States that psychological models help shape students' responses to literature. Explains how a Freudian model can be used to explore the meanings inherent in Emily Dickinson's "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass." (MM)

Claims that high school curricula should provide opportunities for students to vicariously explore the relationships, roles, and ideas that appear in Shakespearean drama. Uses the dilemma dramatized in "Hamlet" as an example. (JD)

Reviews five teenage films and recommends that teachers see them and then discuss them with their students. (NKA)

Discusses using reader response instead of standard literature interpretation teaching methods for the study of adolescent literature in high schools. Asserts that this method gives authority to the students as reader because they must assume responsibility for understanding the text, themselves, and the world. (SRT)

Offers a method of using reader response theory that emphasizes the expectations about a text and how those expectations are fulfilled or deflated. Specifically, students read traditional fables, fairy tales, and parables, and compare them to contemporary works such as Kafka's "Metamorphosis" and Marquez's "The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings."…

Describes several classroom exercises designed to make film grammar and narrative structure clear to the student. (RBW)

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)

Advocates introducing high school literature classes by analyzing the serious flaws in an important work such as Edgar Alan Poe's poem, "The Raven," in order to increase student involvement in evaluating literature, strengthen student trust of the teacher's judgment, and motivate students for positive criticism. (MM)

Includes quotations by ninth grade students in reaction to reading the book. (RD)

A psychological interpretation of the character development of David, in Ester Wier's The Loner," and a suggestion that study of this novel might enhance an adolescent's self-image. (RD)

Assesses the religious content of 34 young adult novels. Reports that nearly half of the titles evidenced no religious content, 13 provided a moderate and unobtrusive religious element, and 5 presented religion as an important element. (MM)

Examines the fiction of Zane Grey and its appeal to high school students. (RL)

Offers a list of questions for teachers to ask their literature classes, including questions on the author, the style, the theme, the setting, and the plot. Notes how sequencing these questions can prepare students for other activities in literature appreciation. (RL)