Intended to provide the basis for a lifelong appreciation of literature, this curriculum guide outlines a sequence of instruction for elementary and secondary school students. Used in conjunction with the K-12 Reserved Literature List for the Lincoln, Nebraska public schools, the guide provides grids indicating the appropriate grade level for introducing, focusing on, or reinforcing specific literary content, such as characteristics of literary genres, structural elements, and language devices. It presents sample questions based on Benjamin Bloom's cognitive taxonomy to guide students' exploration of literature from simple recall to the increasingly more complex operations of application, analysis, and evaluation. It also presents thoughts, feelings, and experiences through literature. The resource section of the guide discusses literature's value and teacher and community responsibility to promote student appreciation of great books. It also presents general criteria for selecting instructional materials and specific guidelines for evaluating textbooks for racial or sexual bias. The final section, a glossary of literary concepts, acts as a support for teachers' lesson planning. (MM)