Multicultural Literature and Response: Affirming Diverse Voices

by Lynn Atkinson Smolen (Editor), Ruth A. Oswald Ph.D. (Editor)

This compelling book emphasizes the critical role of quality multicultural literature and reader response in today's schools and libraries.

All students need access to books in which they can see themselves―not just their physical appearance, but their culture and language, as well. Multicultural Literature and Affirming Diverse Voices was written to help teachers and librarians find and use the best multicultural books in the service of reading comprehension and more.

Underscoring the necessity of selecting quality literature that authentically, sensitively, and accurately portrays different groups, the book defines multicultural literature and provides a strong argument for its importance in schools and libraries. Expert contributors guide users to multicultural authors and illustrators who portrays U.S. ethnic and cultural groups, and they suggest ways to integrate this literature with writing, fluency development, storytelling, and audiovisuals. Extensive lists of books and websites that feature multicultural literature, as well as of authors, illustrators, and publishers of multicultural literature, make it easy to include such works in programs across the curriculum.

472 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Ricki]

I particularly appreciated the chapters devoted to different races and ethnicities. There is a lot of practical advice for teachers in this text. The last chapter provided a great overview of different multicultural awards, a conference, and outreach programs devoted to multicultural literature.