Association, and was published three times a year; it now appears quarterly. Five or six
feature articles are followed by an extensive section of signed, critical children’s and
adolescent book reviews grouped by age level, and by reviews of works for adults dealing
with children.
Educational PublicationsIn the USA, journals primarily for teachers are an important source of articles and
reviews, some well worth reading. The year 1912 saw the first issue of English Journal,
published from September to May by the National Council for the Teaching of English
(NCTE). English Journal is directed toward teachers of adolescents in the USA and,
although its primary focus is material that adults ask adolescents to read rather than
material marketed to children and adolescents for reading for pleasure, as early as the
first issue there is a discussion of what adolescents read out of school and how teachers
can help to make such reading of the best quality (Bates 1912). Another article in that
issue asks a crucial question that occurs again and again in discussions of teaching
reading: ‘Have we aimed at the wrong thing, taught for knowledge rather than for
power?’ (Lewis 1912:11). The issue ends with three detailed reviews of books for
teachers and a number of ‘Book notices’ that include plays and stories for children.
These notices begin to be annotated by the third issue. Later issues in this first year
have articles discussing Oliver Optic and advocating folk-tales, myths and medieval lore
for the first years of secondary school. There is also much discussion of how to properly
teach poetry. As the years have passed and reading levels in the USA have declined,
more and more children’s literature for younger and younger children, even picture
books, has been addressed by this journal in its search for ways to get adolescents
interested in reading. As well as feature articles, current issues contain extensive essay
reviews and annotated bibliographies.
Another official publication of the NCTE began in 1924 as The Elementary English
Review under the editorship of C.C.Certain of Detroit. The first issue contained articles
on teaching literature, staging plays, interpreting poetry, and ‘The creation of Dr
Dolittle’ by Hugh Lofting. After the second issue, the journal included a regular book
review section. In September 1975 the journal was renamed Language Arts; it now
appears eight times a year, and centres on the theory and practice of teaching reading
and writing in the elementary school. The present journal includes reviews and
annotated bibliographies of children’s books and audio-visual media, including selected
textbooks. Some articles deal directly with children’s literature, and from time to time
there have been issues devoted to the subject. Since the recent promotion of ‘real books’
in the classroom, renewed attention has been paid to children’s literature.
The year 1924 also saw the beginning of Childhood Education, published for the
International Kindergarten Union. From the first issue it has contained reviews of books
for both children and teachers. It is now put out by the Association for Childhood
Education International (a USA organisation) and appears five times a year. It contains
feature articles on subjects like picture books and its reviews include magazines,
newspapers, films and software.
482 THE CONTEXT OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE