Intended as a survey of the children's short story and aimed especially at parents and education professionals, this anthology provides insight into the historical development of the short story for children, showing how the perception of childhood and changing attitudes have influenced writers of different periods. The anthology is…

The most powerful determinants of children's reading seem to be 1) accessibility, 2) readability, and 3) interest. (Author/PF)

In an effort to demonstrate the influence of reading, a reading and skills improvement instructor asked college students what book made the greatest difference in their lives and what that difference was. The instructor polled 120 students and listed 20 of those responses and their emotional reactions. Book titles ranged from "The Bible" and "A…

A study examined the roles of reading in a community by describing the reading activities of individuals and demographic subgroups of individuals. After the preliminary, trial phase to determine the feasibility of the survey, 109 adult wage earners from 4 occupation groups, in a community of 6,000 households, responded to an inventory designed to…

A study of formula fiction books was conducted to determine how these books fit into women's lives, what images they bring to mind, and what uses they serve. Seventy-two women from the ages of 18 to 70 read a Harlequin Romance novel by Sue Byfield. Then the group participated in several focus group discussions, a qualitative indepth technique that…

The interaction between the individual and his reading was analyzed according to four major points, and the contributions that reading can make to his total development were discussed. The first major point discussed was purpose for reading. It was pointed out that teachers need to help each pupil see the need for reading in terms of his own…

Describes a recreational reading program which was so successful in its first year that it became an established component in the curriculum in the second year. (JM)

Explores the problem of how children react to stories read to them in the classroom and discusses the comments of a ten-year-old boy about six novels read aloud to him. (JM)

Discusses the importance of making nonfiction a pleasure to read. (EL)

Discusses the 1985 American Booksellers' Convention in San Francisco and the growing proliferation of children's bookstores. (EL)

Points out that reading has to be made something that those learning to read want to do, now, and in the future, and argues that people who can read should help those who cannot. (EL)

Reviews the title novel as a rare example of contemporary fiction for children with its chastened prose and suggestive details. (CRH)

Focuses on the period in which the idea of reading for entertainment asserted itself with particular vigor in the area of children's literature, the period following the Civil War in the United States. (Author)