Examines Rosemary Wells's "None of the Above," a young adult novel of despair, whose bitterness arises from the choices young people face in the dreary contemporary world. (NKA)

Compares imaginatively written nonfiction children's books with textbook treatments of the same material. Finds that many nonfiction books are informational but also not excitingly written. (NKA)

Relates the story of Anne Carroll Moore, the influential Supervisor of Work with Children at the New York Public Library during the 1930s, as remembered by a young children's book editor who met her under unfortunate circumstances but then grew to be her friend. (NKA)

Reexamines Maurice Sendak's first children's book, published in 1956. Finds it to be filled with the characters, themes, and psychological concerns that were to become hallmarks of the writer-artist's mature works. (NKA)

Contrasts the very popular and enduring Nancy Drew series with the host of imitators that appeared after the initial success of the Drew series. Points out that the Drew books were focused mysteries with only tenuous ties to realism but that imitators usually copied the outlines of the pattern but either overlooked or weakened important parts of…

Contains lengthy reviews of new and reissued books in different reading categories, including poetry, myth, and science. (CRH)

Teachers who are studying children's literature should read a proportion of adult literature, should attempt to write their own works for children, should work in environments exactly like those children need if they are to become readers, and should learn about the act of reading in conjunction with their study of children's literature. (GT)

Offers an appreciation of "Tuck Everlasting," a young adult novel by Natalie Babbitt, which deals with death and the purpose of life, and recommends it particularly for reading aloud in the classroom. (NKA)