This study investigated the influence of book genre (narrative or didactic) on mothers' language use during a book sharing interaction with their 18- to 25-month-olds. Mother-child dyads were videotaped sharing both a narrative and a didactic book, adapted from two commercially available books, and matched in terms of length, quantity of text, and…

In this article, the authors discuss and share a collection of books, for teachers and children to read together, that focus on themes of peace and social justice. This article is written as a kind of textual professional development session in which teachers and pre-service teachers might participate from their own place and context. The first…

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may exhibit behaviors that can negatively affect peer relationships. A process for raising awareness about this exceptionality to their peers can build a foundation for authentic inclusion in the classroom environment. This article suggests that deliberately planned interventions using picture books to…

In this article, the author, chair of the 2009 Caldecott committee, revealed some very interesting insights into what goes on behind closed doors when she recently spoke to this year's incoming band of judges. This article presents what the author told to members of the 2011 Caldecott committee. The author suggests the 2011 Caldecott committee…

Widely adopted Common Core State Standards emphasize textual analysis and writing "about" texts (Bomer & Maloch, 2011), but provide little guidance on "what" students should read beyond general references to traditional literature (fables, folktales, and myths) and informational texts. However, as Meek (1988) and others…

No one believes that bullying is a problem isolated to teens and tweens. Children tease one another from a very young age; they discover power by rejecting someone or by taking another's toys. Adults are hardly immune. By addressing bullying behavior early on, at every grade level, and in a variety of ways, educators have a better chance of…

Boys need books with which they can connect, books that reach out to them with characters that reflect themselves, books that feature people who speak and look and act like the people in their lives. Among the functions of literature in children's lives, two are particularly relevant: facilitating literacy skills and providing role models. The…

There is little empirical research that investigates the implementation of graphic narratives into the English language arts classroom, subsequently leading to misperceptions and misconceptions about their educative uses. Despite sequential arts' long history, graphic narratives continue to experience a marginalized existence within the…

This study examines the extent to which ARL academic libraries collect graphic novels. Using a core list of 176 titles developed from winners of major comics industry awards and a library-focused "best of" list, the holdings of 111 ARL academic libraries were searched using the libraries' online catalogs. Results suggest that most of the…

Ideological assumptions about childhood play into the production and selection of children's literature. Various ideologies proclaim that children should be happy and free from stories of evil, children's literature should help children encounter the joys in life, it should be filled with bright colors to keep children's attention, and it should…

The following article will address the need for classrooms to promote the use of children's literature whose characters speak in a dialect other than Standard English (specifically African American Vernacular English, or AAVE). It will begin by drawing attention to the lack of authentic representation of African Americans in picture books…

Readers' advisory with middle schoolers does not come easily. In an effort to expand students' reading horizons, the author describes how to teach students to speak intelligently and thoughtfully about their book preferences. She cites Joyce Saricks's "Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library" (ALA, 2005), a book that gave her the clarity…

Bullying, a serious issue in today's schools, negatively impacts children. This article summarizes research and emphasizes the need for effective tools, such as bibliotherapy, to deter bullying. To assist professionals in selecting books for bibliotherapy, 38 bully-themed children's K-3 picture books ranked 1-4 by "The Horn Book Guide"…

Character education has been part of the educational and societal landscape for millennia. Through consensus, school communities teach and model traits that influence the character and moral development of children. Children learn character traits from others--both good and bad--whether that is intended or not. To avoid leaving character education…

What should families and teachers look for when they choose picture books to help young children overcome their fears of imaginary monsters, dark places, thunderstorms, and dogs? This article provides criteria for assessing picture books and suggests ways to read them in ways that support children's development. (Contains 4 tables.)