Presents annotations of 16 nonfiction children's literature books (published in 2000 or 2001). Considers how to meet the needs of the children who are seeking quality nonfiction. Gives certain criterion for selecting nonfiction for children such as: the qualifications of the author, the scope and purpose of the book, and the information accuracy.…

Considers how image becomes the issue when authors, illustrators, editors, reviewers, teachers and librarians passively accept rather than question the illustrations and content of new books. Concludes that through literature, children can begin to develop a sense of their humanness and can develop new insights into the behaviors of others and…

Asks various people knowledgeable about children's literature what they saw as the major accomplishments of the millennium. Notes that the first two people asked immediately announced the same thing: multiculturalism. Argues that multiculturalism is less an achievement of children's literature in our time than a goal. (SG)

Focuses on adolescents constructing discourse about a book amongst themselves without the help or intrusion of a teacher/adult. Seeks to understand where that discourse may originate within the greater institutional and societal framework of the participants. Explores the limits personal engagement places on conversation which involves race,…

Investigates teacher characters in four young adult novels for their strategies of teaching and their effectiveness in engaging students in their learning. Indicates that when students learn to behave and work according to only the teacher's expectations, they find little reason to engage and challenge themselves. Concludes that students must feel…

Discusses the challenges of finding "voice" as a writer. Considers how a writer's voice is more than character and style. Notes that a writer's voice is the thumbprint of his or her whole person--his or her idea, wit, humor, passions and rhythms. Concludes that the discovery of voice is the real beginning of a writer's life as a writer. (SG)

Describes the evolution of the author's children's picture book, "An Amish Christmas." Notes how he refers to "Christmas in Noisy Village" (1964) by Astrid Lindgren, a praised children's Christmas book. Describes how he used Lindgren's economical use of words and book format as a guide. (SG)

Discusses the author's Ezra Jack Keats Award for "Calling the Doves/El Canto de las Palomas" (1995), a bilingual picture book based on his childhood in the farm working camps of Central California. Concludes that writers must stay true to the deep sources of multicultural experience, for positive change, and for the magical pictures and poems. (SG)

Selects and annotates 10 "landmark" books in children's literature. Suggests there is danger in creating a group of "classic" tales that can be read or taught to the exclusion of others. Reminds that other books may well be better for many purposes. Encourages others to create, share and publish their own lists of influential books. (SG)

Presents an interview with Dianne Monson, 1994 winner of the International Reading Association's Arbuthnot Award, a woman of many talents and enthusiasms, all of which are apparent in the way she approaches both teaching and children's books. Discusses her career as a reader, a critic, and a teacher of children's literature. (SG)

Discusses a master class (conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English) that focuses on supporting student responses to literature within the context of an undergraduate or graduate course in children's literature. Notes that at the conclusion of this successful session, participants generated numerous strategies…

Attempts to predict trends and changes that will accompany children's books into the 21st century and beyond. Hopes that readers will recognize how difficult it is to detach from the context of one's own lifetime experience with children's books. Suggests that the need of the human spirit to belong and be accepted will always give literature the…

Presents one first-year teacher's experience with incorporating literature into her fifth grade class. Notes the lack of support from the administration and fellow teachers. Observes that when readers talk together about books, their "socially" constructed meanings can represent the range of their experiences, ideas, and backgrounds. Aims to…

Discusses the creation and popularity of Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit." Concludes that today, Potter's quiet stories offer young children a glimpse into the naughtiness that innocence fosters within the security of a family's love, and show children an idyllic time when towns were small enough that friends knew each other well and understood…

Notes negative responses of contemporary Americans to fantasy literature. Notes that as the prejudice against fantasy literature diminished, more American children's authors began working in this area. Suggests that perhaps the real reason so many Americans have attempted to suppress fantasy literature for children is because they fear the…