San Antonio College Library

Publisher's description: Bad guys are not allowed to have birthdays, pick blueberries, or disturb the baby. So say the four-year-olds who announce life's risks and dangers as they play out the school year in Vivian Paley's classroom. Their play is filled with warnings. They invent chaos in order to show that everything is under control. They portray fear to prove that it can be conquered. No theme is too large or too small for their intense scrutiny....

A comprehensive analysis of Paley's work, describing her original insights into everyday issues such as play, story, gender, and how young children think. This analysis leads to the identification of a model organized around two complementary principles : a curriculum that promotes play and imagination, and the idea of classrooms as fair places where young children of every color, ability, and disposition are welcome. From publisher description.