Children's books can be used to expand knowledge and increase interest in the content areas. The social understanding that first and second grade students gain from a unit on family relationships and friendships will be richer if literature is an integral part of the instruction. Titles for such a unit might include "Charlotte's Web," by E.B. White, or Charlotte Zolotow's "Big Sister and Little Sister." For third grade students, books such as "Here Come the Dolphins," by Alice Goudy, or "The Frightened Hare," by Franklin Fussell can be used in a unit on the life cycles of animals. An excellent reference source for this science unit is the "Science and Children" journal, which contains annotated references of children's books on science. A unit on oceanography was used in a fourth grade classroom to evaluate the effectiveness of literature in a content area. After all students completed a unit based on the science textbook, the experimental group participated in literature-based supplemental activities, including slide-tape presentations based on the literature, developing murals, and participating in a panel discussion. The results indicated that just having access to the books, as did the control students, is not enough. The study underscored the value of using both fiction and nonfiction materials in a structured unit and planning activities that develop students' interest in books. (HTH)