Multicultural and Ethnic Children's Literature in the United States / Edition 1

by Donna L. Gilton

Overview

This book describes the history and characteristics of ethnic and multicultural children's literature in the U.S., as well as related materials published elsewhere. It relates in great detail the people, businesses, organizations, and institutions that create, disseminate, promote, critique, and collect these materials. Author Donna Gilton gives a detailed history of U.S. multicultural and ethnic children's literature throughout several historic periods, relating these developments to general social and political U.S. history.

Chapters illustrate characteristics of U.S. multicultural children's books, the major issues in the field, and multicultural initiatives and mainstream responses, while also providing outlines of research possibilities in the field and suggesting other groups of people who should be emphasized more in the future. In doing all this, Multicultural and Ethnic Children's Literature in the United States brings together valuable and scattered information for the busy and involved librarians, teachers, parents, publishers, distributors, and community leaders who wish to use and promote this material with children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810856721
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/09/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.05(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.71(d)

About the Author

Donna L. Gilton is associate professor of library and information studies at the University of Rhode Island.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Acknowledgments
Part 2 1 Multicultural Children's Literature: An Introduction
Part 3 2 A History of U.S. Multicultural Children's Literature
Part 4 3 General Trends in the Field
Part 5 4 Specific Ethnic Initiatives and Conclusions
Part 6 5 Where to Go from Here: Emerging Groups and Issues
Part 7 Bibliography
Part 8 Index
Part 9 About the Author

Editorial Reviews

This book will be a valuable resource....Recommended.

Choice Reviews

...highly recommended...

American Reference Books Annual

...astute observation of general trends in the field including mainstream responses to multiculturalism contribute to the heart and core of this thoughtful discussion.

Library Bookwatch

...examines the many initiatives taken by people committed to multiculturalism in the field of U.S. children's literature, with an emphasis on people of color. The text relates in detail the people, businesses, organizations, and institutions that create, disseminate, promote, critique, and collect ethnic and multicultural children's literature. Coverage includes the history of this field; general trends; multicultural initiatives and responses from the mainstream; specific initiatives from people of African descent, Latino/as, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and their supporters; and information about emerging groups, possible directions for future research, and additional conclusions.

Reference and Research Book News

...highly recommended...

March 2008 American Reference Books Annual

...astute observation of general trends in the field including mainstream responses to multiculturalism contribute to the heart and core of this thoughtful discussion.

November 2007 Library Bookwatch

Gilton conducted extensive and valuable research....The project that Gilton has undertaken is useful...

Children's Literature Association Quarterly - Tammy Meilke

This book will be a valuable resource....Recommended.

Choice

Gilton conducted extensive and valuable research....The project that Gilton has undertaken is useful...--Tammy Meilke "Children's Literature Association Quarterly "

This book will be a valuable resource....Recommended.--CHOICE, January 2008, Vol. 45, No. 5

...examines the many initiatives taken by people committed to multiculturalism in the field of U.S. children's literature, with an emphasis on people of color. The text relates in detail the people, businesses, organizations, and institutions that create, disseminate, promote, critique, and collect ethnic and multicultural children's literature. Coverage includes the history of this field; general trends; multicultural initiatives and responses from the mainstream; specific initiatives from people of African descent, Latino/as, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and their supporters; and information about emerging groups, possible directions for future research, and additional conclusions.--Reference and Research Book News, November 2007

From the Publisher

This book will be a valuable resource....Recommended.

CHOICE

...examines the many initiatives taken by people committed to multiculturalism in the field of U.S. children's literature, with an emphasis on people of color. The text relates in detail the people, businesses, organizations, and institutions that create, disseminate, promote, critique, and collect ethnic and multicultural children's literature. Coverage includes the history of this field; general trends; multicultural initiatives and responses from the mainstream; specific initiatives from people of African descent, Latino/as, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and their supporters; and information about emerging groups, possible directions for future research, and additional conclusions.

November 2007 Reference and Research Book News

Gilton writes with authority, clarity, and conviction, presenting a strong rationale for the necessity for teachers to use multicultural literature whether or not their schools and/or classrooms have diverse populations. This is not a bibliography of multicultural books for children. Instead, the author offers a wealth of information, starting with discussions of how people pass on their cultures and the importance of recognizing worldview and ethnic and racial identities. She gives a history of multicultural literature in the U.S., noting that there has been an increase in the availability of titles for children in the last 20 years, but that there is much room for more improvement in this area. In addition to the historical review, Gilton addresses current issues including cultural authenticity of authors and melting pot versus culturally conscious literature. There is ample information on how to find the best books that appropriately represent a variety of cultures. Finally, Gilton looks closely at groups that are growing in the U.S., including bicultural families and Arab and Muslim Americans. Throughout the book, the author references bibliographies and important critiques of childrena€™s literature available in books, journals, and online sources. By emphasizing where books of certain types can be found, she expands the knowledge base of teachers and librarians one hundred fold. With the help of this extensive reference, the task of putting quality books into the hands of teachers and children is greatly simplified.-Wendy Smith-Da€™Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD

School Library Journal

This second edition goes beyond historical inquiry and contextualizes the complex developments of multicultural and ethnic literature in the United States. Pan-African, Native American, Latine, Asian American, European American, and other diasporic literature is understood against social and historical factors such as culture and race; educational trends; underrepresentation and misrepresentation; the efforts of cultural communities and organizations, book awards, and publishers; and, scholarly debates and dialogues. Multicultural and Ethnic Literature in the United States, a thoughtful resource for librarians, teachers, literary scholars and students, and parents, will inform the selection and study of children’s and young adult literature as well as the consideration of emerging and neglected issues.

Maria José Botelho

This second edition goes beyond historical inquiry and contextualizes the complex developments of multicultural and ethnic literature in the United States. Pan-African, Native American, Latine, Asian American, European American, and other diasporic literature is understood against social and historical factors such as culture and race; educational trends; underrepresentation and misrepresentation; the efforts of cultural communities and organizations, book awards, and publishers; and, scholarly debates and dialogues. Multicultural and Ethnic Literature in the United States, a thoughtful resource for librarians, teachers, literary scholars and students, and parents, will inform the selection and study of children’s and young adult literature as well as the consideration of emerging and neglected issues. 

Maria José Botelho