Describes and evaluates several fiction classification systems from the perspective of how well they answer likely reader queries regarding subjects of novels, and their utility for browsing. The usefulness of subject headings for card catalogs and print and online indexes to enhance topical access to fiction is discussed. (Author/MBR)

Relates the experience of a teacher who discovered that students enjoy studying literature if they are allowed to experience it rather than analyze it. Contends that the effort to teach books at the secondary level using literary criticism is a misguided response to a national literacy crisis. (SRT)

Describes children's reactions to a television adaptation of a juvenile novel. Finds that the children enjoyed discussing the adaptation with the interviewer and usually sought out the original book to read on their own. Concludes that both books and their televised version should be incorporated into a wider approach to teaching fiction. (MM)

Literacy consultant Joan Groeber provides educators with a teacher-friendly, step-by-step guide for creating and using rubrics to assess a wide range of literacy skills. Groeber's approach helps ensure that students gain a clear understanding of teacher expectations and assume a greater responsibility for their own learning. Offering an overview…

Fables and trickster stories are short narratives that use animal characters with human features to convey folk wisdom and to help people understand human nature and human behavior. These stories were originally passed down through oral tradition and were eventually written down. These lesson plans are intended for students in grades 3-5 and…

Part of a series, the purpose of this low-readability/high interest book is to use higher order thinking to develop students' reading comprehension skills. The reading skills addressed in the book are based on state reading standards and assessment tests for grades five and six. The goal of the series of books is to teach students how to analyze…

Intended for teachers of grades 4-8, this book presents eight plays based on classic mysteries by famous writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ellery Queen, Dashiell Hammett, and O. Henry. The excitement of mystery stories offers a great way to introduce young people to the pleasures of reading. The plays in the book have…

Conducted in a kindergarten and first-grade combination classroom, a study examined two differing introductions to proposed journal entries, written after students listened to two stories of narrative fiction. Both stories were written by Margaret and H.A. Rey and focus upon Curious George as the main character. During the first phase of the data…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to comprehending, interpreting, and evaluating information in fictional…

Noting that everyday creativity often requires imaginative insight, this book provides opportunities for children and adults to invent and problem solve by confronting puzzling scenarios that invite visual imagination. Each of the 71 activities in the book begins with a scenario that promotes speculative imagination. In the creative- and…

Uses some of the most thoughtful writers of science fiction as guides to possible future educational needs and developments and offers suggestions as to ways Scotland might adapt and develop its educational system to meet those needs and developments. (CM)

Presents journal entries concerning the methods, classroom illustrations, conversations, and results of teaching fiction writing to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students at a New York City junior high school. (RL)

Asserts that informational reading material is scarce in primary classrooms and that many primary grade teachers do not know enough strategies for helping children understand this type of reading material. Describes an effort to engage a group of first-grade children in reading and writing experiences involving informational texts and related…

Describes a history fair for a fifth-grade class in U.S. history. Contends that the fair provided students with opportunities to integrate their understanding of history from historical fiction, nonfiction, and textbooks. (CFR)

There are two kinds of books of Jewish interest in public schools: informational nonfiction (generally classified in the religious section of the library), and picture books and fiction. Children's books of Jewish interest are evaluated for quality and how they fit into multicultural curricula. A brief annotated bibliography is provided.…