This book presents an informal history of books and reading, beginning with the first clay tablets and continuing on to the latest novels. The history recounted in the book reveals the power books have always had to delight and entertain, and to enlighten, educate, and "raise possibilities." But the story of reading also contains many…

PAST STUDIES ON READING AUDIENCE BEHAVIOR FOCUSED ON DIFFERENTIATING INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ACCORDING TO THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF THE BOOKS THEY READ. THESE STUDIES DID NOT DEAL WITH INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG MEMBERS. AN APPROACH WAS NEEDED TO IDENTIFY WHAT CONSTITUTES A READING AUDIENCE AND HOW ITS MEMBERS INTERRELATE. AN AGGREGATE LEVEL APPROACH…

Deaf students entering postsecondary programs were surveyed about their recreational reading habits and preferences. Responses showed that deaf students read, on the average, 10 books a year, 4.1 magazines a month, and 6.4 newspapers a week. It was concluded that recreational reading is relatively independent of reading achievement. (Author/CB)

Describes the Author Festival held every two years in Humboldt County, California, at which students meet authors of juvenile and young adult books. Though the festival focuses on the students, authors have the opportunity to discuss their works with each other, and the festival conveys appreciation of their works. (SRT)

Although basic literacy will continue to be necessary for survival, mass communications and information technology are bringing about an inevitable and lamentable decline in reading for pleasure and in the love of literature for its own sake. (TE)

Children rated books they had read; the more recently a book was read the more likely it was to be rated as enjoyable. The findings are discussed with reference to the problems of teachers and librarians who select books for children. (Editor)

Results are reported from a study designed to determine whether children's use of literature during free-play time could be increased by implementing changes in the kindergarten classroom's program and physical design. (MP)

Discusses G. K. Chesterton's views on children's literature and the importance of children reading for enjoyment. (AEA)

Relates an anecdote illustrating the variety of ways people can approach reading and suggests that young readers are frequently much more aware of the reading experience than parents suspect. Offers suggestions for parents to encourage their children's literary response. (HTH)

Research concerning reading interests of older adults indicates that they do not enjoy science fiction, depressing books, books that contain sex or violence, or books that have confusing plots or many characters. They have greater needs for materials which keep them creative and functioning at maximum capability. (Author)

Describes how series books such as "Nancy Drew,""The Hardy Boys," and Horatio Alger stories can be the basis for lessons on critical reading. (MKM)

Determines the relationship between attitude and reading behavior in adults. Finds that adults with positive attitudes toward reading spend more time in daily reading and read a wider variety of materials than do adults with negative attitudes. (MG)

Relates how a child's love of Yoko Kawashima Watkins's book, <IT>So Far from the Bamboo Grove <RO>led to a friendship with Watkins. Considers the repercussions of this friendship on the child's reading motivation and development. (MM)

Considers the relationship between hobbies and hobby-related reading to evaluate a common instructional assumption about using hobbies as a basis for recommending reading. Supports: (1) the potential for recommending authentic, non-traditional hobby-related reading materials in home and instructional settings; and (2) the potential for tapping the…

A study examined how much time college students spend reading for pleasure, when they do the most pleasure reading, and whether or not parental encouragement plays a role in pleasure reading habits. Subjects, 219 female and 113 male college seniors at a small public liberal arts university, completed three questionnaires as part of the…