Literature is an important vehicle in helping children and young adults explore and make sense of the world around them. Even before learning to read, parents, caregivers, and other adults read to children about stories from distant lands, from the past, or experiences far different than their own. Good children's books are ones that invoke the imagination of a child, expand vocabulary, or help them gain a better understanding of themselves.
Multicultural and international books are often books about people of diverse culture or religious groups. These books provide children with a greater understanding and appreciation of their own culture, share differences and highlight similar feelings and aspirations.
3 Ways Multicultural and International Books can provide positive experiences among children:
-Promote and foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation for diversity
-Provide a positive outlook and appreciation for one's own cultural group
-Introduce the reader to literary traditions of different cultural groups and other global societies
Multicultural and international books are often books about people of diverse culture or religious groups. These books provide children with a greater understanding and appreciation of their own culture, share differences and highlight similar feelings and aspirations.
3 Ways Multicultural and International Books can provide positive experiences among children:
-Promote and foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation for diversity
-Provide a positive outlook and appreciation for one's own cultural group
-Introduce the reader to literary traditions of different cultural groups and other global societies
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Multicultural Books
African American
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1995. The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963. Delacorte.
Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's thirteen and an "official juvenile delinquent." When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading South to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America's history. Draper, Sharon M. 1997 Forged by Fire. Atheneum. When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, Jordan Sparks, who abuses her, and from their mother, whose irresponsible behavior forces Gerald to work hard to keep the family together. As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation. |
Asian American
Choi, Sook Nyul. 1992. The Year of Impossible Goodbyes. Houghton.
It is 1945, and courageous ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea. Police captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but he cannot break their spirit. Sookan's father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her older brothers have been sent away to labor camps. Her mother is forced to supervise a sock factory and Sookan herself must wear a uniform and attend a Japanese school. Then the war ends. Out come the colorful Korean silks and bags of white rice. But Communist Russian troops have taken control of North Korea and once again the family is suppressed. Sookan and her family know their only hope for freedom lies in a dangerous escape to American controlled South Korea. Here is the incredible story of one family's love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom. Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us. Illustrated by Dom Lee. Lee & Low. Shorty and his family, along with thousands of Japanese Americans, are sent to an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fighting the heat and dust of the desert, Shorty and his father decide to build a baseball diamond and form a league in order to boost the spirits of the internees. Shorty quickly learns that he is playing not only to win, but to gain dignity and self-respect as well. |
Hispanic American (Latino)
Deedy, Armen Agra. 2007. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale. Illustrated by Michael Austin. Peachtree.
Martina is a young cockroach who doesnt know coffee beans about love and marriage. Thats where her Cuban family comes in. While some of the Cucarachas offer her gifts to make her more attractive, only her grandmother gives her something really useful: some shocking advice. Full color." Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2000. Esperanza Rising. Scholastic. Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it. |
Native American
Begay, Shonto. 1995. Navajo: Visions and Voices across the Mesa. Scholastic From creation stories to childhood memories, reflections on tribal rituals to the profound effect, good and bad, of white people on Navajo land and culture. A renowned Navajo artist/writer combines the best of his paintings with his rich poetic voice, to give young readers an insightful glimpse into the lives and souls of his people. Freedman, Russel. 1996. The Life and Death of Crazy Horse. Drawings by Amos Bad Heart Bull. Holiday House. A biography of the Oglala leader who relentlessly resisted the white man's attempt to take over Indian lands. |
Religious Cultures
Ammon, Richard. 2000. An Amish Year. Illustrated By Pamela Patrick. Atheneum. (Christian-Amish) A young Amish girl describes a year in her life and the activities that fill it, from early spring through the following winter. Each season brings with it new joys. As spring approaches, the girl and the other children go out to fly their kites high above the silos and leafless trees. Summer, fall, and winter, each with its chores and enjoyments, come to life, too. Demi. 1998. The Dalai Lama. Holt. (Buddhist). When the thirteenth Dalai Lama died in 1933, the highest holy men in Tibet searched throughout the land for his successor. They were spiritually guided to the humble dwelling of a loving family high in the Himalayas. When the search party greeted the youngest son, the child told them, "Now I am going home!" At last the fourteenth Dalai Lama had been found, and at the age of two, the young boy was taken to the capital city, Lhasa, where he began his training to become the spiritual leader of Tibet. |
International Books
International books can help children gain a better understanding of global societies. These books go beyond the history and culture of North America and bring light to the uniqueness and literary traditions of other countries.
Links to More Multicultural and International Books and Websites
http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/multicultural-reading-resources/diversity-book-lists-for-kids/
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/how-choose-best-multicultural-books
http://multiculturalbooks.org
http://multiculturalchildrenslit.com
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/how-choose-best-multicultural-books
http://multiculturalbooks.org
http://multiculturalchildrenslit.com
References
[Book Title Images]. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://goodreads.com
H. (2013). Teaching Children about Multicultural Literature. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSlvx52sFL8
Tunnell, M.O., Jacobs, J.S., Young, T.A, & Bryan, G. (2012). Children's literature, briefly. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
H. (2013). Teaching Children about Multicultural Literature. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSlvx52sFL8
Tunnell, M.O., Jacobs, J.S., Young, T.A, & Bryan, G. (2012). Children's literature, briefly. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Page Created By: Dana Libby