A discussion of the liberal arts'"great books," specifically in political philosophy, reflects on the value of the core curriculum, the value of expanding the traditional canon, the use of reading to learn, results of true learning, and the danger of shunning works traditionally seen as important. (MSE)

Examines three fantasy classics written at the time of the Industrial Revolution to illustrate the effects of drastic social change on fantasy writing; suggests the possible impact of these fantasies on their readers. (GT)

Examines various images of disabled or handicapped persons in diverse novels and plays. Addresses these images as literary devices and allegorical symbols. (NKA)

Reports on a survey of nearly 300 high school seniors asked to reflect on their reading experiences, both inside and out of school. Demonstrates that students find assigned reading, especially Shakespeare and Dickens, unrewarding and painful. Discusses problems and solutions of contemporary teaching methods. Suggests that students be given a…

Contrasts world of the 1970s with that of today with special reference to publications for children and young adults. Discussion covers adult and adolescent best sellers, librarian selection and review of new materials by librarians, trends in juvenile publishing, use of paperback books, reading interests, minority representation, and the…

Describes in detail a successful unit of study done on the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" that both satisfies particular curricular demands and suits the temperament and interests of young adolescents. (KEH)

Presents a debate between two English teachers (in the form of a critique of a March 1997 article in this journal, a response to that critique, and a rebuttal of that response) on the classics, student choice in reading, and teaching. (SR)

When the author left California for the University of Minnesota twenty-five years ago, he vowed never again to become involved in departmental or university politics. He'd had enough of that at California State, Los Angeles, and he was determined to devote his full attention, apart from teaching, to several scholarly projects that had simmered so…

Discusses the difficulties connected with preparing students to read "the classics" for pleasure. (EL)

Reports on the author's shift from depending on popular adolescent novels to the more traditional "classics" as the reading materials for his literature classes. (RL)

Questions the value of classic literature in teaching secondary school students to read for pleasure. Suggests that a better vehicle for the same goal is young adult literature like "The Outsiders." (TB)

Contrasts the complaints of a class of gifted students about Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities" with their teacher's discomfort at sitting through the long and tedious movie "Brazil." (NKA)

This unit seeks to teach Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in a way that the students will have a full understanding of the play. The unit's introduction is designed to get the students acquainted with Shakespeare's language, to motivate them to read the play, and to make them feel confident about approaching the play. Lessons in the unit are fun,…

Teachers often insist that certain "great books" must be taught, although they can seldom agree on a list of titles. But restricting students' reading to the classics only produces boredom. Students deserve widely-read literature teachers, who can bring them knowledge of and excitement about all kinds of literature. (SJL)

The debate over teaching the "canon," a collection of great books authored by Homer, Plato, Shakespeare, Kant, Darwin, and others that has traditionally represented the Western intellectual tradition, as a core of the college curriculum, is examined. Discussion begins with a description of how the canon has been taught from ancient…