The articles in this journal issue (1) discuss involving students in various language arts activities that have peace as a theme, and (2) deal with literature for students from kindergarten through grade 12. Topics in the first part are as follows: peace education in the English classroom, the peaceful hero, understanding the language of peace, war and peace in children's literature, and great English teaching ideas. The topics in the second part deal with teaching the nineteenth century novel in installments, capturing student's responses to literature through journals, experiencing stories for the deaf, celebrating southern voices in children's literature, narrative structure as a tool for discovering theme, and teaching poems written by Jim Harrison. The third part of this issue includes book reviews, a description of the NCTE l986 achievement awards in writing, an article on the neglect of oral language, two ERIC/RCS articles (on phonics and on teaching thinking skills in the English language arts), and two essays--one on the negative effects of using writing as punishment and one on the need to decrease class size. The last item is a statement of current trends and issues in language arts, as seen by the commissions and standing committees of the National Council of Teachers of English. (EL)