Presents a model (developed as a result of surveying college students enrolled in "Fiction for Adolescents" classes) to help teachers recognize adolescent novels which are likely to appeal to their students and which have literary merit. (SR)

Focuses on a women's reading group that was organized for the purpose of discussing popular books from the Nancy Drew collection. Notes that when the participants were collaborative rather than hierarchical in their discussion stances, they constructed unexpected knowledge and expressed divergent views. Explores the implications of findings for…

A 3-year project used a responsive teaching strategy, which begins with students' responses, to influence 6 adolescent readers' responses to poetry. Although not poetry enthusiasts initially, students developed intellectual keenness for the subject. (SK)

This article describes, "Getting Acquainted with Young Adult Literature," a book club geared specifically toward teachers, launched by Angela Boccuzzi-Reichert. Angela is a media specialist at Merton Williams Middle School. The club is the perfect way to familiarize teachers with contemporary young adult literature--and ultimately expose hundreds…

When Oprah Winfrey began her successful book club in 1996, she continued a tradition that public libraries have provided for decades. Oprah placed a spotlight on reading that encouraged many women who had never read a book "to read." Book clubs sprang up in neighborhoods, bookstores, and on Web sites. Library media centers began offering book…

Library media specialist should be prepared to select books appropriate for each student's needs. In this article, the author suggests that when making selections for Spanish-Speaking ESL students, look for the following characteristics: (1) Choose books with simple, limited text and pictures on each page, (2) Select bilingual books with text in…

This paper reports on a study that examined both the concurrent and longitudinal connections between multiple components of the home environment and indicators of preschool-aged children's literacy and language development. Data were collected from 85 parents and their children at two different times. Results of structural path models indicated…

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…

While English teachers want students to enjoy reading, to appreciate the beauty of literature, and to recognize the universality of the classics, many adolescent students do not become interested in the aesthetic aspect of literature until they are beyond high school age. Some works, outside the traditional literary canon, speak more directly to…

This annotated bibliography lists approximately 500 titles that reflect the diversity of interests and levels of sophistication among young adult readers between the ages of 12 and 18. Within each subject division is a varied array of fiction and nonfiction titles, some ideal for middle graders, others more appropriate for adult-level readers. The…

States that the formula for a successful magazine is: Search out the issues which matter most to the reader and build your magazine around them. (RB)

Newspaper action line columns which stress problem solving get more inquiries than those which merely provide information. (RB)

Reveals that community college reading students are as knowledgeable of efficient reading techniques as the sociology students are. (RB)

Noting that the decline in adult newspaper readership does not match the growth in the number of educated adults, a study queried (1) Which characteristics of news items most strongly predict readership levels? and (2) Is there any difference in the best set of predictors for the different age groups (older than and younger than 35)? A readership…

This report reviews the research on text-based interest, defined as those elements within texts that create interest for the majority of readers. Three issues are covered: (1) what kinds of information are considered interesting, both theoretically and empirically; (2) what effects popular strategies for creating interest have on learning…