Multicultural
Literature
This web page is filled with wonderful multicultural
literature for children of all ages. This page is mainly focused on
African American, Asian, and Hispanic literature. I have also added
some notable multicultural authors as well. I hope you find this
web page both informational and enjoyable.
McKissack, Patrician C. A million Fish... More or Less. Illustrated
by Dena Schutzer. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. 32 pages.
Picture Books
Ashley, Bernard. Cleaversticks. Illustrated by Derek Braxell. Crown, 1991. 32 pages.
Ling Sung is discouraged about school after his first day. He can't
tie his shoes or write his name and although he can button his own coat ,
it is uneven. However, after Ling Sung skillfully uses the handles of
two paintbrushes to chopstick broken cookie pieces into his mouth , the other
children want to find out how to do this, too. A diversely populated
nursery school and a loving Chinese American family are the settings for a
brightly colored picture story about self-esteem.
Ashley, Bernard. Cleaversticks. Illustrated by Derek Braxell. Crown, 1991. 32 pages.
Inspired by the tall tales of Papa-Daddy and Elder Abbajon, young Hugh Thomas recounts a whopper of a fish tale of his own after a day of fishing on the Bayou Clapateaux. On his way home after having caught a million fish, he loses half of them to a wily alligator, half of the remaining lot to a band of pirate raccoons, and several thousands more to a flock of attacking crows before running into his neighbor's greedy cat. A well paced, wildly funny story that features an African American child in the Louisiana bayou is whimsically illustrated with boldly colored oil paintings.
Dorros, Arthur. Abuela. Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Dutton, 1991. 40 pages.
Rosalba imagines how the grandmother
who takes her to the park might soar with her over the city (New York), sharing
the sights. Since ``Abuela'' speaks ``mostly Spanish,'' Rosalba mentions
many Spanish words for what they see, and in their conversations. Though
the storyline here is slight, the relationship glows with affection; the
Spanish vocabulary is well integrated and clear in context. Kleven's illustrations--jewel-
like collages of sparkling images and patterns, crammed with intriguing details--effectively
transmit Rosalba's joy in her narrative.
Novels
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud Not Buddy. Yearling
Books, 2002. 256 pages.
Scrappy 10-year-old philosopher Bud--"not Buddy"--Caldwell, an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930s Michigan. And the idea that's planted itself in his head is that Herman E. Calloway, standup-bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, is his father. Guided only by a flier for one of Calloway's shows--a small, blue poster that had mysteriously upset his mother shortly before she died--Bud sets off to track down his supposed dad, a man he's never laid eyes on. And, being 10, Bud-not-Buddy gets into all sorts of trouble along the way, barely escaping a monster-infested woodshed, stealing a vampire's car, and even getting tricked into "busting slob with a real live girl."
Jimenez, Francisco. Breaking Through. Houghton Milfflin, 2001. 208 pages.
Francisco Jiminez continues the moving tale of his early youth begun with a dozen autobiographical short stories in The Circuit. Breaking Through chronicles the author's teenage years. At the age of 14, Francisco and his family are caught by la migra (immigration officers) and forced to leave their California home, but soon find their way back. The author explores the prejudice and challenges they face while also relaying universal adolescent experiences of school, dances and romances. This is a truly inspirational story, which highlights strength and determination.
Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. Illustrated by Marc Simont. Harper Trouphy, 1986. 176 pages
Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams.Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle-baseball-happens. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.
Scrappy 10-year-old philosopher Bud--"not Buddy"--Caldwell, an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930s Michigan. And the idea that's planted itself in his head is that Herman E. Calloway, standup-bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, is his father. Guided only by a flier for one of Calloway's shows--a small, blue poster that had mysteriously upset his mother shortly before she died--Bud sets off to track down his supposed dad, a man he's never laid eyes on. And, being 10, Bud-not-Buddy gets into all sorts of trouble along the way, barely escaping a monster-infested woodshed, stealing a vampire's car, and even getting tricked into "busting slob with a real live girl."
Jimenez, Francisco. Breaking Through. Houghton Milfflin, 2001. 208 pages.
Francisco Jiminez continues the moving tale of his early youth begun with a dozen autobiographical short stories in The Circuit. Breaking Through chronicles the author's teenage years. At the age of 14, Francisco and his family are caught by la migra (immigration officers) and forced to leave their California home, but soon find their way back. The author explores the prejudice and challenges they face while also relaying universal adolescent experiences of school, dances and romances. This is a truly inspirational story, which highlights strength and determination.
Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. Illustrated by Marc Simont. Harper Trouphy, 1986. 176 pages
Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams.Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle-baseball-happens. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.
Folklore
Haskins, James. The Headless Haunt and Other African
American Ghost Stories. Illustrated by Ben Otero. Harper Collins, 1994.
116 pages.
An outstanding collection of ghost stories from African- American Traditions is superbly organized by type, including sections on Who Can See Ghosts; Jack-O' Lantern Tales; and Civil War Ghosts. Each section includes an intriguing excerpt from interviews conducted in the 1930's by the Georgia Writers Project, in which African American elders were asked to speak about their folk beliefs concerning ghosts. In addition, Haskins' motes provide further analytical information about European and African Influences on African American ghost stories and point out qualities that are unique to the African -American Tradition.
Merril, Jean. The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Philomel, 1992. 32 pages
In this vivid adaptation of a 12th-century Japanese tale, Izumi finds worms, toads, and especially caterpillars much more fascinating than the hobbies of the ladies in the Emperor's court. Full color.
An outstanding collection of ghost stories from African- American Traditions is superbly organized by type, including sections on Who Can See Ghosts; Jack-O' Lantern Tales; and Civil War Ghosts. Each section includes an intriguing excerpt from interviews conducted in the 1930's by the Georgia Writers Project, in which African American elders were asked to speak about their folk beliefs concerning ghosts. In addition, Haskins' motes provide further analytical information about European and African Influences on African American ghost stories and point out qualities that are unique to the African -American Tradition.
Merril, Jean. The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Philomel, 1992. 32 pages
In this vivid adaptation of a 12th-century Japanese tale, Izumi finds worms, toads, and especially caterpillars much more fascinating than the hobbies of the ladies in the Emperor's court. Full color.
Biography
Ada, Alma Flor. Where the Flame Trees Bloom. Illustrated
by Antonio Marorell. Athemeum, 1994. 75 pages.
A collection of anecdotal short stories
based on the author's Cuban childhood explores the various ways in which
family, human values, and childhood experiences influence an individual as
he or she grows to adulthood.
Informational Resources
and Web sites
Kruse, Ginny; Horning, Kathleen; Schliesman, Megan.
Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults: A Selected
Listing of Books By and About People of Color Volume II. Wisconsin Department
of Public, 1997. 120 pages.
The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin^-Madison has always played a leading role in the push for quality children's books by and about people of color and for the inclusion of multicultural literature in the mainstream. This second volume of its annotated bibliography includes more than 350 books published in the U.S. between 1991 and 1996. Beginning with books for babies and toddlers, the entries are arranged under 16 genres--concept books, picture books, poetry, etc.--and appendixes list authors and illustrators by name and by ethnic and cultural group and also provide further access by subject. The annotations are clear and enthusiastic. The general introduction gives a brief historical overview of how things have changed since the 1980s.
Helbig, Alethea; Perkins, Agnes. This Land is Our Land: A guide to Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. Greenwood Publishing, 1994. 416 pages
Web Sites
This page was created on December 5, 2002
by Sara E. Kalinsky
The graphics and annotations are courtesy of
Barry's Clip Art and Amazon .com
The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin^-Madison has always played a leading role in the push for quality children's books by and about people of color and for the inclusion of multicultural literature in the mainstream. This second volume of its annotated bibliography includes more than 350 books published in the U.S. between 1991 and 1996. Beginning with books for babies and toddlers, the entries are arranged under 16 genres--concept books, picture books, poetry, etc.--and appendixes list authors and illustrators by name and by ethnic and cultural group and also provide further access by subject. The annotations are clear and enthusiastic. The general introduction gives a brief historical overview of how things have changed since the 1980s.
Helbig, Alethea; Perkins, Agnes. This Land is Our Land: A guide to Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. Greenwood Publishing, 1994. 416 pages
The books, 570 in all, were published from 1985 through 1993, with more
than 60 percent published since 1990; they cover grades K-12, including some
titles originally published for adults (e.g., Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club).
Each cultural group is divided into sections for poetry, oral tradition, and
fiction, under which entries are arranged alphabetically by writer. The number
of entries for groups and sections varies, reflecting both publishing and
cultural trends. For instance, there are more titles listed about African
Americans, but the oral tradition section for Native Americans is the largest.
Each entry includes ISBNs for hardcover and paperback editions, price, and
age and grade levels. Annotations include a description of plot, characters,
illustrations, and critical commentary. The titles of books on similar subjects
or by the same author are often mentioned, with a cross-reference provided
if appropriate. Five indexes--title, author, illustrator, grade level, and
subject--provide further access. Abbreviations indicating ethnic groups are
used in the grade-level and subject indexes.
Web Sites
Multicultural Pavilion is an excellent source for lesson
plans and ideas for teaching in the classroom. It includes many different
articles and resources on multicutural education. Great web site for
teachers, students, and parents.
Multicultural Web
quest- This web quest allows students to investigate their own heritage
using a web quest. Once the students establish their heritage and aquaria
some background, the students then compare and contrast other cultures with
the United States.
This page was created on December 5, 2002
by Sara E. Kalinsky
The graphics and annotations are courtesy of
Barry's Clip Art and Amazon .com