Examines the novels of Cynthia Voigt in terms of the recurring theme that the sacrifice of one's self or one's interest, usually for the supposed advantage of others, can in the long run do more harm than good. A bibliography of Voigt's novels is provided. (two references) (CLB)

Reviews research on "homesign" systems, i.e., the gestural communication of deaf individuals who do not learn a spoken language and who are not exposed to a signed language. The article touches on how iconicity affects language structure and use, the role of input in language development, and the nature of the critical period for…

Examines the biases that exist in American juvenile literature (K-10) dealing with Arabs to determine whether there is a negative bias in the portrayal of Palestinian Arabs. Bias is summarized under three main types: characterization and stereotyping; language and terminology; and cultural authenticity. (GLR)

Reviews Deborah Tannen's collection of essays, "Gender and Discourse." The review maintains that this collection is padded with anecdotes but provides little evidence of the research supposedly underlying this work. It is concluded that what is needed in a discussion of gender and discourse is a methodology in which linguistic features…

The Values Scale (VS) is a self-report inventory of 106 scored items yielding 21 separate scales for the individual assessment of upper elementary school and middle school students as well as adult members of semi-skilled, skilled, clerical, managerial, and professional occupations. The VS, available in seven languages, measures several intrinsic…