Young adults can and should evaluate their classroom and leisure reading materials using the literature's reflections on real life, artistry in details, and significant insights as valid criteria. (CJ)

Speculates on what might be gained by using three of Robert Cormier's novels ("I Am the Cheese,""The Chocolate War," and "After the First Death") in the high school classroom. Suggests that the novels can be used not only as compelling literary works but also as a means of helping students understand what is happening…

A comparison of a highly acclaimed, recent realistic adolescent novel, Richard Peck's "Are You in the House Alone?" with J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" yields some surprises. For all its realism of subject matter (including rapes, birth control, and corrupt adults) and its skillful exposition of the traumas of growing up, too often…

Describes an experience during classroom discussion of Alice Walker's "Roselily" that led a teacher to revise her understanding of multiculturalism. Defines three problematic yet popular approaches to understanding the differences in culture in the United States and then presents a fourth approach that encourages students to see themselves and…

Reviews Robert Newton Peck's "A Day No Pigs Would Die," pointing out the values of a courageous display of duty to others and to tasks at hand, and a vision that appreciates the natural order of life. (EL)

The articles in this journal issue focus on adolescent literature. In the first article, author Sue Ellen Bridgers explains how she writes books, while the second article offers an analysis of the recent works of Paul Zindel. The third article presents a discussion of the treatment of outsiders, such as the mentally ill, in four Roy Brown…

Analyzes Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" and offers seven suggestions for classroom activities involving study of the book. (GT)

Discusses how myth may be applied in the classroom to the reading of a popular novel, Felice Holman's "Slake's Limbo." (MM)

States that reading Scott O'Dell's popular juvenile book, "The Island of the Blue Dolphins," can increase high school students' comprehension and appreciation of Herman Melville's "The Encantadas," as both works are fictional treatments of the same historic event. (MM)

Investigates characteristics of young adult romance novels, particularly their lack of humor. Discusses ways to use romance in the classroom. Provides a list of young adult novels that deal with romance, humor, and body image. (MM)

This teaching guide for "Where the Lilies Bloom" provides an introduction, a plot summary, and a conclusion as background information. The guide furnishes questions for discussion which focus on plot, point of view, setting, characters, interpretation and symbolism, ethical questions, and conclusion. (NKA)

Offers 50 diverse suggestions intended to offer students new ways to think about a piece of literature, new directions to explore, and ways to respond with greater depth to the books they read. (SR)

The feature articles in this journal issue deal with various aspects of Canadian literature. The articles include: (1) a discussion of who's who and what's what in Canadian literature; (2) reviews of worthwhile but overlooked Canadian children's literature; (3) a list of resource guides to Canadian literature and a short quiz over famous first…

Young adult literature is the subject of this journal. The first article, "The Executioner Sings" (Jay Bennett), relates how and why its author writes. The next article, "Cinderella and the Pigman" (Lucy E. Waddey), explains why kids read the works of Judy Blume and Paul Zindel. "An interview with Keven Major" (Mike…

The author describes how character wheels can be used to produce writing and literary analysis exercises for adolescents. The character wheel describes a character, an object, or a concept six ways: (1) physical description, (2) thoughts, (3) behavior, (4) speech, (5) setting, and (6) reaction of others. (CH)