This course is designed to introduce children's literature created by or about parallel cultural groups in our society in a respectful and informative manner. No single work is intended to fully convey the significance of cultural belonging, but exposure to multiple viewpoints will bring greater awareness of histories, lifestyles, customs, beliefs and experiences different than our own. Quality multicultural literature for children also offers a validation for members of the culture under consideration. The focus will primarily be on non-dominant or parallel cultures within the United States.
Forty-two percent (42%) of public school students were considered to be part of a racial or ethnic minority group in 2005, an increase from 22 percent of students in 1972...
- Asian (4 %)
- Pacific Islander (0.2 %)
- American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7 %)
- students of more than one race (3 %)
(Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ , accessed 9/5/07)
In 2005, 20 percent of school-age children spoke a language other than English at home (Childstats, http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/, accessed 9/5/07)
The number of minority children will rise more rapidly than the number of white children (Figure 1). White 3- to 5-year-olds will increase by about 2 percent between 2004 and 2010, compared to increases of 9 percent for black children, 16 percent for Hispanic children, and 19 percent for Asian children. Among 6- to 9-year-olds, the 1 percent increase of white children is substantially smaller than expected increases of 4 percent for black children, 18 percent for Hispanic children, and 17 percent for Asian children.
(National Assoc. of Elementary School Principals, http://www.naesp.org/ , accessed 9/5/07)
The nation's Hispanic and Asian populations would triple over the next half-century and non-Hispanic whites would represent about one-half of the total population by 2050, according to interim population projections by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Hispanic share ... of the nation's population would nearly double, from 12.6 percent to 24.4 percent.
The Asian share of the nation's population would double, from 3.8 percent to 8 percent.
Black Americans... would raise their share of the country's population from 12.7 percent to 14.6 percent.
(U.S. Census, FactFinder, http://factfinder.census.gov/, accessed 9/5/07)
Children's Literature Research Guide
Strategies for using the OSU Libraries' resources
10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism -- from the Council on Interracial Books for Children.
Excellent resource for raising your awareness about potential sources of bias and prejudice in the text and illustrations of children's and young adult literature.
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
See links to the Pura Belpre' Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Bachelder Award pages for recognized multicultural literature for children and young adults
You can find Native American titles they recommend in their catalog and a section on books to avoid.
Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
They honor authors and illustrators of children's and young adult (as well as adult) literature
You can find more websites related to multicultural issues and lots of booklists on different themes by going to my del.icio.us page and clicking on the tags at the right.
Day, Frances Ann
Multicultural voices in contemporary literature: a resource for teachers. Call # PS153.M56 D38 1999
Lesbian and gay voices: an annotated bibliography and guide to literature for children and young addults. Call # Z1037.D24 2000
Ada, Alma Flor
A magical encounter: Latino children's literature in the classroom. On order for OSU and available through Summit
Seal, Doris and Beverly Slapin
A broken flute: The Native experience in books for children. Call # E77.4 B76 2005
Norton, Donna E.
Multicultural children's literature: Through the eyes of many children. Call # PS153.M56 N675 2005
Rand, Donna and Toni Trent Parker
Black books galore! Guide to more great African American children's books. Call # E185.R36 2001
Helbig, Alethea
Many peoples, one land: A guide to new multicultural literature for children and young adults. Call # PS173.E8 H45 2001