Discusses the development of a modern fairy tale with respect to J.R.R. Tolkien's mapping of its features, terrain, and emotional geography. Discusses Robin McKinley's "Beauty," an example of a modern fantasy. (PRA)

Interviews Charles Causley, distinguished contemporary British poet, who talks about his art and his work with children. (SR)

Argues that wordless books allow prereading children to create their own stories, enhance vocabulary acquisition, help children develop "top to bottom" and "right to left" concepts, and promote observation, sequential, visual, and inferential thinking. Describes several ways to use wordless books. Includes bibliography of 36…

Discusses scientific creationism and the issues it poses for teachers and librarians. Briefly reviews early selection and editorial practices regarding human genetic evolution followed in the first six editions of the "Children's Catalog." (SR)

Reminisces about the author's childhood reading experiences and how they were to him a refuge. Gives a reader response reading of Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer." (TB)

Examines the sense of rupture or difference inherent in children's literature between the author or adult and the reader or child, as they concern Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island." (TB)

Examines the prose versions of Shakespeare plays written for children by Charles and Mary Lamb, Bernard Miles, and Leon Garfield. Suggests that the content ranges far from Shakespeare's originals and promotes values that should be questioned critically. (TB)

Examines Maurice Sendak's recent picture book in the context of his other work. Looks at the text and illustrations in some detail; suggests psychological and political interpretations; and discusses responses of children. Argues that the book forces educators to examine their own basic assumptions about what constitutes literature for children.…

Offers a literary and historical analysis of B. Esbensen's story and the Native American tale on which it is based. Considers the argumentative force of two contradictory perspectives: (1) the moral power and beauty of Esbensen's tale; and (2) the problem issues of cultural misappropriation, which are especially pressing when the retelling is done…

Argues against the common-sense view that children's literature dealing with the Jews in Nazi Germany is necessarily useful as an aid to studying the Holocaust. Finds a number of significant issues overlooked in the classroom. Discusses the novel "Friedrich" by H.P. Richter. (PA)

Looks at the changes made in different versions of "Sara Crewe" (better known as "A Little Princess") over the past 110 years. Finds that in all versions that have been adapted in the intervening century, including the most recent film, Sara is different from Frances Burnett's original conceptions--and different in disturbing…

Discusses the recent developments in historical fiction, especially the "time-slip" or time travel story. Finds that this is a new wing of the historical novel, specially designed to bring past and present face to face. Describes several books about the small English village of Eyam and the Great Plague of 1664-1666. (PA)

Contends there is a disparity between the humorous books children choose to read and the humorous books adults choose for children to read. Finds this merits attention because research has consistently indicated that humor is children's strongest preference for reading material. Identifies and examines humorous books; finds different choices…

Discusses the work of Japanese-American writer Yoshiko Uchida, who accurately re-creates a sense of the past in her depictions of Japanese-Americans struggling to define their self-images. Examines Uchida's treatment of several sociocultural issues and themes reflected in her children's works dealing with pre-World War II and internment years. (RS)

Explores Ruth Sawyer's "Roller Skates" and John Steptoe's "Stevie"--two very different works linked by common themes and settings. Concludes that these works portray children exploring the variety and richness of life in New York City of the 1890s and of the 1960s, and that both emphasize the importance of love, family, and…