Describes stand-up comic Jim Pelley's knack for making educators see a light side to serious problems. Principals should always be aware of the power of humor to take the edge off potentially depressing situations. Advice is provided for lightening up, including creating a humor first-aid kit, posting staff baby pictures and cartoons, and…

Questions the conventional assumption that reference books should simply be regarded as objective containers of information, and argues that personal style is sometimes an important element in the evaluation of reference books and that subjectivity and expressions of feeling may be as valuable as objectivity, detachment, and impersonality. (23…

Argues that humor is one means of appealing to young people and helping them to search out truth. Explains how the author, who writes young adult fiction, uses humor to approach weighty subjects. Provides several examples from her fiction. (TB)

Offers the author's (a noted writer of children's novels and picture books) personal theories about mixing mirth and mayhem. (SR)

Discusses the emergence of the horror genre in U.S. mass media, including literature, films, songs, and television. Examples of thematic and character exchanges among major media areas are described; the interest of youth in horror is discussed; and songs of horror and humor are described. (41 references) (LRW)

Describes methods to use for successful humorous storytelling. Guidelines for story selection, preparation, and presentation are discussed in relation to various age groups from preschoolers through adolescents; types of humor are described; appropriate humorous stories and collections are suggested; and methods for learning a new story are…

Humorously proposes doctoral disorder of adulthood as a developmental disorder needing further study. Included are discussions of age at onset, the course of the disorder, prevalence, impairment, complications, predisposing factors, sex ratio, familial pattern, and differential diagnosis. Diagnostic criteria for doctoral disorder of adulthood are…

Denounces the treatment of Ronald Takaki's "Strangers from a Different Shore" by members of the Association of Asian American Studies who criticized it on grounds of scholarly ethics. (DM)

Discusses why elephant riddles are viable catalysts for word play and language development in the primary grades. Explores some relationships between children's thinking and elephant riddles. Offers some suggestions for incorporating them as a regular part of the classroom flow. (SR)

This study examined relationship between a sense of humor and symptoms of depression among adolescents. Findings on measures of humor and depression for 140 adolescents revealed that a sense of humor can be reliably measured and may be inversely related to symptoms of depression. (LBT)

Examines use of humorous literature with children who are reluctant readers. Presents a rationale for using humorous literature to aid in developing word recognition and reading fluency. Follows with descriptions of various types of humor found in children's trade books; suggests ways to motivate children to participate in repeated readings.…

Contributes to research on schema theory and media effects by examining how violence is portrayed in comedy programs. Finds a high rate of violence (especially verbal forms) on comedy programs; and the combination of humor, minor acts of violence, and program context tend to trivialize its presence. Suggests that viewers' schema for comedy uses…

Describes how six women working within a liberal feminist Christian tradition sought to nurture learning communities that empower and transform. Relates how the group used metaphor and laughter as central processes. (SK)

This study looked at how six infants in a group child care setting produced and appreciated humor. With the use of multiple qualitative methods, participant and non-participant observations, journal writing, videotaping, interviewing, and document review this study looked at children's humor as indicated through their smiles and laughter. Findings…