One of a series dealing with current issues affecting language arts instruction, this paper brings into focus some of the issues surrounding textbooks in the schools so that informed decisions can be made regarding textbook selection and use. The major portion of the paper explores professional opinions regarding textbooks, noting the following: (1) criteria for textbook purchases should be dependent on selection and adoption procedures as well as on the place of textbooks in the instructional program; (2) recognition of the need for local professional decisions has grown so that even states publishing an "approved text list" have broadened the numbers and kinds of people involved in constructing the list and typically include several titles from which schools may select the required text; (3) national, regional, state, and local professional organizations regularly offer sources of help to local governing boards, administrators, and teachers; and (4) the need for careful selection procedures is emphasized by the controversies that can develop around textbook content. The remainder of the paper lists guidelines for the selection and adoption of textbooks, and resources helpful to those selecting texts. (HOD)