Recommends eight books about literature, literary criticism, and the teaching of literature. (MG)

Reviews in detail "Mind Matters: Teaching for Thinking" by Dan Kirby and Carol Kuykendall, which offers a new approach to teaching thinking skills. Discusses the questions posed by the book, such as "What is thinking?" and elaborates on the theoretical groundings as well. (PRA)

Advocates inclusion of Marianne Wiggins' novel "John Dollar" in high school reading lists and literature classes. Notes that the novel is an allegory rich in poetic suggestion, metaphorical language, and symbolic meaning. (RS)

Reviews a recently published picture book, "Beyond Words." Describes how the book might be used in the teaching of English to middle-school students. (HB)

Presents classroom teachers' recommendations for a variety of dictionaries that may heighten students' interest in language: a reverse dictionary, a visual dictionary, WEIGHTY WORD BOOK, a collegiate desk dictionary, OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY, DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN REGIONAL ENGLISH, and a dictionary of idioms. (ARH)

Reviews "The Elements of Literature," a high school literature anthology series. Concludes that the series is particularly strong in grades 9 and 10 although the selections for grades 11 and 12 are conservative. Recommends not purchasing the entire series with all its ancillary materials. (RS)

Reviews 12 nonfiction books submitted for the Carter G. Woodson Book Award that deal with the experiences of African Americans. Argues that many benefits can be reaped from the use of culturally pluralistic tradebooks in the language arts classroom. (RS)

Offers a review of nine books, presented in the form of an imagined conversation between the authors (leading scholars in the English-language arts today) as they discuss changes in language-arts curriculum, interdisciplinary curriculum, community-building in the classroom, teaching rather than showing films, and literature as a living tradition.…

Reviews two books: "The English Classroom in the Computer Age" (offering practical plans for integrating computers into writing courses), and "Evolving Perspectives on Computers and Composition Studies (which is more theoretical). Discusses technological literacy, political issues of access to technology, teacher training, and teaching practices.…

Offers a review of a book by John Gaughan, "Cultural Reflections: Critical Teaching and Learning in the English Classroom," a book filled with teaching ideas and insights that challenge English language-arts teachers to immerse students in text and topics that are important in their lives and to genuinely consider students and communities in…