This paper discusses readers' advisory services in academic libraries from the 1920s to the present. Highlights include: definition of readers' advisor or advisory; browsing rooms and collections; reasons for the decline of this service in academic libraries; recent decline in reading interest and ability among college students; the importance of…

This paper addresses the study of children's reading interests and their attitudes toward reading as these factors relate to leisure-time reading. The problem of poor performances on measures of reading achievement by African-American children from low-income families has been studied for over 3 decades. Additionally, sociocultural and…

This study sought to identify the reading interests and preferences of older adult public library users in the Oakwood, Ohio community, and also to gauge interest in large print materials within this group. Surveys assessed in this study were completed by 70 adults age 50 or over. The results revealed a wide range of reading interests and…

No one denies that students have many more distractions today than in days gone by. The need for family involvement in a child's reading progress joins a surge in American society for parents to take more responsibility for their children's character and in the condition of their communities. Some hints for parents in establishing family literacy…

A study was conducted to determine why students were rejecting books recommended by their teachers for independent reading assignments. Approximately 80 eighth-grade students were given a reading interest survey/questionnaire to establish student reading interests. Students were then given a list of 15 independent reading selections compiled by…

Superior high school students (975 finalists in the NCTE Achievement Awards Program) were surveyed to find what one book was most significant to each of them in their high school experiences, and the reason for the significance. In response to questionnaires, the students cited 416 different titles, 72% of which were novels. The top 10 books were…

Using four different types of magazines--"Saga,""True Confessions,""Holiday," and "The Atlantic"--during a 2-week study, high school students may (1) arrive at serviceable criteria for evaluating any magazine by subjecting it to specific questions concerning its content; (2) improve their communication skills through written and oral reports…

The papers contained in this volume offer the opinions and evidence of sixteen specialists on matters pertaining to literature for children and adolescents--the writing of literature, the selection of literature, and the role of literature in reading instruction. Taken together, they cover a wide range of grade levels and represent many points of…

Reports on the reading interests of 450 Russian secondary school graduates enrolled in a mathematics and physics-oriented technical school in Moscow. Finds that students' interests changed during two periods in recent Russian history: (1) 1988-1990--the perestroika period; and (2) 1991-1992--the "market" period. (CFR)

This practicum was developed to encourage the at-risk urban elementary school student to read for pleasure daily. Participants listened to their favorite rap songs, wrote lyrics for their own rap songs, and then read the lyrics as a text. The practicum was performed in a neighborhood community recreation center that serves urban students from…

To compare the self-selection book choices of low achieving junior high school students with those of high achieving students, Title I (low achieving) and honor roll (high achieving) students chose books from the library and were given a cloze test based upon the book chosen before reading it. A cloze score of less than 37% determined that a…

Presents the viewpoints of a tenth grader on novels for young adults that portray troubled teens dealing with alcoholism, drugs, depression, suicide, sexual abuse, and violence. Suggests that contrary to adult opinions that these novels are not always age-appropriate, they in fact broaden teens' outlooks and prepare them for the real world. (LRW)

This annotated bibliography for junior high and middle school students describes nearly 1,200 recent books to read for pleasure, for school assignments, or to satisfy curiosity. Books included are divided into six major sections (the first three contain mostly fiction and biographies): Connections, Understandings, Imaginings, Contemporary Poetry…

Intended as a guide for local-level policymakers, curriculum planners, teachers, and librarians, this book lists over 1200 titles of books as examples of good literature for high school students. It is intended to encourage educators to review their literature programs and the accompanying instructional materials and to encourage students to read…

The reading interests of 300 tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students were surveyed and compared to those revealed in previous research. The results indicated that the amount of time students reported reading outside of school per day has decreased slightly since a 1961 study by P. Witty, with females still reading more than males. As in the…