EDUC 3600: Multicultural Education

Best Multicultural Books for Children
This is a list of multicultural books for children - picture books through middle-grade. A good multicultural book should:
- present the character's culture accurately and sensitively;
- empower children of different ethnic backgrounds;
- have strong literary merit.

Books that do not meet these criteria are subject to removal from this list, as there are many books out there that feature characters of ethnicity, but are not respectful toward their culture.

How do you know if a children's book you're about to share with your students accurately portrays the culture of its characters? Are there warning signs to look for? Are there telltale things that mark an outstanding multicultural book? To answer these questions, Scholastic Teacher magazine invited five children's literature specialists to give us their candid advice on selecting books about or related to Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Jews, and Asian Americans.

Valdir in Honduras shows what life is like for a typical village boy living in the Central American country of Honduras.

Linda in Malawi follows the daily life of a young girl and her friends in a rural village in the African country of Malawi.

Ilham in Indonesia shows what life is like for an 8-year old Muslim boy living on the edge of a large city in Indonesia.

Dr. Melissa Crum is an artist, education consultant and diversity practitioner who works with many educators in urban schools. She noticed that many teachers had challenges teaching and relating to students who did not share their same cultural background. So, she worked with a museum educator to create an arts-based professional development series that helps educators think about how they are thinking about their diverse students. Her personal story and professional practice work together to tell a creative, inspiring, and eye-opening message that everyone must hear.

While the student population in America's public schools becomes increasingly diverse, the nation's teaching force remains predominantly white. The divide is especially prevalent in urban districts like Chicago, where nearly 90 percent of public school students are black or Hispanic and fewer than half the teachers are. Research suggests that these differences can impact student performance as personal biases and cultural misunderstandings get in the way of learning.