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The study of young adult literature (YAL) as both an art form and teaching tool is in its infancy. Barely 50 years old, this emerging genre began to establish a presence in the canon of both classical and popular literature. As a developing field of inquiry, however, YAL struggles for legitimacy and prestige. The purpose of this article is to issue a call to educational researchers to shift the focus of current YAL research from teaching the content (text analysis research) to that of student learning in the classroom (empirical research). Doing so would increase the legitimacy and influence of the genre and establish its jurisdiction within the educational research arena as a valuable and viable subject worthy of investigation.

This article describes an effort to create a teacher learning community in which university and local school teachers worked together to improve the teaching of writing at elementary and secondary levels. I describe how a university's National Writing Project (NWP) engaged in developing a cadre of selected teachers to share understandings about the theory and practice of writing instruction. The specific focus is on the NWP summer institute and the effort of its leaders, the director, the codirector, and the teacher consultants, to increase understanding among participating teachers through conversations that shape relationships among members of the educational community and various constituent groups. Practical examples of how the NWP facilitators fostered writing instruction to benefit students and colleagues are detailed in the context of theoretical understandings about the nature and development of learning communities devoted to the teaching of writing.

Describes one educator's reactions to viewing an old movie of educational philosopher John Dewey at the beach, discussing who Dewey was, examining his educational theory, highlighting Dewey's belief that true learning is experimental, and asserting that "Dewey at the beach" is a perfect image for this dynamic educator, who was a common man with a common touch who found the truth in the everyday. (SM)

Remembering the Forgotten War: The Korean War in American History. 60-Minute Video and Study Guide. Produced by the National Archives & Records Administration, the Dept. of Communication of Central Missouri [...]

Alan S. Marcus, Jeremy D. Stoddard, and Walter Woodward. Teachiug History with Museums: Strategies for K-12 Social Studies. New York/London: Routledge, 2012. Pp. 192. Paper, $38.95; ISBN 978-0-415-89165-3. In an [...]

D. Lynn McRainey and John Russick, eds. Connecting Kids to History with Museum Exhibitions. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, 2010. Pp. 334. Paper, $34.95; ISBN 978-59874-383-8. The key to [...]

Shares the thoughts of two teachers on what they consider to be losses to the English curriculum in recent years: phase-elective English and the thematic unit. (MG)

The author gives an overview on creative ways of teaching the works of playwright William Shakespeare to young people. He mentions as an example his experience with a student teacher who taught students about the play "Romeo and Juliet" by engaging them in discussions and acting activities instead of just reading aloud from textbooks. The author stresses the importance of making an interesting introduction to kids and teenagers the poetic beauty and dramatic relevance of Shakespeare's works.

Opinion. Suggests the inclusion of television program discussions in the American public schools' curricula. Meaning of the refrain `And Now a Word From Our Sponsor!'; Television watching at home; Discussion of television programs at school.