Presents a speech delivered by the author, the 1997 recipient of the Scott O'Dell Award, given for an outstanding work of historical fiction for her novel, "Jip: His Story." (SR)

Defines developmental editing as more than copy editing but less than actually writing the book. Explains how a developmental editor can assist textbook authors in developing a book's structure and writing style. Discusses some aspects of a career as a developmental editor. (DDR)

Describes the generations of Cuban and Cuban American writers who have borne witness, in Spanish and now in English, to the oppression of Castro's regime, the pain of leaving Cuba, and the family conflicts occurring in the new land. Highlights the tragic figure of Reinaldo Arenas, a homosexual writer, anti-Castro activist, and immigrant. (GR)

Describes the works of eight Australian children's authors: Mem Fox, Paul Jennings; Jeannie Baker, Gary Crew, Libby Gleeson, Morris Gleitzman, Margaret Wild, and Ron Brooks. Provides links to their web sites. (PM)

Offers a retrospective look at the life and works of the brilliant, expressive children's author and artist John Steptoe. Discusses influences in his work and his important contributions to the world of children's literature. (SR)

Recounts the influences on the author of her upbringing in the southern United States. Discusses the craft of writing novels for young adults. (RS)

Considers who should be responsible for the content of children's books, focusing on the parts that writers, parents, and society should take in this responsibility. Concludes that all parties must try to influence children through education, but that children's literature should not be a weapon for promoting any one version of reality. (MM)

Describes the process of writing a screenplay from the book "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and the collaboration involved in working with the directors for the production. Talks about the creative process of enlarging the scope but leaving the story intact. (MG)

Evaluated novels written in old age by two contemporary British novelists, Barbara Pym and Penelope Mortimer, which revealed their late style was related to lifelong methods of adapting to changes in their situation. Found strength and direction of their creativity in old age fluctuated in response to their aging bodies and their new roles in…

Presents results of an analysis of manuscripts submitted to the American Mental Health Counselors Association Journal from 1983 through 1986. Provides information on authors, types of manuscripts received, and disposition of manuscripts. Cites several topics of particular relevance and reader interest, including marriage and family counseling,…

Describes the author's experiences as an editor of children's books. Some of the fundamentals of juvenile nonfiction are summarized, and several books from the 1960s, '70s and '80s are mentioned. Recognition of nonfiction works by children's book award committees is also discussed. (MES)

Examines the validity of Lotka's function for a measurement of scientific productivity. A systematic deviation of this function from numerical examples has been found by introducing a different least-square formulation instead of a logarithmic linearization. Therefore, a modification of the measurement of the publication frequencies is proposed.…

Three articles focus on elementary school literature education. The first reviews children's books that celebrate the winter. The second presents a holiday letter to students from writer/illustrator Marc Brown. The third examines how the seasons can inspire imagery in children's poetry. (SM)

Traces the development of Native American literatures as following a pattern of cultural revitalization. Examines how these literatures are being incorporated into the national literary canon and subjected to institutionalized domination at the same time that they are serving as a vehicle for indigenous political resistance and revitalization. (SV)

Discusses the life, work, and working habits of Milton Meltzer, who has spent a good part of his life writing about people whose words and deeds have gone untended and been washed from the landscape of the historical record. (RS)