The goal of this comprehensive literature review is to show the importance of using multicultural and international children's and young adult literature as a needed resource within classrooms across grade levels in order to develop and maintain societies of people around the globe who are knowledgeable of, empathetic toward, and accepting and…

Research Findings: This qualitative case study examines Korean kindergartners' literary discussions about racial/cultural diversity during a whole-group read-aloud. Using multiple sources of data, including observations, open-ended interviews, and written materials and children's artifacts, this study found that (a) the children exhibited a biased…

Children's literature remains a primary vehicle for intellectual and imaginative maturation, and it is thus important to ask whether younger students have the opportunity to transact with books that represent and raise questions about shared experiences and cooperation across social, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. The authors examine three…

Boys need books with which they can connect, books that reach out to them with characters that reflect themselves, books that feature people who speak and look and act like the people in their lives. Among the functions of literature in children's lives, two are particularly relevant: facilitating literacy skills and providing role models. The…

Immigrants currently make up over 12% of the U.S. population, with children of immigrants comprising more than 20% of the population. Consequently, English learners are the fastest growing group in U.S. schools today, accounting for 10.5% of the total public school student population in Pre-K through Grade 12 in 2004-2005, a 56.2% increase over…

Value content and social actions were identified and analyzed in this study of 32 children's books containing interracial, intercultural settings and situations. To be included in the sample each book had to be (1) realistic, (2) contemporary, (3) fictional, (4) within the reading ability of children between 10 and 15 years of age, (5) published…

Identifies selected titles and information sources pertinent to various ethnic and multicultural areas. (Author/FM)

Considers the problem of overt and implicit racial bias in textbooks and children's fiction. Argues for some censorship of book provision for younger children while suggesting that older students be involved in a critical appraisal of books. (Editor/RK)

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to direct adults toward the selection of "black" and "integrated" literature for all children. The children's books which are included are designed for an independent reading level of kindergarten through about the second grade. However, these books can be read to nursery-school…

Argues that many new books for schools are simply more colorful versions of earlier texts which inculcate racist and imperialist ideas in children. (Editor)

This is a collection of articles in which the treatment of Puerto Ricans in published children textbooks over the past 10 years is reviewed. The collection is preceded by an editorial responding to an "American Educator" article branding the Council on Interracial Books for Children as a "leftist extremist" organization. The…

The goal of the Navajo people is to have more voice in the curriculum development in their own communities. Interest is in values based on nature and human understanding rather than control, competition, and materialism. Taken from the workshop recordings of the 15th Annual Indian Education Conference, this discussion centers on literature which…

Ten Oklahoma reading textbooks from five publishers contained 462 stories, of which 28% were multicultural. A survey of 148 teachers from 10 rural Oklahoma schools found that only 4% of books used in classrooms addressed cultural diversity. Tradebooks address cultural diversity better than textbooks, but are less available to rural teachers.…

This is a digest of articles which originally appeared in the bulletin, "Interracial Books for Children." Its purpose is to evaluate trade and textbooks with special concern for racist and sexist content and to suggest alternative materials for home and classroom. Included are the following articles: Doctor Dolittle--The Great White Father,…