Such topics as death, divorce, old age, poverty, crime, racism, and handicaps are becoming the subjects of novels for young people and of picture books for children. If these books are to help children deal with social issues, conflicts, and concerns, they should foster realistic rather than stereotypical attitudes. Many books, for example,…

Bibliotherapy helps children explore, within the security of a story approach, the trauma and drama of life. The proliferation of literature on topics that were once taboo indicates a concern for intent which may result in a bandwagon approach with few criteria of selection. The annotated bibliography provided in this paper includes sixteen books…

The concept of bibliotherapy covers both the normal activity of librarians in suggesting books to readers, and the therapeutic adjuvant in medicine and psychiatry where reading is used in diagnosis or other specific phases of therapy. Mental hospitals have been the prime locale for the practice of bibliotherapy in the United States and Europe, but…

The Bibliotherapy Project, originally located at Agnews State Hospital, was transferred to the Santa Clara County Library in 1972 since the state of California announced the closing of the Hospital to the mentally ill. Most patients were returned to the community, where the County would provide the services formerly provided by the state. The new…

This report discusses the present state of guidance in the writing of book reports by children in Japan, the basic factors considered in proposing standards for book reports, and standards suggested for evaluating book reports. Many different book-report contests are held each year in Japan, and some contests are conducted on a scale large enough…

Trade books and teacher resources for the library are recommended for ten different curricular areas. (MKM)

The article discusses bibliotherapy as a classroom method to help meet personal, social, and emotional needs of learning disabled (LD) adolescents. (PHR)

Reviews books that deal with the adolescent need to break the ties of family and childhood and the depiction of courage and grace required to mend broken circles or to establish new ones. (EL)

Presents a bibliography of books on anorexia nervosa that are appropriate for young adults. Includes fiction, autobiographies, informational books, and books on the related topics of bulimia, bulimarexia, and therapy. (EL)

Cites literature for gay young adults that includes positive homosexual role models and attempts to provide answers for the confused teen. (CRH)

Noting that the death of a loved one brings grief to children as well as adults, this Digest draws on research to examine how children respond to death and the role of parents and teachers in helping children cope with loss. The Digest delineates children's "tasks" during mourning that are essential to their adjustment to loss, such as…

Discusses with brief annotations several novels that treat the problem of the adolescent trying to survive and grow in a broken home. (TO)

Argues that children will make mistakes in interpreting adult activities in reading biographies, although their role-taking abilities improve as they grow older. Gives suggestions to authors for making biography more comprehensible and useful to the child. Bibliography. (RW)

Examines the effectiveness of bibliotherapy in reducing the fears of second-grade children. Concludes that, at least in some cases, bibliotherapy instilled rather than eliminated fears. Suggests that teachers use the technique with caution, especially with lower elementary grade children. (FL)