Urges educators to encourage the spirit of play in children's literature by reading widely, by reading aloud, and by pursuing excellence through familiarity with present and past works. Bibliography. (MD)

Reports what various educators believe classics are and what their place should be in the English curriculum. (JL)

Notes that few books dealing with computers are available for elementary school students. Provides an annotated list of the books that are available and makes suggestions for their use. (FL)

Explores what is known about magazine reading habits and interests in the United States and reviews sources in the ERIC database that discuss classroom uses of magazines. Source lists for children's magazines are also included. (HTH)

Suggests 10 questions teachers should ask themselves before buying materials to teach reading skills. (FL)

Discusses the aims, history, data collection design, and winners of the West Australian Young Readers' Book Award. (HTH)

Offers guidelines for evaluating basal reading series when two series are to be adopted. (HTH)

Argues that the use of microcomputers and prewritten computer programs can save teachers time and effort in calculating the readability levels of written materials. (FL)

Suggests four steps schools can take to defuse censorship controversies. (DD)

Suggests that using young adult literature from other countries or set in other countries can open the eyes of young readers to commonalities of experiences with different cultures. (RS)

Presents brief annotations of 41 recently published children's books (for students in elementary and middle grades). Focuses on a myriad of voices: those echoing the past and illuminating the wonders of nature; introspective voices seeking to help readers know themselves and their place in the world; voices of great joy and laughter uplifting…

Presents annotations of eight new young adult books (published in 2002) that have each received at least three "best book" citations. Offers a brief synopsis as well as a thoughtful critique of each book. (SG)

Gives suggestions that may help teachers when they are guiding readers toward their next book. Discusses how given the right book, young adults who are pressured in real life, may be able to relax and think. Considers three of the author's books that offer this. Includes a brief review of each novel and quotes from the books. (SG)

Explores some of William Blake's poetry that is suitable for middle school readers and its relationships to a number of current works for young adults. Highlights the "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" and suggests how Blake might be connected to other literary and musical works. Hopes to encourage teachers to reread or read some of…

Discusses the importance of providing Spanish-speaking students with high-quality reading materials in Spanish and avoiding materials that have been badly translated into Spanish. Provides an annotated list of 10 books recommended for young children and a Spanish grammar for more advanced readers. Lists 29 badly translated books. Describes a Web…