This article reports and discusses the findings of an initial inquiry into secondary school students' comprehension strategy use during small-group, peer-led discussions of literary text. One classroom of ninth-grade English students in the midwestern United States participated in the inquiry. Data consisted of the verbatim transcripts of four…

This paper (a) reintroduces E. Franklin Frazier's 1939 book, "The Negro Family in the United States," to family scholars and graduate students and highlights its importance as a groundbreaking and classic text, (b) provides both an introduction to the major thesis of this monograph and a reading of the text, and (c) discusses the…

Good literature stimulates thinking; evokes ideas, creates mental images, and engages the emotions. A classic is simply a literary work that has endured over time, has universal meaning, and explores the human condition. Classic books children enjoy are suggested. (MT)

The author recommends Tom Sawyer,'' Huckleberry Finn,'' Hans Brinker,'' Little Women,'' The Story of a Bad Boy,'' and The Peterkin Papers,'' as the major classics with current appeal. Also included are a few more recent titles recommended for children's reading. (SJ)

States that "Little Women" has appeared in many guises and many media; explores what the process of reworking has done to the story and its impact on readers' literary experiences. Looks at some of the fictional worlds created by the different films and subsequent novelizations; turns to the kinds of packaged texts produced by the…

Argues that when introductory activities to the classics begin with background information, it can upstage or confine the life of the story, and shows little faith in the students as readers or in the literature itself. Suggests sometimes letting the literature begin, and then helping students make sense of it. Discusses examples from "To Kill a…

Notes that the use of Young Adult literature to introduce the complex literary concept of the archetype is ideally suited to teachers of gifted students in high school classrooms. Discusses how once students understand the concept of archetypes in literature, they can begin to make deeper connections among all of the literary works that they read.…

In this article, the author insists that those seeking public office prove their literary mettle. As an English teacher, he does have a litmus test for all public officials, judges and senators included--a reading litmus test. He would require that all candidates and nominees have read and reflected on a nucleus of works whose ideas and insights…

There are no classic children's books, if by classics we mean books that will last forever. Instead, it is a matter of constant reevaluation. At most, we have older works that are still valuable today because they touch upon the human and artistic problems of our time. (Author/SJ)

Signposts to Spanish children's classics are provided because the author feels that our century ought not to be detached from earlier periods, but rather that modern creativity should, increasingly, dig deeper in search of the rich mine of our ancient legacy. (Author/SJ)

Reports what various educators believe classics are and what their place should be in the English curriculum. (JL)

Finds that "Three Little Pigs" shows children what the world is like--depicting the conflict of choice, etc. Examines different versions of the tale and questions students about text differences. Gives questions for stimulating student response. (PA)

Discusses the argument among critics of American higher education on the relationship between theory and practice. Compares the ideas of John Dewey and Bernard Lonergan and examines the movement from classicism to method and its significance to education. (DM)

Provides an overview of science fiction titles in print and discusses the value of science fiction as a literary form. Specific titles are included, and the need for formats designed for permanent preservation in libraries is discussed. (EAM)

Examines Bloom's ideas on reading and books, suggesting that his stance on determining greatness is philosophically flawed and arguing that his prime criterion for selecting great texts is premised on a problematic theory of legitimation and greatness, leading to a restrictive view of possibilities for university-level reading. The Freirean notion…