Intended for primary school teachers involved in social studies instruction, this paper offers guidelines for selecting and using children's literature to teach social studies concepts. The paper first deals with selecting children's literature works, presenting basic considerations relating children's developmental stages to characteristics of children's literature. It then outlines criteria for evaluating books suitable for primary grade social studies, including characterization, dialogue, plot, theme, and conflict. The remainder of the paper presents three organizational patterns that involve the use of children's literature in the teaching of primary grade level social studies (book lists are included): (1) area study, which makes use of historical fiction, folklore, biographies, and wordless picture books; (2) problems approach, focusing on themes such as ecology, urban environment, and life problems; and (3) worldmindedness, using fiction describing history, geography, and life in different countries. (HTH)