Provides a brief description of nine works of historical fiction which teachers have found successful in skillfully weaving the facts of history into fictional presentations capable of drawing the reader into the time period. Deals with chronological periods ranging from the old stone age to the mid-twentieth century. (RS)

Claims that the novel "Strange Attractors" by William Sleator proves to be an effective and engaging reading selection for middle school readers. Suggests methods for using the novel in the classroom, and samples student response to the book. (HB)

Relates the experiences of students who loved to read as children, but grew to dislike reading as they passed through junior high and high school. Suggests having students compile a personal anthology of works of their choice rather than assigning them specific readings which they do not select. (PRA)

Discusses the attitudes and issues of reluctant readers by describing the author's son Jonathan, an intelligent young man who came to hate reading. Offers advice for teachers from Jonathan regarding how they can help students enjoy reading more. Presents annotations of 11 new or overlooked young adult books worth reading. (SR)

Presents brief accounts from four secondary English teachers describing short stories and short story units that they have successfully taught. (SR)

Describes the advantages of presenting students with novels designed for them and notes some recommended works with which students can be successful. (CRH)

Offers general guidelines by which English teachers can guarantee the students' right to read and protect their right not to read literature that offends them. (RL)

Contains criteria for recommending adolescent science fiction and fantasy literature and an annotated list of such reading materials. (RL)

The courts, while acknowledging in theory that public schools should provide students with a wide range of reading materials, are ruling against this in practice. The rationale in the latest court cases lies in determining the hierarchy of power, but the result comes dangerously close to legitimating censorship. (Author/RL)

Details the concept of "breaking the rules" in the context of a high school English classroom. Describes how one English teacher abandoned regular reading materials to concentrate on Judy Blume's novel, "Forever." Considers the pros and cons of using this controversial text in high schools. (HB)

Examines the concepts of multicultural and multiethnic literatures and considers how educators can develop guidelines for selecting these materials for classroom use. Suggests how the discord surrounding these concepts can be alleviated. (HB)

Presents brief annotations of 61 books of young adult historical fiction and nonfiction that address other time periods (biblical time period, the 1700s, the 1800s, the 20th century, political unrest overseas, and chronicles) that could be used in the classroom as part of a unit of study. Describes possible activities using five of the books. (SR)

Suggests educators should help students read religious texts such as the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran and that they should teach ways to reflect critically on these texts. Discusses ways to teach the Bible. (SG)

In this article, the author explains why he considers "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver, "Ceremony" by Leslie Marmon Silko, and "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan as the most desirable books for students. He cites that several questions guide him in selecting these books. These questions include the following: (1) Why recommend certain texts to…

English departments should develop policy statements dealing with the selection of books, films, and periodicals. (JH)