Reviews ERIC materials pertaining to the reading interests of children. (FL)

This publication recounts the childhood experiences of one boy at the Tennessee School for the Blind and his use of braille and talking book library services. It also describes his frustration at the rationing of braille reading materials at the school, and how his enormous appetite for reading material led him to "beat" the school's…

Seventy-five fifth grade students were administered an interest inventory to determine their attitudes toward reading and the kinds of reading materials they preferred. In addition, an observer completed reading behavior checklists for each student, and the students completed a second inventory to discover the amount of reading they did as opposed…

This study was prompted by the lack of consistency in defining the interests, both general and in the area of reading, of children in the primary grades. Analysis of more than 15 introductory texts used to teach reading indicated that interest measurement is based on certain unquestioned theoretical assumptions. Students in 27 first- through…

Argues that children have much to gain and little to lose from an increase in the number of female main characters in stories, from increased portrayal of nonstereotyped role models in stories, and from the use of female-inclusive language in reading materials. (Author/MP)

Noting that many kids' and teens' magazines are not available at newsstands or bookstores, this book describes and provides ordering information for more than 200 such magazines. The magazines described cover almost every conceivable interest of children and teens in the United States and in many other countries. After a foreword by Jim Trelease…

This book is the third in a series of books for a literature-inspired curriculum for grades 1-3 organized around thematic units. The book's "story stretchers" are a means to extend children's enthusiasm for stories and to better connect children's books and teaching ideas with other areas of the curriculum. The book contains 18 units or…

This book is a collection of commentaries by Nebraskans about books that have been memorable for them from childhood through adulthood. The book is a record of life-long learning dedicated to Nebraska's youngest readers in the Year of the Young Reader, 1989--a common ground for intergenerational dialogue made possible by the world of books. The…

The purposes of this study were to survey expressed reading interests of first and second grade children from different geographic areas of the United States, with differing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds; to compare expressed reading interests of children in grades one and two in an attempt to determine if interests change; and to…

The literary genre explored in this study is The Fantastic Tale for Children, which combines magic and reality. Two examples of the "pure" fantastic tale are "The Return of the Twelves" by Pauline Clarke and "Tom's Midnight Garden" by Philippa Pearce. The motifs of the fantastic tale are methods which connect the world of the principal characters…

Suggests that Natalie Babbitt's "Tuck Everlasting" narrows the gap between "untroubled, sterile" children's literature and adult literature by avoiding simple dichotomies while presenting life as a complex mixture of good and evil, containing perplexing moral dilemmas. (JC)

Concludes that many third- and fifth-grade students in Oklahoma have not read many of the Newbery Award-winning books. (FL)

Recognizing that interest is essential to motivation, this study was designed both to identify and describe the content interest patterns and media preferences (print and television) of middle-grade children and to determine any relationship between these interests and sex, race, or socioeconomic status (SES). An inventory was administered to 250…

Examines the social perspectives presented by a sample of the Children's Choices books to determine if the protagonists' behavior is primarily individualistic or shows concern for the group or community. Concludes that the books tended to espouse the self as the focus for activity. (FL)