings point to a greater variety of such themes than might have been found if only a liberal feminist lens had been used. (GR)

Presents an annotated bibliography of best new fiction for ages 11 to 13, determined by a team of San Francisco Bay Area librarians, middle school teachers, and middle school students. Includes remarks from middle school readers in most annotations. Presents two additional lists of books championed by middle school readers despite adult skepticism…

Discusses English-as-a-Second-Language book clubs for adult students, highlighting the benefits and describing the format. Reveals comprehension strategies used for discussion. (Author/VWL)

Interactive fiction has great potential for use in schools, providing engaging and empowering opportunities for learning and literacy. Experiences with interactive fiction provide two key components lacking in contemporary storytelling mediums: autonomy (the ability to act and change on its own) and interactivity (or the ability to think and react…

This article provides a rationale for using literature in the classroom to explore conceptions of curriculum and teaching. We discuss a number of exemplars from children's and young adult fiction, both mainstream and less well known; offer a taxonomy for categorizing the range of visions of curriculum and teaching in the literature; and describe…

Debra Magpie Earling, author of the 2002 novel "Perma Red," does not appear as a named character in her text, which has been designated as a work of fiction. Eighteen years in the making, "Perma Red" is an intricate, intimate expression of self-life narration that is Earling's act of publicly honoring the Aunt Louise she never…

Designed to help teachers, students, and parents identify engaging and insightful books for young adults, this book presents annotations of over 1,000 books published between 1990 and 1994. The book begins with a foreword by award-winning author Jerry Spinelli that tells students why they should read. Annotations in the book are grouped by subject…

This reference book includes 51 alphabetically arranged entries about writers of multicultural fiction for young adults. Each entry consists of a biographical introduction to the author, an overview of his or her major young adult works, a section on the critical reception of the author's writings, a bibliography of works by the author, and a…

A study expanded on earlier research into "envisionment," defined as "a personal text-world embodying all the reader understands, assumes, or imagines up to that point in the reading," in learners of English as a second language (ESL). Five Mexican engineering students performed think-aloud protocols while reading a short…

Taking off from the theme that makes Laurence Yep such a popular and beloved young adult author--the outsider seeking identity and connection in a strange, foreign world--this study of Yep's most important works shows how his experiences as a Chinese American in San Francisco fill his stories with firsthand knowledge of what it is like to be an…

This handbook has been guiding writers through the writing process for many years, helping them every step of the way, from getting ideas to getting published. In 110 chapters, the revised and updated 1996 edition presents the practical side of how to write and sell novels, short stories, articles, nonfiction books, poetry, and drama. The 3,000…

Designed to help teachers open young minds to literature, this book presents criteria for evaluating books in all genres and their suggested classroom uses, an examination of hotly debated topics, and an overview of the significance of young adult literature. The fourth edition of the book features 30 boxed inserts containing essays by some of the…