Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 33

Wednesday, July 19, The Arizona Republic DS New Cliffs Notes water down a new crop of writers growing up in a Japanese-American concentration camp in California during Woild War II. Anaya also assisted on the notes for Bless Me, Ultima. These writers' participation and the caliber of the notes' writers, who are mostly professors at reputable universities, demonstrate a growing acceptance for guides as study txls. The new enemy, many English teachers contend, is the local video store. Because many of the modern books assigned in classes today have been made into movies, kids often rent the film.

They skip the novel and even bypass Cliffs Notes, which teachers say are just as unwieldy for some students. "The challenge today is to make students sec the book as so important that it can't be replaced by guides or movies," said Marcia Truitt, an English teacher at American High ScIhkiI in Hialeah, Ma. them, too," said Jessica, ho relied on the guides to help her interpret everything from Mark Twain's Huckleberry Linn to Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Some of the modern authors featured in the new ClitTs Notes arc taking an active role in preparing the study guides, an impossibility for most of the classic literary works. Writer Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston provided input for the new guide on her hook, farewell to Mananar, about a girl By Jodl Mallandcr Knight Riddar Tribune Only a year ago, a high tch(xl English teacher could assign a modern novel such as Toni Morrison's Be-loved and rest assured that students would cither read the book or sulTcr the consequences on a test.

No more. ClifTs Notes, those bumbjebec-striped study guides cherished by harried students, are becoming politically corral. A new generation of study guides is being produced to keep up with the changing literary canon in today's classrooms. Struggling readers can now find guides to works by Amy Tan and Maya Angclou on the rack next to those by Shakespeare and Victor Hugo at shops such as Borders Book Store. The Nebraska-based company that produces ClifTs Notes is publishing a guide for Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima, the 22nd in a new series of literary supplements for novels written by and about members of minority groups.

The book is about a Chicano boy coming of age in northern New Mexico during the 1940s. The new ClifTs Notes are being greeted enthusiastically by students from middle schools to high schools classics: Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Great Gatsby, Scarlet Letter, to name a few. In the late 1960s and early '70s, the company created a "black literature" list, with guides to such works as Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man nd Richard Wright's Sativc Son. But the new multicultural series branches into far more works by ethnic and female writers. Five guides have been written for books by or about Hispanics, including Gabriel Garcia Marqucz's One Hundred Yean of Solitude.

New African-American additions include Angelou's Know Why the Caged llird Sings and Morrison's Beloved. The new guides sell for the same amount as the old notes, about $4, and still run about 80 pages. The modern notes still have a long way to go to keep up with today's class assignments. Jessica Zelman, 17, a recent graduate from MAST Academy on Key Biscayne, was dismayed to find no ClifTs Notes for Dreaming in Cuban, by Crist Garcia, which was on her final exam last month. "My mom used them and told me she didn't agree with them back then or now, but she understood me using to universities.

But the recent editions of the black and yellow guides have raised some disapproving eyebrows among educators. "Oh boy, I'd like to burn those," said Phyllis Cohen, a deputy superintendent in charge of instruction in Dade County, public schools. "Kids miss out on so much by substituting these for the real thing," Cohen said as she began reciting the opening lines to Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel. "You don't learn that from ClifTs Notes." ClifTs Notes representatives say they're updating the guides with titles mat have become popular assignments in high schools and colleges. Some are being published at the request of teachers who don't feci comfortable explaining multicultural literature to their students, said Gary Carey, editor of ClifTs Notes.

"Teachers have asked for ClifTs Notes because they, as well as students, are new to these novels," Carey said. ClifTs Notes began publishing its study guides in 1958. Since then, more than 200 titles have been produced. The top sellers are still the traditional Dinner for the rVWSs. 3-5PM Monday thru Friday when we serve dinner for the price of lunch! Tender hand carved Roast Beef, Baked Ham, Golden Fried Chicken, at least 12 different choices in all, plus salad bar, soup, fresh baked bread, unlimited drinks and deserts.

$529 Adults Seniors Comic 'Clueless' successfully skewers Beverly Hills high-school high life Times at Ridgemont High. You get the feeling she made Clue-less as a way of checking in to see what's up with high-school kids these days. Here's hoping she does it again soon because most teen-age movies are witless. Clueless is clever and flashy. As for Silverstone, star of The Crush and an MTV goddessctte, she's as funny as she is cute.

If you're not a little bit taken with her, you have grown entirely too old. The rest of the cast matches Silver-stone's perky flair for comedy, includ ing Paul Rudd as Cher's stepbrother, who is so clueless that he actually cares about the world outside the shopping mall, and Brittany Murphy as Cher's biggest makeover project. In a summer of great thrillers and action pictures, the comedies have been few and feeble. But Clueless stands out as a picture that's both funny and a lot of fun. Rated PG-13, Clueless should have pulled an for profanity.

While there are plenty of skimpy outfits and sexy chatter, there is no actual sex or nudity. start with breakfast The cost is $6 per person; for reservations, call 649-0451. President Clinton signed a law in October designating the fourth Sunday in July as National Parents' Day. This year's observance will be July 23. Sponsors say they hope the holiday will inspire Americans to recognize the vital role of parents.

COMIC; from page Dl When she gets a in one of her classes, Cher isn't upset because she considers the first set of grades "a jumping off point for further negotiations." Cher won't date high school boys because sex is out. "You know how picky I am about my shoes," she reasons, "and they only go on my feet." But her romantic interests change when she meets Christian (Justin Walker), a guy so cool he thinks it's not too late to join Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack. As we follow Cher and her best friend (Stacey Dash) through their school days and party nights, there's not much story in Clueless. But who cares when you're too busy laughing? As a celebration of the comic side of high-school life, Clueless is as funny as Heathers and Fast Times at Ridgcmont High. The connection is that Clueless was wriiten and directed by Amy Heckerling, who also made Fast ,11 ii Parents' Day gets early (jlP Glendale 5740 W.

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Priest 496-6490 BUFFET RESTAURANT A prayer breakfast Friday will help inaugurate America's newest national holiday Parents' Day. The Phoenix breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church's Fiesta Hall, 402 W. Monroe and will feature speakers, including Frank Johnson, a former Phoenix Suns player, and award presentations. i Voted Arizona's "Favorite Buffet-Style Restaurant" 2nd year by Arizona Senior World readers.

1 -r' If yUf Get in touch with thousands of job hunters and skilled employees. i At our last Jobs Arizona Career Fair, The Arizona RepublicThe Phoenix Gazette attracted more To purchase a Career Fair package, call jobs America at 1-800-482-7353. To find out more about RepublicGazette A DIVERSE CAREER FAIR advertising opportunities, call Craig Hudson at (602) 271-8767or Cindy Songne at (602) 271-8076. Tuesday, Oct. 3 Phoenix Civic Plaza Ballroom 10:30 a.m.

to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Source: 1994 Phoenix Scarborough Report RepublicGazette (read by 877,400 adults daily, and the Sunday Republic, which reaches an impressive 1.2 million Valley adults. Reach the best of the Valley's diverse work force by choosing one of three Career Fair packages.

Each includes a choice spot at Jobs Arizona and an ad in "Working," a special newspaper section to be published the day before the Career Fair to give your company maximum exposure. than 5,000 enthusiastic job hunters, a diverse group representing people of both sexes and assorted ages, races and physical abilities. And due to the overwhelming response from both employers and job seekers, we're hosting another big career fair Tuesday, Oct. 3. Once again, we'll team up with JobsAmerica, a company with more than 12 years of career fair expertise.

And, we'll promote these big events with ads in the JobsAmerica Phoenix Newspapers. Inc. Opportunity Employment EOE Equal.