Asserts that informational reading material is scarce in primary classrooms and that many primary grade teachers do not know enough strategies for helping children understand this type of reading material. Describes an effort to engage a group of first-grade children in reading and writing experiences involving informational texts and related…

Describes a history fair for a fifth-grade class in U.S. history. Contends that the fair provided students with opportunities to integrate their understanding of history from historical fiction, nonfiction, and textbooks. (CFR)

There are two kinds of books of Jewish interest in public schools: informational nonfiction (generally classified in the religious section of the library), and picture books and fiction. Children's books of Jewish interest are evaluated for quality and how they fit into multicultural curricula. A brief annotated bibliography is provided.…

Presents ideas on integrating science fiction into language arts, science, social studies, and math. Suggestions include an interstellar journey, imaginative language lessons, futuristic social studies, extraterrestrial life studies, intergalactic math, and science fiction story writing. (SM)

Discusses policies and attitudes prevalent in public libraries that encourage female users and discourage male users. The lack of technical books that may appeal more to men is examined, the lack of appropriate reviews is described, subconscious classism is suggested, and differences in fiction preferences are discussed. (two references) (LRW)

Chinese crime fiction is discussed in the context of political and social change. Chinese fiction bears little resemblance to the model police officer of Communist ideology. Crime fiction has become the main vehicle in China for forming public images of police and may become a channel for social discourse. (SLD)

Suggests a teaching unit for U.S. history in which students research topics and write pulp magazine short stories. Provides detailed teaching model, including background information on pulp magazines, and classroom procedures for a four-week activity. Offers guidelines for plot outlines, format design, and evaluation criteria. (NL)

Maintains that using contemporary novels allows students to critically apply what they have learned about the sociology of family issues, and at the same time to broaden their understanding of them. Outlines the use of literature to illustrate sociological theories, explains the course requirements, and addresses student and instructor responses.…

The use of fictional writing, and in particular fictional dialogue, has gained increasing credibility and popularity within the field of qualitative social science research (Clough, 2002; Denzin, 1997; Tierney, 1998) but research in early childhood education has yet to exploit such methodologies. This article asks: what is meant by the term…

The process of embedding, a term used in generative grammar to refer to a construction in which a sentence is included within another sentence, is examined as it occurs in Yoruba literature. Examples are drawn from Yoruba praise poetry, in both written and oral form and within Yoruba novels. Forms of embedding identified include those to draw…

This novel is written for adolescents and its plot features a junior high school sports environment. Fourteen-year-old Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, comes to terms with divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a White suburban neighborhood. Lincoln's mother decides to move from the Mission District of San…

Intended for teachers of grades 4-8, this book provides tools and resources to help students fall in love with literature. The book contains reproducible glossaries containing over 200 literary, genre, book content, and book construction terms, along with removable flashcards, to make reviewing language arts essentials easy, enjoyable, and fun.…

Research into the portrayal of miniature human-like characters in the fictional narratives of art and literature suggests that profound values abound in the miniature. The paper discusses two examples of fairy miniatures, Rudyard Kipling's "Puck" and J. M. Barrie's "Tinker Bell." Little characters, whatever their provenance,…

This teacher resource book, designed to encourage student interest and build learning across the curriculum in grades K-5, is based on the theme of animals. Resource lists and activities in the book focus on the following sections: (1) animals as pets; (2) animals on the farm; (3) animals in the woods; and (4) animals in the wild. Each section…

This book is an anthology of short stories, narratives, and poems exploring aspects of the life cycle (birth, illness, aging, loss and grief) from an African-American perspective. The book is intended to give health care providers and interested others insights into the African-American experience, and to encourage readers to explore the…