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To the consternation and dismay of its critics, the 12-year basic education program is now in full swing in the Philippines. The concerns over the implementation of this purportedly neoliberal educational policy have included the displacement of education workers, the perennial shortage of school facilities (especially in the public schools), and financial impact on low-income families. There has also been a concern over the ostensibly western orientation of the country's educational system because of colonialism. However, as this paper argues, there are also spaces for an empowering and critical pedagogy as defined by Paulo Freire. The principles of critical pedagogy, for instance, can be deployed through the inclusion of non-canonical and insurgent literature in at least two new courses in the curriculum--21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World and Creative Nonfiction. One particular example of such literature is the testimonial narrative or testimonio, a first-person narrative about experiences of abuse and other forms of injustice. The paper includes a survey of studies that foreground the use of testimonios in education, and argues that the same strategy can be used in the Philippines' new curriculum. The use of testimonios in literature and other disciplines may constitute an attempt at locating alternative knowledges and cultural modalities while surfacing the narratives of Philippine society's marginalized sectors.

This paper evaluates the potential efficacy of using life writing to address mental health disparities and to promote health and well-being among young LGBTIQA+ persons. It examines the potential benefits of young LGBTIQA+ people engaging with life writing including memoir, autobiography, creative nonfiction, journaling and digital storytelling. These benefits include exploring identity and making sense of one's experiences, unifying and empowering marginalised communities, providing people with agency, illuminating common experiences, and facilitating the exchange of resources and support. It evaluates current developments in literacy and English education and identifies an increasing trend towards neo-liberalism and economic discourses, potentially at the expense of providing opportunities for young people to develop creativity and engage in self-exploration. It discusses the author's experiences in running life writing workshops with groups of LGBTIQA+ young people and offers suggestions on how to run similar workshops in educational and wider community settings, including possible prompts, modes of working and debriefing the participants. Overall, the findings suggest that life writing can be used to improve the health and well-being of LGBTIQA+ young people; however, the paper concludes that this sort of intervention needs to be run respectfully, strategically and with full awareness of how sensitive and traumatic the content may be that can emerge for young people. For this reason, the paper presents guidelines and recommendations to provide structure and support.

International findings indicate that there is a gap in the literacy performance of school-aged males and females, which has led to a focus on how to address this issue. Research suggests that an individual's literacy outcomes can be improved by regular recreational book reading, and therefore increasing frequency of engagement in this practice is seen as beneficial. However, the strategies and solutions employed to foster greater engagement in reading tend to subscribe to a problematic theoretical root. Essentialist conceptions of gender often frame educational and policy responses to this gender gap. Amongst other notions, males have been constructed as uniformly preferring non-fiction. This paper draws on previously unpublished data from the 2015 "International Study of Avid Book Readers" and the 2016 "Western Australian Study in Children's Book Reading" to examine the reading preferences of males. Male respondents in both studies displayed no marked preference for non-fiction, and males were more likely to prefer to exclusively read fiction than non-fiction. As essentialism requires homogeneity due to its biological basis, this paper ultimately challenges the legitimacy of using an essentialist framework to generate knowledge about how to best encourage males to read, exploring the risks inherent in this practice.

In this article, the authors provide a synopsis of the 2014 Children's Literature Assembly (CLA) Workshop. The Workshop explored how fiction and nonfiction children's and young adult's literature create opportunities for in-depth learning in the content areas. Participants had the opportunity to hear the stories of authors and illustrators of fiction and nonfiction children's literature as they talked about creating books that explore science and mathematics concepts. The panel of presenters (Jennifer Brown, Kate Messner, Jon Scieszka, Jason Chin, Susan Stockdale, Melissa Stewart, Leslie Bulion, and Emily Jenkins) led participants on informative and entertaining excursions through their creative, inventive, and ingenious processes. Two master teachers (Kendall Donald and Emily Whitecotton) also shared curricular invitations for bringing these kinds of texts into practice in their fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. Participants at the 2014 CLA Workshop were inspired by the work of these gifted authors and illustrators. While the audience learned about their unique approaches to creating books, they also came to see persistent themes shared in the writing. By the end of the workshop, audience members were able to walk away knowing more about a number of outstanding fiction and nonfiction K-8 titles. The teachers also introduced the audience to curricular invitations and offered valuable classroom strategies for gathering information and inspiration through these beautifully and thoughtfully crafted books.

Hopes that teachers will expose students to many personal narratives, novels, poems, and other works from the vast body of Holocaust literature. Presents annotations of 21 recent Holocaust books for young people (published between 1994 and 2001) including fiction, nonfiction, personal narratives, and picture books. (SG)

Presents a "conversation" with Penny Colman (adapted from her remarks at a panel discussion at a recent convention). Considers that nonfiction is dominated by male writers, especially for young adults and adults, and by true stories that feature boys and men. Discusses her exploration of the world of nonfiction by women. (SG)

Offers an interview with Jennifer Armstrong, writer of historical novels and nonfiction for children. Discusses her beginnings as a reader and a writer, her creative process, her purposes in writing nonfiction, her concerns about accuracy, and the origins of her second nonfiction book, "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance." (SR)

Presents brief descriptions of 22 recently published books for children and adolescents that present untold stories that begin to fill in the gaps of mainstream versions of the past. Includes categories of historical fiction, historical nonfiction, biography/memoir, and poetry and verse. Discusses these books in tandem with numerous landmark children's books and two featured books. (SR)

Interviews author Jim Murphy, two-time winner of the Orbis Pictus award for children's nonfiction. Discusses his writing processes, finding subjects, his fascination with first-hand accounts of history, his use of visual displays that extend text, and ensuring accuracy. (SR)

Presents a short dialogue on issues of representing children's literature for a wider audience, regarding "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Discusses a featured book and offers brief descriptions of 5 picture books and informational texts, and 6 autobiographies, discussing them in tandem with 15 landmark children's books. (SR)

Suggests that nonfiction, in the world of books for children and adolescents, has been far too narrowly (and too negatively) defined. Describes the author's nonfiction writing as "creative nonfiction" and demonstrates how she incorporates real life experiences, intensive personal reflection, and intensive research in her books. (SR)

The Common Core State Standards aren't exactly new; it's been two years since most states adopted them. But it took those two years for the standards to trickle down from abstraction to daily practice, from a sheaf of papers in a state capital into a lesson plan on a teacher's desk. Now they're reshaping reading instruction in significant ways. Whether the standards are shining a bright new light on reading or casting an ominous shadow over it remains a point of debate. But without a doubt, the shifts in literacy instruction envisioned by the common core are among the biggest in recent decades. This supplemental issue of "Education Week" contains articles that focus on literacy in the 21st century. They include: (1) Overview: Common Standards Drive New Reading Approaches (Catherine Gewertz); (2) State Policies (Erik W. Robelen); (3) New Research Thinking Girds Core (Sarah D. Sparks); (4) Writing Undergoing Renaissance in Curricula (Catherine Gewertz); (5) Scales Tip Toward Nonfiction Under the Common Core (Catherine Gewertz); (6) Literacy Instruction Expected To Cross the Curriculum (Erik W. Robelen); (7) New Texts Aim to Capture Standards (Stephen Sawchuk); and (8) Building Bridges for ELLs (Lesli A. Maxwell).

Noted poet and anthologist Naomi Shihab Nye discusses her books of poetry for young people and her work with students to help them find their own poetic voices. Nye's poetry anthologies are appropriate for elementary, middle-school, and high-school students. Fundamental themes are crossing boundaries and making connections to help young readers know the voices of their extended global family. (Author/AEF)

Sketches the history of children's books about science, from the first picture book in Germany in 1658 to Louis Agassiz's work on establishing science firmly in the education of young people in America. States that science books need to be accurate, and they must demonstrate the "scientific method." Outlines 11 characteristics of science books. (PA)

Images of childhood are ideas and expectations of childhood and children, and are reflections of individual perception and cultural ideologies. In writing children's books, authors draw on their conscious and unconscious thoughts of childhood to create an implied reader. In this paper I investigate images of childhood through examination of the portrayal of the implied reader in a selection of information books, a genre that is often overlooked for beginning readers. Three books of various sub-genres, topics and presentation styles were examined for images of childhood and the child in the text and illustrations. Some images include childhood in formal education, the child as a co-constructor, the child as a cultural reproducer, and childhood as a time of innocence and play. The construct of the implied reader shapes the reader and the reading experience, and is thus an element of the power of the text; awareness of the implied reader and the real reader response can help in teaching young children to read both with and against the text. When selecting information books, attention to their images of childhood as well as to the quality of the information they provide, will help to optimise young children's early reading experiences.

This supplement/newsletter contains booktalks, news, and other information of interest to librarians, teachers, and readers. This issue includes plans for future issues of the newsletter as well as reviews of fiction and nonfiction books for elementary and secondary school students. Appropriate grade levels, popularity level, and quality level are indicated for each title. (57 references) (LRW)

Describes six trends and five evaluative criteria of children's nonfiction books and suggests four additional criteria for activity books. Topics discussed include humor, unusual formats, graphics and illustrations, accuracy and authenticity, content and perspective, and organization. Specific titles appropriate for kindergarten through sixth grade students are used as examples. (56 references) (LRW)

Reviews and recommends recently published and reissued paperback picture books, stories for intermediate readers, and stories for older readers. (CRH)

Reviews recently published books for younger, intermediate, and older readers. (CRH)

Presents brief book reviews grouped according to the following categories: picture books, stories for intermediate readers, stories for older readers, poetry, nonfiction, and books of interest to adults. (RBW)

Annotates picture books, stories for younger readers, stories for intermediate readers, stories for older readers, and nonfiction. (RBW)

Lists 105 books selected by children as the best of those published in l984. (FL)

Lists and annotates new books for children, arranged according to the following categories: Christmas books; picture books; stories for younger, for intermediate, and for older readers; folklore; poetry; and nonfiction. Also annotates two books of interest to adults: an autobiography of Lucy Boston and an annotated bibliography of children's books on Africa. (GT)

Lists and annotates new books for children, arranged according to the following categories: picture books; stories for younger, for intermediate, and for older readers; folklore; poetry; and nonfiction. Also annotates a book for adults about creative drama and musical activities for children. (GT)

Reviews six new children's books on the topics of animals, biorhythms, and history of science. (GT)

Lists and annotates new books for children, arranged according to the following categories: picture books; stories for younger, for intermediate, and for older readers; folklore and legend; poetry; and nonfiction. Also annotates a book for adults about Lewis Carroll. (GT)

Lists and annotates new books for children, arranged according to the following categories: picture books; stories for younger, for intermediate, and for older readers; folklore and legends; poetry; and nonfiction. (GT)

Reviews five new children's books on the topics of astronomy, energy, geology, mathematics, and physics. (GT)

Lists and annotates new books for children, arranged according to the following categories: picture books; stories for younger, for intermediate, and for older readers; folklore; poetry; and nonfiction. Also annotates two books of interest to adults. (AEA)

Annotates recent materials for younger, intermediate, and older readers. Includes picture books, fiction, nonfiction, paperbacks, poetry, and children's books of special interest to adults. Also annotates one film. (FL)

Reviews six books that deal with dinosaurs, sea creatures, physiology, cacti, and cotton. (FL)

Reviews six new children's books in the areas of astronomy, energy, mathematics, and physics. (GT)