includes index

Learning about books and children : Knowing children's literature : Children's literature defined --
Valuing literature for children --
Evaluating children's fiction --
Classics in children's literature --
The book awards --
Understanding children's responses to literature : Reading interests and preferences --
Growth patterns that influence response --
Response in the classroom --
The changing world of children's books : Early beginnings: the Middle Ages --
Children's books: the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Children's literature: the nineteenth century --
Children's literature: the twentieth century --
Recent trends in children's books --
Exploring children's literature : Books to begin on : Developing initial literacy --
Babies' first books --
Toy books --
Finger rhymes and nursery songs --
Mother goose --
Alphabet books --
Counting books --
Concept books --
Wordless books --
Books about the common experiences of young children --
Books for the beginning reader --
Picture books : The picture book defined --
The art and artists of picture books The matter of style --
The language of picture books --
The content of picture books --
Themes and subjects in picture books --
Traditional literature : A perspective on traditional literature --
Folktales --
Fables --
Myths --
Epic and legendary heroes --
The bible as literature --
Modern fantasy : Fantasy for today's child --
Modern fairy tales --
Modern fantasy --
Science fiction --
Poetry : The meaning of poetry --
Selecting poetry for children --
Sharing poetry with children --
Contemporary realistic fiction : Realism in contemporary children's literature Becoming one's own person --
Coping with problems of the human condition --
Living in a diverse world --
Popular types of realistic fiction --
Historical fiction : Historical fiction for today's child --
Stories of prehistoric times --
Stories of the old world --
Stories of the Americas --
Into the twentieth century --
Nonfiction books : Trends in nonfiction books --
Criteria for evaluating nonfiction books --
Types of nonfiction books --
Using literature across the curriculum --
Biography : Biography for today's child --
Criteria for juvenile biography Types of persentation and coverage --
Autobiographies and memoirs --
Developing a literature program : Planning the literature program : Purposes of the literature program --
Different plans for literature programs --
The components of a literature program --
Sharing literature with children --
Providing time to read books --
Providing time to talk about books --
Providing time for the in-depth study of books --
Connecting literature and life --
Connecting books across the curriculum --
Assessment and evaluation --
The school and the community