To examine the effects of traditional reading programs on children's attitudes toward reading and what influence children's literature might have on such attitudes, a study proposed a possible rationale for incorporating children's literature into the curriculum to provide a more balanced reading program for students. The study compiled 60 annotations of books and articles in three areas: (1) the necessity of literature in the classroom; (2) the justification for literature in the classroom; and (3) the expectations of literature in the classroom. The study concluded that the need for children's literature in the elementary curriculum has been well documented in research; reading instruction presented in the confines of a traditional format, primarily basal readers, is narrow in approach and does not lead to healthy attitudes toward reading; it is the teacher's domain to influence favorable attitudes toward a subject; and reader involvement or response must be encouraged to realize the full potential of a literature program. (A glossary is included, and 59 references are attached.) (MS)