This guide puts books and readers together by helping readers' advisors in libraries, bookstores, and academic institutions find the books their readers will enjoy reading. Offering a structured overview of genres, it can also be used as a textbook for courses in genre literature and readers' advisory to discuss popular genres of fiction. The…

A centenary tribute to Wilhelm Vietor, whose work marked the start of modern methods of language teaching in Europe, describes the educational philosophy behind the reform movement. The movement focused on the value of spoken language and established an alternative to the grammar translation method. (MSE)

Surveys the opportunities for research in lesbian literature. Notes the vast amount of basic work yet to be done in this field as a result of past neglect, the limited accessibility of biographical and resource materials on lesbian writers, and the negative effects of homophobia. (RL)

Discusses "La Naissance du Jour" a novel by Colette, focusing on the mother-daughter relationship that underlies the story, and explores the same theme in other fictional works by women writers. Devotes particular attention to the ambivalence that troubles these relationships when the heroines face heterosexual love. (MES)

Children quickly become bored with repetition requiring the library media specialists to vary their booktalk formats to sustain children's attention and promote recreational reading. This article discusses the four basic booktalk formats: plot summary, anecdote, character description, creation of mood, and a fifth to promote books with a common…

Discusses the writings of Homer W. Smith, a physiologist who wrote novels, histories of religion, textbooks, and a book on the kidney for the general reader. Smith's writing skills remind students that biologists are as multidimensional as the rest of the population. Smith shows that all parts of life are interrelated as they enrich and shed light…

Summarizes the plot of "The Summer of the Swans," the 1971 Newbery Medal winner; provides discussion questions; outlines activities in drama, art, and language arts; and provides an annotated bibliography of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction dealing with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. Includes an interview with Betsy…

Discusses eight novels by the following female novelists from Africa: (1) Buchi Emecheta; (2) Flora Nwapa; (3) Bessie Head; and (4) Mariama Ba. Explores customs and attitudes that cause the most suffering to their female characters. Examines signs of change which suggest hope for the elimination of these causes. (JS)

Readability formulas applied to materials for hearing-impaired students do not account for important factors in reader-writer-text interaction. Factors include the reader's purpose, cultural background, and extent of background knowledge; writers' assumptions about readers; the text's structure, content, and cohesion; and the role of…

Describes an at-home project whereby students collaborate with their parents in writing a book, and the resulting books are shared at year's end. Involves parents and students in signing performance contracts, developing reading and writing, and sharing skills. (ET)

Considers problems of quantifying literary style. Examines several variables that may be used as stylistic "fingerprints" of a writer. Reviews work done on statistical analysis of change over time in literary style and applies this technique to the Bible. (CFR)

Outlines the historical development of female authorship in Great Britain during the years of the European Renaissance. Details the rhetorical strategies used by these authors to address a primarily hostile male audience. Considers the writing differences between the sexes in historical context. (HB)

Presents a futuristic short story written by a high school student with cerebral palsy who used a DragonDictate voice-activated computer system to write the story, which was awarded the Indiana State Champion Prize in the Future Problem Solving Writers Contest. (LRW)

This bibliography for school library media specialists lists articles published in 1993 in seven categories: information service; instructional consulting; literature; management; notable authors, illustrators, and librarians; school reform; and teaching. Categories are subdivided into as many as 25 subtopics. Articles are drawn from 11 journals.…

The author and illustrator of a picture book about the life cycle of the lynx describes the research and development process she used to create the book. Contacts with wildlife biologists, presenting the predator/prey relationship, creating pictures and text, drawing from life, and creating the book jacket are among the topics covered. (KRN)