This book provides information to help teachers, librarians, and parents establish a book club for the Prekindergarten through eighth-grade school community. The first chapter discusses book club planning, publicity, preparations, process, and acquisition of books. The following 13 chapters suggest books for a variety of subject areas, including…

Recommends using literature to increase elementary school children's interest in reading and to provide them with forms and patterns for writing. (FL)

Teachers and parents who enjoy reading are the most potent force for developing reading enjoyment in children. Children should have easy access to attractive, well written books and be able to enjoy them without worrying about reading pace and comprehension questions. (JD)

Results of a study conducted to determine at what level sixth-grade children selected trade books indicated that most children selected fiction and very few children selected books at frustration level. (MKM)

Describes ways that a library can be used as an integral part of a school reading program. (MKM)

Children in third grade were queried for their reactions following the teacher's reading of "Pippi Longstocking." (HOD)

Suggests books and other materials that are interesting and supportive for struggling readers and reluctant readers, in several categories: repetitive texts, texts that can be performed, and popular texts that have particular appeal for reluctant readers. (SR)

Books identified as especially interesting and challenging for elementary-level gifted students are reviewed, within four categories: books that challenge language development, encourage creative and imaginative powers, provide non-stereotyped role models, and provide how-to skill training in a variety of interest areas. Each title has an…

The impact of the sex of a story's main character on boys' and girls' reading interest and comprehension was studied with 540 fifth graders. A strong sex-of-reader/sex-of-main-character correlation was observed on the interest measure, while it had no effect on reading comprehension. (TJH)

The importance of independent reading is advocated for success both in school and out of school. The following four strategies are presented to stimulate children's interest in reading and to assist the teacher in providing an environment in which independent reading becomes a student practice: (1) provide opportunities for students to see, hear,…

While story grammar and cognitive science theories of stories state or imply that a story will be more interesting if the protagonist experiences difficulty in attaining his or her goal, neither theory considers that the importance of the goal may also affect how interesting the story is. The structural-affect theory, however, defines stories on…

To ascertain whether reading attitudes changed as boys and girls progressed through the grades, a reading attitude inventory was administered to 234 children in grades one through six. Items in the inventory were grouped into the following categories: free reading in the classroom, organized reading in the classroom, reading at the library,…

Using children's books about death as examples, suggests that perhaps we push children too quickly through the developmental tasks of childhood and that more research into the maturation process is needed before we succumb completely to "reality" teaching. (TO)

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a national program that seeks to motivate children to read. Implemented by local sponsors and aimed at disadvantaged groups, it offers participating children a wide selection of attractive paperbound books about interesting people, places, and events. The multisite evaluation discussed in this technical report…