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Multicultural Children’s Literature
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Multicultural Children’s Literature
A Critical Issues Approach



April 2010 | 288 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Preparing K-12 teachers to address today's social, cultural, and critical issues using multicultural children's books

Written in an engaging style, this comprehensive text prepares K-12 teachers to address a wide range of contemporary social issues—such as violence, gender, war, terrorism, child labor, censorship, and disabilities—through multicultural children's literature. Each chapter includes sample lessons plans designed to encourage critical and creative thinking at the elementary and secondary levels and an annotated bibliography that makes it easy for teachers and librarians to choose multicultural children books that address specific critical issues.

Key Features

  • The evolution of multicultural children's literature is covered, including discussion of controversies and issues around its definitions and uses.
  • Reflection Questions for the Teacher provide readers with practical techniques they can use as they prepare lessons around a given critical issue.
  • Sample Response Lessons demonstrate how to address critical issues using multicultural literature in K-12 classrooms.  
  • An Annotated Bibliography at the end of each chapter lists specific multicultural children's books organized around each critical issue.

 
Preface
 
Part I: Taking a Critical Issues Approach
 
1. Introduction to Multicultural Children’s Literature: A Critical Issues Approach
Children’s Literature Defined

 
Multicultural Children’s Literature

 
A Brief Historical Overview

 
Role of Multicultural Children’s Literature in Today’s Schools

 
Critical Literacy and Multicultural Children’s Literature

 
Forming Issues Into and Through Critical Literacy Lessons

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 1.1: Forming a Critical Literacy Lesson Using Educational Drama

 
Examples of Responses to Lesson 1.1

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
2. The Essentials and Foundations of Multicultural Children’s Literature
Tracing a Brief History of Multiculturalism

 
Multiculturalism to Multicultural Children’s Literature

 
Multicultural Children’s Literature and Levels of Multiculturalism

 
Defining Multicultural Children’s Literature

 
The Need for Multicultural Children’s Literature

 
Conclusion

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 2.1: Check for Authenticity

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
3. Choosing Books and Reading Critically
Choosing Critical Children’s Books

 
Reader Response

 
Reading Aloud and Transactional Theory

 
Questioning

 
As the Experts: Authors, Parents, Educators, and Teachers

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 3.1: Change Is Not Easy

 
Example of Response to Lesson 3.1

 
Sample Response Lesson 3.2: Negotiating a Deal

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
Part II: Exploring Issues in Multicultural Children’s Literature
 
4. Responding to Censorship, Book Banning, and Controversies
What is Censorship?

 
Intellectual Freedom and the First Amendment

 
Why Are Books Censored?

 
What Does Censorship Really Do?

 
What do Authors, Publishers, Teachers, and Parents Say About Censorship?

 
Useful Resources

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Web Sites of Organizations

 
Sample Response Lesson 4.1: Censorship

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
5. Gender, Sexuality, and Equity
Gender Roles Portrayed in Children’s Literature

 
Children’s Reading Preferences

 
Gender Equity and Finding a Balance

 
Some Considerations and Recommendations

 
Children’s Books and Sexuality

 
Sexuality Portrayed in Children’s Books

 
Using Children’s Books to Promote Equity and Understanding

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 5.1: Gender Roles

 
Sample Response Lesson 5.2: Gender and Coming of Age

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
6. Understanding or Justifying Violence
Defining Violence

 
Justifying Violence in Children’s Books

 
Steps to Counter Violence in the Media

 
Gang Violence

 
Traditional Tales and Violence

 
Real Life, History, and Violence

 
Understanding Violence

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 6.1: Violence

 
Sample Response Lesson 6.2: Violence

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
Part III: Realities in Life and Multicultural Children’s Literature
 
7. War, Terrorism, Justice, and Freedom
Making Meaning: A Historical Perspective

 
Making Meaning: A Current Perspective

 
Making Meaning and Critical Connections

 
Using Children’s Books to Address War, Terrorism, Justice, and Freedom

 
Past Depictions

 
Current Depictions

 
Reading Authentic Accounts

 
Finding Resilience in the Face of Adversity

 
Conclusion

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 7.1: Exploring Issues of War Using Educational Drama

 
Example of Responses to Lesson 7.1

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
8. Prejudice, Bullying, Abuse, and Other Challenging Situations
Defining and Discussing Challenging Situations

 
Prejudice

 
Bullying

 
Poverty

 
Abuse

 
Divorce

 
Child Labor

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 8.1: Poverty

 
Sample Response Lesson 8.2: Foster Care

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
9. Disabilities and the Special Child
The Need for Representating Disabilities and Special Needs in Classrooms

 
The Special Child

 
Disabilities as a ‘Multicultural’ Group

 
Children Who Are Health Impaired

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 9.1: Children With Special Needs

 
Sample Response Lesson 9.2: Children With Special Needs

 
Selected Annotate Bibliography

 
References

 
 
10. Influences of a Digital World
The Internet, Television, and the Video Industry

 
Digital Age Literature

 
Computer Books and Programs

 
Audiobooks

 
Reflection Questions for the Teacher

 
Sample Response Lesson 10.1: http://www.tumblebooks.com

 
Sample Response Lesson 10.2: http://www.en.childrenlibrary.org

 
Selected Annotated Bibliography

 
References

 
 
Glossary
 
Index
 
About the Author
 
About the Contributing Author

This is a great text for my Literature for Children course. This text provides perspectives on critical multicultural analysis, which is the focus of my course.

Dr Kim Archung
School Of Education, Claflin University
December 2, 2010

For instructors

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