Multicultural Children's Literature: Through the Eyes of Many Children by Donna E. Norton

From the Publisher

Successful teaching means, in part, developing a keen sensitivity to cultural differences, creating a community of learners who are culturally responsive to one another.  Exploring multicultural literature and its oral traditions is a good beginning for teachers to better understand their students and the significant influence that cultural backgrounds and experiences have on student behavior and student interactions.  The third edition of Multicultural Children’s Literature: Through the Eyes of Many Children explores the oral traditions, history, and cultures represented in a wide array of literature. In separate chapters on African American, Latino, Asian, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Native American literature, you will observe how cultures are influenced by history and recognize cultural values, beliefs, and philosophies shared through its literature.  Using a five-phase approach, you will learn how to determine whether multicultural titles written for children and young adults are authentic examples of the cultures they portray. With that knowledge, you can engage students in a rich heritage of literature that will reveal commonalities and help them establish mutual respect for each other and for all cultures.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0135145287
  
• ISBN-13: 9780135145289
• Format: Textbook Paperback, 374pp
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Pub. Date: March 2008
• Edition Number: 3
• Sales Rank: 139,568

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions
• Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

Preface

This text is intended for any adult who is interested in evaluating, selecting, and sharing multicultural literature written for children and young adults. The focus and organization of the text are designed for classes in departments of Education, English, and Library Science. The text focuses on the most outstanding literature in the following areas: African American, Native American, Latino, Asian, Jewish, and Middle Eastern. The text is written in the hope that those who share books with children will help them develop an appreciation for and an understanding of a varied and rich cultural heritage.

HIGHLIGHTS

Two-Part Chapter Organization
Each chapter focuses on two important areas related to multicultural literature. The first part of each chapter includes a discussion of specific literature, nonfiction, and fiction that develops a historical perspective of the culture, poetry, and contemporary literature. The second area in each chapter develops the techniques and methodologies that adults may use to help children develop an understanding for the culture.

Time Lines
Each of the chapters is introduced with a time line that highlights historical and literary milestones within the culture. These time lines encourage students to develop an in-depth understanding of the culture.

Criteria for Evaluating Literature
Each chapter discusses criteria that could be used when selecting and evaluating the literature. These criteria may be used in a historical perspective so that students understand the various changes in evaluation that may have occurredovertime.

Issues
Each chapter discusses various issues that are associated with writing, publishing, selecting, and evaluating the literature. These issues are written in such a way as to encourage students to discuss or even debate various viewpoints.

Authentication
Examples are developed that show how students can authenticate the text and the illustrations in multicultural literature. Many of these authentication examples are research projects developed by university students.

Additional Activities for Developing Understanding of Each Literature
Each chapter includes lists of additional activities that university professors may use as assignments with their students. There are also lists of additional activities that may be used with each of the phases to be used with children.

Involving Children Sections with Each Chapter
Each chapter includes a five-phase procedure of activities and learning experiences that may be used to help children develop an understanding of culture. These activities progress in the following order: phase one, general approach to traditional literature; phase two, folklore from a narrower region; phase three, historical nonfiction; phase four, historical fiction; phase five, contemporary literature. The activities in these phases were developed during field research in which the activities were tested with school children.

Text Teaching Aids
Each chapter includes various charts, webs, and teaching strategies that increase understanding of and interest in the culture. For example, several chapters include modeling activities that help teachers develop understanding of the culture and the literature.

Annotated Bibliographies
Each chapter concludes with annotated bibliographies that describe the literature. These annotations provide a short description of the book, readability level, and an interest level.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the reviewers of the manuscript for their insights and comments: Richard F. Abrahamson, The University of Houston; Mingshui Cai, the University of Northern Iowa; Rodney D. Keller, Ricks College; Janice V. Kristo, The University of Maine; Roberta Rosenberg, Christopher Newport University; and Masha K. Rudman, The University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Read an Excerpt

Preface

This text is intended for any adult who is interested in evaluating, selecting, and sharing multicultural literature written for children and young adults. The focus and organization of the text are designed for classes in departments of Education, English, and Library Science. The text focuses on the most outstanding literature in the following areas: African American, Native American, Latino, Asian, Jewish, and Middle Eastern. The text is written in the hope that those who share books with children will help them develop an appreciation for and an understanding of a varied and rich cultural heritage.

HIGHLIGHTS

Two-Part Chapter Organization
Each chapter focuses on two important areas related to multicultural literature. The first part of each chapter includes a discussion of specific literature, nonfiction, and fiction that develops a historical perspective of the culture, poetry, and contemporary literature. The second area in each chapter develops the techniques and methodologies that adults may use to help children develop an understanding for the culture.

Time Lines
Each of the chapters is introduced with a time line that highlights historical and literary milestones within the culture. These time lines encourage students to develop an in-depth understanding of the culture.

Criteria for Evaluating Literature
Each chapter discusses criteria that could be used when selecting and evaluating the literature. These criteria may be used in a historical perspective so that students understand the various changes in evaluation that may have occurred overtime.

Issues
Each chapter discusses various issues that are associated with writing, publishing, selecting, and evaluating the literature. These issues are written in such a way as to encourage students to discuss or even debate various viewpoints.

Authentication
Examples are developed that show how students can authenticate the text and the illustrations in multicultural literature. Many of these authentication examples are research projects developed by university students.

Additional Activities for Developing Understanding of Each Literature
Each chapter includes lists of additional activities that university professors may use as assignments with their students. There are also lists of additional activities that may be used with each of the phases to be used with children.

Involving Children Sections with Each Chapter
Each chapter includes a five-phase procedure of activities and learning experiences that may be used to help children develop an understanding of culture. These activities progress in the following order: phase one, general approach to traditional literature; phase two, folklore from a narrower region; phase three, historical nonfiction; phase four, historical fiction; phase five, contemporary literature. The activities in these phases were developed during field research in which the activities were tested with school children.

Text Teaching Aids
Each chapter includes various charts, webs, and teaching strategies that increase understanding of and interest in the culture. For example, several chapters include modeling activities that help teachers develop understanding of the culture and the literature.

Annotated Bibliographies
Each chapter concludes with annotated bibliographies that describe the literature. These annotations provide a short description of the book, readability level, and an interest level.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the reviewers of the manuscript for their insights and comments: Richard F. Abrahamson, The University of Houston; Mingshui Cai, the University of Northern Iowa; Rodney D. Keller, Ricks College; Janice V. Kristo, The University of Maine; Roberta Rosenberg, Christopher Newport University; and Masha K. Rudman, The University of Massachusetts-Amherst.