The Role of Literature in Reading Instruction : Cross-Cultural Views / Dorothy S. Strickland, Ed.

The four papers in this collection focus on cross-cultural concerns related to literature and literacy. The first paper discusses the development of children's literature as a field of study, and describes the emerging interest in children's literature as reflected in library collections, exhibits and book fairs, professional conferences, professional literature, and teacher education programs around the world. The second paper explores the problems connected with the translation of books for children. It describes the problems involved in the selection of books, the quality of the translation, and the difficulty in reviewing the books. The paper stresses the importance of making books from all countries available to all children in order to help them understand and appreciate the cultural diversity of the world. The third paper reports on the use of children's literature in early childhood education in Japan and describes how literature is used in the schools to support the social and cognitive development of young children. The final paper focuses on what various countries are doing to promote reading among children, as well as the general public. It describes book promotion projects and programs designed to develop lifelong reading habits. (FL)

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