Contemporary realistic fiction allows young readers/listeners to experience events that they would never encounter in real life or practice what they might someday experience. Realistic fiction benefits children as they may: see past the limitations of their own experiences; learn to reflect on choices in their own lives; acquire sympathy for…

Young adult (YA) literature, which is written for readers in grades 6-10, is a relatively new part of the literary spectrum. In the few decades it has been around, YA literature has developed a following among students, teachers, and librarians. This collection of 12 essays explores the reasons YA literature is so popular, and ways it can be used…

This advisory resource provides a method of understanding the criteria that a reader uses to judge a novel, and recommends titles that fit those criteria. Each book was assigned a primary appeal characteristic of Setting, Story, Characters, and Language. Some were also assigned a secondary appeal characteristic. The book is divided into four…

Observing that basal readers and standardized testing lead teachers to focus on facts when dealing with novels or poetry in class, this monograph discusses research on response to literature. The monograph also presents classroom activities designed to allow students to explore the forms, the language, and the imagery of fiction, poetry, and…

This book, part of a series which serve as guides for K-12 teachers who are striving to align lively, classroom-tested practices with standards, gathers together brief articles spotlighting instructional suggestions. The book begins with overviews of the key component of fiction, with special emphasis on character. It then continues with a section…

Three significant changes have impacted the teaching of social studies to young adolescents in the past decade: (1) development of the curriculum standards for social studies by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS); (2) growth in the number of middle schools, which are premised on the integration of content; and (3) expansive use of…

This book, the third volume in the NCTE High School Literature Series, explores the joys of reading and teaching the stories and poems of noted Mexican American author Sandra Cisneros. Already a fixture in many high school English classes, her works resonate with the challenges and promises of living in a multicultural society, and they appeal to…

Designed to grow into a 2-inch three-ring binder, this handbook is part of a series for teachers of grades 6-8 language arts. The handbook aims to clarify some points, to provide a framework for new teachers and to give veteran teachers some new ideas. Volume I contains activities to use in the classroom, and Volume II is "all about…

This book, intended for teachers of grades 4-8, is organized into 9 units with distinct genres or subgenres of literature. Each of the units begins with an overview for the teacher summarizing the essential characteristics of the genre, followed by pre-reading activities to help students recall and organize their previous reading, followed by a…

This collection of essays grew out of the "Reading Stephen King Conference" held at the University of Maine in 1996. Stephen King's books have become a lightning rod for the tensions around issues of including "mass market" popular literature in middle and high school English classes and of who chooses what students read.…

Because students often come to a literary text without the prerequisite knowledge to understand or explicate it fully, they can be thought of as outsiders, needing the help of insiders, or experts in literature, to "learn the text's secrets." Moreover, students often do not fully comprehend how much of literature rests on symbolism that demands…

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…

Intended for teachers of grades K-2, this book aims to inspire students with the award-winning art and stories found in Caldecott books. The book uses Caldecott winners as springboards to provide lively, literature-based learning experiences--from projects that encourage children's own artistic expression to fun and creative activities that…

Intended to encourage teachers and students to take a fresh look at children's literature, this practical collection of ideas offers plot summaries and suggests teaching strategies for 57 notable children's books. Books in the collection were chosen "outstanding trade books" by a National Council of Teachers of English committee on trade…

Drawn fron a conference attended by more than 150 educators from England, the United States, Canada, South Africa, India, China, New Zealand, and Australia, the papers in this compilation deal with a variety of aspects of literature instruction. Papers in the first section of the compilation provide reports on seminars held during the week-long…