This annotated bibliography concentrates on books dealing with an important category of literature for youths, that of war and peace. The number of books for young people on this subject is surprisingly large, yet it is often ignored. Though such books don't form the center of children's literature, they do represent an important portion of it, revealing to children vital truths about the human condition and how nobly humans can act under extreme hardship. The book includes a number of different types of works dealing with war and peace, e.g., allegories and parables, picture books, poetry, biographies, Revolutionary and Civil War books, tales of the Holocaust and Hiroshima, and stories dealing with pacifism. Each entry includes author, title, publishing data, and age level, as well as an annotation that assesses the entry's pertinence, quality, and value. In addition to this bibliography for youths, there is an annotated bibliography of materials for adults that covers how to discuss the subject of war and peace with young people. The volume is also extensively cross-referenced and indexed, providing access to authors, illustrators, and titles, subject entries such as warriors and pacifists, and categories of material such as parables or poetry. It will be an important reference work for teachers dealing with the subject of conflict and for courses in education and the social sciences, and a worthwhile addition to college, university, and public libraries.

Throughout recorded history, mankind has turned to language play as a source of entertainment and intellectual stimulation. This unique new reference provides comprehensive listings and explainations, together with samples and historical information, concerning the hundreds of letter and word games, puzzles, and linguistic entertainments that enrich our cultural life.

In an introductory section, the author discusses the various ways of manipulating words and letters and the relation of this pastime to literature, linguistics, education and humor. He comments on the use of word-play techniques in the teaching of language arts, noting their demonstrated benefits in stimulating creativity and motivating the unwilling student. Turning to the literary uses of language play, he talks about writers--from Shakespeare, Dickens, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein to the dadaists, Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, and various contemporary literary artists--whose linguistic devices run the gamut from riddles, acrostics, cross-word puzzles, and anagrams--are considered, along with individual and group games intended to entertain, teach skills, or challenge the imagination or intellect.

Mathematical play has challenged and stimulated human ingenuity throughout recorded history. It has ranged from the common sorts of brain teasers such as mazes, arithmetic story problems, and simple geometric puzzles to sophisticated explorations of questions that still concern modern mathematical theorists. This new dictionary provides a tantalizing variety of paradoxes, games, problems, and puzzles that will appeal to mathematics enthusiasts at every level of proficiency. Eiss introduces his subject with an overview of the history of recreational mathematics and its relation to some theoretical questions that have occupied mathematicians for centuries. Dictionary entries include problems posed by particular thinkers as well as traditional puzzlers that have come down to us anonymously. Information on the origins and history of many of the activities is supplied, and thorough cross-referencing enables the reader to locate all puzzles, games, and amusements of a similar type. The bibliography suggest sources of further information.