Preface Acknowledgments Part 1: Taking A Critical Issues Approach 1: Introduction to multicultural children's literature: a critical issues approach Children's literature defined Multicultural children's literature 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 Creating a "web of significance" 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: Essentials and foundations of multicultural children's literature Tracing a brief history of multiculturalism Multiculturalism to multicultural children's literature Evolution of multicultural children's literature Before and after the Civil Rights Movement Multicultural children's literature and levels of multiculturalism Defining multicultural children's literature Melting pot books Socially conscious books Culturally conscious books Need for multicultural children's literature Equal representation and validation Cultural authenticity Cultural authenticity: whose perspective? Insider and outsider perspectives 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 Traditional read-aloud Reader response Reading aloud and transactional theory Critical read-aloud Questioning Functions of questioning Ask 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 2: Exploring Issues In Multicultural Children's Literature 4: Responding to censorship, book banning, and controversies What is censorship? Book banning, book challenge, and censorship Intellectual freedom and the First Amendment Types of censorship Why are books censored? Literature suppressed on political grounds Literature suppressed on social grounds Literature suppressed on religious grounds Literature suppressed on sexual grounds Literature suppressed on other grounds What does censorship really do? What do authors, publishers, teachers, and parents say about censorship? Useful resources Organizations Formats and guides 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
Gay and lesbian families addressed 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
6: Understanding or justifying violence
Justifying violence in children's books
Steps to counter violence in the media
Traditional tales and violence
Real life, history, and violence
Reflection questions for the teacher
Sample response lesson 6-1: Violence
Sample response lesson 6-2: Violence
Selected annotated bibliography
Part 3: 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
Reading authentic accounts
Finding resilience in the face of adversity
Reflection questions for the teacher
Sample response lesson 7-1: Exploring issues of war using educational drama
Examples of responses to lesson 7-1
Selected annotated bibliography
8: Prejudice, bullying, abuse, and other challenging situations
Defining and discussing challenging situations
Physical and emotional abuse
Reflection questions for the teacher
Sample Response Lesson 8-1: Poverty
Sample Response Lesson 8-2: Foster care
Selected annotated bibliography
9: Disabilities and the special child
Need for representing disabilities and special needs in classrooms
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
10: Influences of a digital world
Internet, television, and the video industry
Computer books and programs
Reflection questions for the teacher
Sample Response Lesson 10-1: http://www.tumblebooks.com
Sample Response Lesson 10-2: http://en.childrenslibrary.org
Selected annotated bibliography
About the contributing author.
