1970 review

http://ascd.com/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_197011_kimmel.pdf

This review from 1970 looks at a number of studies that's purpose was to determine whether children's books can change children's values. The review states that researches have been interested in this subject since the end of the First World War but that crating an effective study into it was proving extremely difficult, the studies were "few, open to question, and sometimes contradictory".
This review is a useful insight into previous attempts to gauge the influence on children's books prior to the focal point of my research.

This review acts as a starting point for my essay, it contains a number of similar studies into the influence of children's books. The methodology of the studies have some key differences. One retested the participants to see if there was any lasting effect on their attitude toward the subject to the books and found and influence the books had was gone, another included discussion into the subject matter after reading and found that this made the subject of the books have a greater impact on the readers attitudes. It is unfortunate that there is not a study that did both as later studies highlight the importance of discussion and play based on reading in allowing readers to assimilate the subject of the book into their own views. In my essay I want to compare thee findings of these earlier studies with more recent research as well as give a basis for attitudes towards children's books. Assumptions about the influence of children's books have been made from before these early studies up to present day. I would like to look more into what determines attitudes throughout this time and how these attitudes can change the application of shared reading between parents/teachers and children.