In order to determine the attitudes of sixth-grade children toward literary characters who are represented as speaking regional dialects of American English, 96 students (all Caucasian) were randomly placed into one of eight groups, each of which either heard or read two literary excerpts--one in nonstandard English and one as rewritten in standard English. Two excerpts, one from "A Long Day in November" (southern black dialect) and the other from "The Yearling" (southern white dialect), were alternated as to which was heard in dialect and which in standard English and as to which was heard first and which second. Analysis of data obtained from a multiple choice instrument showed that there were no significant differences in attitudes of students toward characters speaking either dialect; students were more positive about the story rewritten in standard English, regardless of oral or written presentation; students preferred to hear rather than to read "A Long Day in November" but evidenced no preference for presentation method of "The Yearling"; and girls from a lower socioeconomic level were more negative about southern black dialect than were girls from the upper and middle classes. (Author/JM)