This report examines social development in Jordan with respect to childhood education and literacy. The survey presented examines the status of children’s literature and encouraging reading in Jordan. The report assesses the promotion of children’s literature in Jordan through various axes;; including the quality and prevalence of libraries;; the effectiveness of policies;; and the existence of civil institutions active in the field of children’s literature. The report also identifies various trends with respect to children’s literature through concentrated discussion groups with families;; teachers;; children;; and writers of children’s literature.

Since Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994;; there has been growing tension between the Jordanian government and the independent press;; particularly the kingdom's small-circulation weekly newspapers. Journalists and editors have been arrested;; detained and prosecuted for violations of both the penal code and provisions of the press and publications law of 1993. By the count of one Jordanian weekly newspaper;; since the law went into effect sixty-two cases have been brought against journalists and editors;; the overwhelming majority of them with weekly newspapers. Faced with public opposition to normalization of relations with Israel;; frustration about the implementation of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority;; and popular discontent with the state of the economy and high rates of unemployment and underemployment;; Jordanian authorities have clearly signaled a growing discomfort with the exercise of freedom of expression by both individual critics and the press.