Publishers of children’s books are in agreement that there are “glorious years ahead’’ in their business. Citing the growing number of parents among the Baby Boom generation as the main reason, some key figures in the industry, writing in Publishers Weekly (Feb. 27), point to new trends in the field:
- Better-educated and working parents, wanting to play an active role in their children’s education, will buy books that reflect “quality’’ rather than “gimmicks.’'
- Fewer books based on “licensed characters’’ will be published.
- More old favorites will be reprinted--including “at least eight editions of The Secret Garden, now in the public domain.’'
- The dinosaur craze will continue, and new books on the beasts will be published because “they have always sold extremely well.’'
Writing in the March/April issue of Science Books & Films, Kathy Edwards, a media consultant to the Los Angeles County Office of Education, makes a case for using visual media as a key instructional resource in the classroom. She also points out that "[S]tudents can overcome some unfortunate common cognitive barriers to learning, such as lack of print-orientated skills,’' when audio-visual materials become an integral part of the science curriculum.
Included in this annual audio-visual-materials issue is an annotated bibliography of the “best films, videos, and filmstrips’’ in the physical sciences for young students.
Single copies of the magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, are available for $6 plus $1.50 postage and handling, from Susan Suh, Science Books & Films, 1333 H Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20005.
A new journal, Educational Policy, was launched last month, with the intention of bridging the gap between educational researchers and school policymakers. Philip G. Altbach, one of the editors, said the journal will “look at the practical consequences of educational decisions and will contribute to an understanding of policy alternatives.’'
Each issue will address a particular theme; the first, “The Crisis in Teaching,’' will be followed by “Testing and Evaluation’’ and “A Retrospective on Affirmative Action and Its Impact.’'
For more information on the quarterly, which costs $25 annually ($45 institution rate), write to Geron-X Inc., Publishers, Box 1108, Los Altos, Calif. 94023.
For school administrators, teachers, and librarians who are unclear on if and how much they may reproduce from a book or journal without breaching copyright law, a set of comprehensive guidelines is now available.
Copyright Policy Development, written by Charles W. Vleck, also includes current information governing the use of television- satellite systems.
The book, priced at $17.95, was published this month by Copyright Information Services, P.O. Box 1460, Friday Harbor, Wash. 98250.
Continuing a tradition of creating posters from popular children’s books, Peaceable Kingdom Press has three new offerings for spring, by James Marshall, H.A. Rey, and Thacher Hurd. A free catalogue is available from Peaceable Kingdom, 2954 Hillegrass Avenue, Berkeley, Calif. 94705.--G.L.
