ABSTRACT
Children’s literature is the lifeblood of the teaching of English, language and literacy. In this chapter, we consider its rich variety and the importance of teachers’ knowledge of and enthusiasm for sharing texts with children. We explore picture books, poetry, fiction and non-fiction in a variety of forms as well as some of the issues related to their selection and use in the classroom and offer some practical suggestions for working with literature in the classroom. The chapter concludes with an examination of issues surrounding the use of published reading schemes.
