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…

Lists and briefly describes 24 books in several categories chosen by young readers as the best books of 1986. (NKA)

Describes the origin and evolution of a course to meet the needs of gifted independent readers. (JL)

Fifteen teachers report on the literary works they use in their classrooms, as well as the teaching methods used with these works. (RL)

Suggests that veteran teachers should befriend new teachers, teaching and learning from them; move the classroom furniture around whenever possible; read what the students are reading; and beg, borrow, or steal new ideas from other teachers. (TB)

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)

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

Presents the annual list of reading choices of approximately 350 tenth through twelfth graders from among newly published books. Shows that the most popular category for reading was contemporary realism. (EL)

Describes the efforts of educators throughout the twentieth century to challenge committees, commissions, and teachers of English to investigate and communicate possible solutions to problems faced by real English teachers in real classrooms. (MM)

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)

Describes the experiences of a university professor and a secondary school teacher in introducing innovations into the English classroom. (MM)

Presents an open letter to English teachers outlining what the author hopes English teachers will teach his children about books and reading this year, focused on helping them love reading. Includes some thoughts about how to do so. Presents short annotations of 11 new or overlooked young adult books worth reading. (SR)

Claims multiple-storyline books will continue to grow in popularity because the reader (1) is the major protagonist; (2) can make plot decisions and become the writer; (3) can choose exciting action; and (4) finds material readily available. (NH)

Considers the ramifications of four basic issues that must be resolved in K-12 literary education programs. Points out that teachers of literature need to join current efforts to seek quality in the English curriculum by examining again the content of their programs as well as the methods used to teach. (EL)