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Reviews six children's books about American Indian culture, traditional life, and folk tales by Native and non-Native authors. Discusses questions related to whether non-Natives should write about Native life, whether the same criticism should apply to Native and non-Native authors, and problems in adapting oral materials. (SV)

Examines three survival stories involving Inuits: Harpoon of the Hunter (Markoosie), Tikta'Liktak (Houston), and Julie of the Wolves (Craighead). Focuses on the difficulties involved in using a literary form of Anglo-American-European culture to deal with events and attitudes from a culture as different as the Inuit. (JHZ)

Suggests that children, even in early elementary grades, can grasp basic elements of children's literature using a spiralled sequence story curriculum, which helps them examine types of character, such as the trickster; elements of plot, such as the journey; and generally see patterns in the stories they read. (JC)

Examines relationships among children's fairy tales, the North American dream of going from rags to riches, the role of sports in North American society, and the uses and misuses of biographies written for young readers. (HOD)

Discusses theories on the nature of irony and applies them to Lynd Ward's Caldecott Medal winning picture book, "The Biggest Bear." Concludes with illustrations of how these theories can be used in teaching ironic stories to third grade students. (HOD)

Discusses the signification process for storytelling. Cultural value of storytelling; Function and philosophy of stories; Use of the narrative to explain concepts; Applications for teaching the reading of literature.