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  • Dissertations of Note
  • Rachel Fordyce (bio)
Alexander, Lynn Griggs. "Appalachian Characteristics Portrayed in Children's Literature Set in Appalachia." Ed.D. diss. University of Tennessee, 1987. 137 pp. DAI 49:781A.

Applying the content analysis methods of Daniel Katz, Bruce Ergood, Kenneth Braley, and herself to a sample of sixteen books written for primary-school readers, Alexander derives a "basically positive" composite of Appalachian characters who are "industrious, loyal to family ties, [in] harmony with nature, and individualistic." She finds that the main character in these books, presumably male, is "likely to live on a farm, to have a limited income, to wear overalls, to work very hard, to live in a log cabin, to be very independent, and to love his family." Although she commends individual authors on their realization of characters, she points out the apparently widespread stereotyping of the region and its people.

Anderson, James Glenn. "Cognitive and Social Interactions in Shared Big Book Experiences." Ph.D. diss. University of Alberta (Canada), 1987. N.p. DAI 48:1187.

Predicating his study on the fact that many children learn to read before they begin school and that most "have been read to by an adult or older sibling and have been invited to share in the reading," Anderson attempts to "interpret interactions" during the experience of sharing a big book as it is replicated in a first-grade classroom. Although he finds that the home surroundings and the classroom have some features in common, the differences outnumber the similarities. The implication is that children are more likely to learn to read in a home where books are shared than in the more artificial setting of the classroom.

Bavaria, Richard Ernest. "A Value Analysis of Four Fathers from Secondary School Literature: Pap, Atticus, Willy, and Walter." Ph.D. diss. University of Maryland College Park, 1987. 161 pp. DAI 48:1967A.

"The researcher used content analysis to identify the personal values of the fathers who appear as principal characters in four selected longer works of American fiction frequently taught to secondary students": Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Two of the fathers (Twain's and Miller's) exhibit negative values and drive their children from home; the other two show positive values and, "through their good examples, teach their children about courage, tolerance, civility and the importance of the family."

Bealing, Sara Cannon. "A Comparison of the Trope Density and Readability of Newbery Bronze Medal Award Books and Selected Teacher's Choices, 1983-1985. Ph.D. diss. Florida State University, 1987. 235 pp. DAI 48:1717A.

Bealing uses "eight advanced children's literature books" to determine the readability of the books and to answer the following questions. "Is there significant difference between the trope density of the Newbery Bronze Medal Award winner and the Advanced Teacher's Choices Books? Is there a significant difference [End Page 200] in the readability levels of the two categories of books? Is there a significant relationship between readability levels and trope densities? Is there a significant difference in the trope types found in the Newbery Bronze Medal Award Books and the Teacher's Choice Books?" Bealing suggests that metaphorical language in both fiction and nonfiction works for children merits further study and that the "readability levels of prize winning literature books, pop literature, and newspapers should be examined."

Callander, Marilyn Berg. "Willa Cather's Use of Fairy Tales." Ph.D. diss. Drew University, 1987. 131 pp. DAI 48:1202A.

The author notes that Cather uses fairy tales "extensively" in her writing. Callander explores four different uses of fairy tales and includes an index to other allusions in Cather's works.

Carter, Betty Brogon. "A Content Analysis of the Most Frequently Circulated Information Books in Three Junior High Libraries." Ed.D. diss. University of Houston, 1987. 569 pp. DAI 49:213A.

Carter is concerned with not only which information books students select but whether they meet "professional criteria for evaluating juvenile nonfiction, and if they [contain] similar features in content, methods of presentation, and physical format." She surveyed a field of 45,224...

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