Describes censorship cases that have affected the author while he served on intellectual freedom committees of the International Reading Association and/or the National Council of Teachers of English. Recommends four books as valuable resources for protecting the freedom of teachers and students to have access to materials, and the freedom of all…

Presents a questionnaire for teachers of young adults to assess what texts are currently being used in classrooms, and for what purpose. Lists books that the author feels are appropriate for young readers. (PA)

Suggests that using young adult literature from other countries or set in other countries can open the eyes of young readers to commonalities of experiences with different cultures. (RS)

Explores some of William Blake's poetry that is suitable for middle school readers and its relationships to a number of current works for young adults. Highlights the "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" and suggests how Blake might be connected to other literary and musical works. Hopes to encourage teachers to reread or read some of…

Presents an annotated list of the 10 best fiction and the 10 best nonfiction young adult literature published in the 1980s. Notes that the books mix popularity and quality into a cake of reading motivation. (RS)

Considers if Anne Frank's diary is still viable or if it has been too far removed from its original author or its original context. Concludes that the book "Anne Frank and Me" offers historical accuracies about the Holocaust while placing its readers squarely at the millennium. (SG)

Asserts that not all science fiction is great. Discusses ways to tell the difference between the good and the bad. Encourages even those teachers who are most leery of a genre with which they are unfamiliar to jump in and try science fiction as a way of opening up student minds and imaginations. (PRA)

Argues that teachers can ensure against the attacks of censors by instituting formal policies for material selection in English curricula. Gives information about those who actively seek to censor and what their arguments are in favor of censorship. Claims that yielding to censorship degrades the teaching profession. (HB)

Discusses adolescents and their experiences with death. Considers a variety of novels dealing with the issue of death that can help students cope with death in their own lives. Suggests using books about death in the classroom. (HB)

Suggests that Allison's novel "Bastard Out of Carolina" should join the list of works most frequently chosen for study in school. Notes that, as a narrator, Allison speaks clearly to the social and economic structures which disempower females. (RS)

Explains the author's views on writing for young adult readers, and tries to present the awkward realities of the modern world in a way that makes them explicable to the immature mind. Emphasizes that it is important that teachers, librarians, and academics continue selecting and discarding, discussing and analyzing, and making comparisons with…

Considers how Francesca Lia Block's melding of the magic and the ordinary makes her work special. Suggests that magic is what makes people dream, and that the teen years is a great time to dream because there is still time to make dreams come true. Presents a nine-item annotated bibliography of titles for adolescents by Block. (SG)

Combines a personal anecdote involving success with one aliterate student and results of research on the reading habits of adolescents. Presents an annotated list of 50 books for "tough guys" that match the reading habits of that particular group. (RS)

Discusses the surprising book choices made by one group of middle school students. Observes that some young adult literature addresses difficult issues about growing up and about society. Argues that an important aspect of growing into and through reading is the development of independence by the reader in finding books that are personally…

Discusses Carol Matas' remarkable ability to craft compelling stories from real, but not very well-known events from the Holocaust. Notes that at the heart of these stories are adolescent protagonists who heroically confront their horrible circumstances with courage, dignity, and a fierce determination to survive. (SG)