A study of attitudes about reviews of children's books found that librarians and teachers wanted stereotypes pointed out because children should have accurate information about other cultures. However, a book reviewer's experience suggests that editors may reject reviewers' objections and advocate for authors' freedom of speech, even when…

Reviews treatment of African Americans and academic issues as depicted in children's literature from the 1900s through the 1950s. Discusses the portrayal of students, parents, teachers, and family members and their impact on academic achievement. (MAK)

Based on the Dyches and Prater (2000) guidelines, characterizations and plots in 34 eligible children's books published during 1999-2003 were evaluated; 36 characterizations are discussed in detail in terms of each guideline. Results showed that, compared to a previous study (Dyches, Prater, & Cramer, 2001), characters with developmental…

This book is about the genre of school stories, that is, stories that deal with the education and the educational experiences of boys and girls. The book examines specific authors and specific works from the 1840s to the present, focusing on "crossgendering"--men writing about girls and women writing about boys. The chapters are, as…

This paper presents a cultural/historical interpretation of "The Education of Little Tree," a children's book by the late Forrest Carter. The 1976 book, which sold over 700,000 copies and was widely used in classrooms to present Native American values and lifestyles, is the story of an orphaned boy named Little Tree, raised by his…

A concise yet comprehensive survey of works written for young people from infancy through early adolescence, this book provides both students of children's literature and the general reader with an introduction to the study of the field. The book is divided into two parts, the first addressing the contexts within which literature for young people…

The life of Mary Mapes Dodge, author of "Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates," a pioneer in the field of literature for children and adolescents during the nineteenth century, is recounted in this paper--from her childhood as the daughter of a well-connected but impecunious lecturer, scientist, and inventor through her later years as a…

The universality of the childhood experience is a perspective that is useful in the classroom where the student body reflects the multiethnic, multicultural roots of American culture. The novels from the Caribbean can add new material to the body of world literature and should be included in a crosscultural study of the "bildungsroman"…

The aesthetic quality and psychological subtlety of contemporary picture books give genuine expression to a child's conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions. Increasingly, themes of existential and developmental stress are appearing in picture books. Typical reactions aroused by such stress factors--and also by themes treated in picture…

To assist teachers, librarians, and others who provide reading guidance for children aged nine to fourteen, this volume provides a listing of 72 titles arranged according to nine appropriate developmental goals: getting along in the family, making friends, developing values, understanding physical and emotional problems, forming a view of the…

This dissertation explored the extent and kind of sex-role stereotyping in popular, prestigious, and sex-role defining children's picture books printed between 1959 and 1972. The sample consisted of two categories of popular children's picture books, best-selling golden books and "New York Times" children's best-sellers, one category of Caldecott…

A bibliography on the concept of death in children's literature in the last 15 years provides evaluative annotations for one film and 65 print items (both fiction and nonfiction) in four categories: adult, grades K-3, grades 4-6, and grades 7 and up. Additional items, which are not annotated, are listed in a comprehensive bibliography which…

A guide to material dealing with children's literature, this annotated bibliography describes books, articles, and pamphlets selected on the basis of their estimated usefulness to adults concerned with the creation, reading, or study of books for boys and girls up to 14 years of age. Except for a few historical landmarks, the items discussed are…

This study analyzed how authors of selected books present their main character with regard to his personal development problems, how he resolves them, and what happens to his personal development in the process. On the basis of which Newbery Medal Award books were best suited for a study of how the main character develops, "Up A Road…

This curriculum guide is designed to provide a basic framework of skills and activities useful to elementary and secondary teachers in the teaching of literature. The first section discusses activities to facilitate elementary school students' appreciation and understanding of literature. Activities are discussed for grades K-3 and grades 4-6…