Diversity in Adolescent Literature

1. Diversity in Adolescent Literature Jessica Dockter University of Minnesota 2009 Adapted from Beth Brendler 2008

2. “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” Wade Davis

3. What does multicultural or culturally diverse mean? • About all cultures • Race and Ethnicity • Multiethnic • International • Gender • Sexuality • Exceptionalities • Values, attitudes, customs, beliefs, ethics • Religion

4. What does multicultural mean? • Race and Ethnicity • The Heart of a Chief – Joseph Bruchac • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie • Before We Were Free – Julia Alvarez

5. What does multicultural mean? • Race and Ethnicity • Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier • The Skin I’m In – Sharon G.  Flake • Baseball in April – Gary Soto • Habibi – Naomi Shihab Nye

6. What does multicultural mean? • Gender • Fat Chance – Leslea Newman • Inexcusable - Chris Lynch • Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson • A Northern Light – Jennifer Donnelly

7. What does multicultural mean? • Sexual Orientation • Luna – Julie Ann Peters • Hard Love – Ellen Wittlinger • Annie on My Mind – Nancy Garden • Totally Joe – James Howe • From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun – Jacqueline Woodson

8. What does multicultural mean? • Exceptionalities • Stuck in Neutral – Terry Trueman • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime – Mark Haddon • Invisible – Pete Hautman • Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy – Sonja Sones • Joey Pigza books – Jack Gantos

9. What does multicultural mean? • Values, attitudes, customs, beliefs, ethics • Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli • Whale Talk – Chris Crutcher • Feed – M.T. Anderson

10. What does multicultural mean? • Religion • Armageddon Summer – Jane Yolen & Bruce Coville • Godless – Pete Hautman • Leaving Fishers – Margaret Peterson Haddix • Blind Faith - Ellen Wittlinger

11. What does multicultural mean? • International Literature • Halinka and Malka – Mirjam Pressler • True Confessions of a Heatless Girl – Martha Brooks • Out of Bounds: Seven Stories of Conflict and Hope – Beverly Naidoo

12. Why multicultural literature? • If children never see themselves reflected in literature, they receive the message that they are not important to society. • If children never see other cultures in books, they get the message that people with differing worldviews are not valuable.

13. Why multicultural literature? If we understand people of other cultures and other nations, it is difficult to view them as being “on the other side” in times of conflict.

14. Why multicultural literature? • Illuminates similarities of problems around the globe while demonstrating the value of difference as well • Universal themes: Fear, love, grief, faith, injustice, peer relationships, independence, family relationships, coming-of-age

15. Why multicultural literature? • Approximately 12% of children’s books published in the US are by or about people of color (2008 statistics) • Less than 1% of children’s books published in the US have been translated from another language / culture (Children’s Cooperative Book Center)

16. Why multicultural literature? • Statistics represent only quantity, not quality or authenticity (Children’s Cooperative Book Center)

17. Why multicultural literature? • In 2007-2008, 44.2% of all public school students were students of color (National Center for Education Statistics) • In 2004, more than 88% of public school teachers were White (National Center for Education Statistics)

18. Evaluating Multicultural Literature “The best books offer an experience that is more like looking through a window as light slowly darkens. At first one sees clearly through the window into another’s world – but gradually, as the light fades, one’s own image becomes reflected too.” (Lee Galda)

19. Evaluating Multicultural Literature Look for books that: • avoid / challenge stereotypes • portray the values and the cultural group in an authentic way • use language that reflects cultural group usage

20. Evaluating Multicultural Literature Look for books that: • validate reader’s experiences while also broadening vision and inviting reflection

21. Cultural Authenticity What is cultural authenticity? Who decides? Why does this matter?

22. Consider … • Insider / outsider status for author and illustrator • Whose understanding is presented? • Variation of experience, beliefs, and values within cultures

23. Cultural Appropriation • Was the author careful to research and acknowledge the help of insiders? • Who gets published? • What is the publisher’s responsibility?

24. How can teachers address authenticity and accuracy? • Show examples of what you consider to be authentic and inauthentic • Explore stereotypes in those examples • Reveal the complexities of the issue

25. How can teachers address authenticity and accuracy? • Question – be a critical reader • Acknowledge that you can’t know everything • Ask insiders for input on cultural nuances

26. How can teachers address authenticity and accuracy? • Use good review sources • Look at cultural award winners • Use trusted authors

27. How can teachers address authenticity and accuracy? • Consider the artistic quality of the writing as well as the cultural quality • Is it good literature if it is culturally accurate but artistically poor?

28. How can teachers address authenticity and accuracy? • Worry less about individual books and more about the diversity of the entire collection • Balance the differences and similarities

29. Multicultural Book Awards Américas Award presented annually for outstanding books, written in English or Spanish, that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.

30. Multicultural Book Awards Mildred L. Batchelder Award presented annually to the publisher of the most outstanding children’s book originally published in another language and later translated into English and published in the United States

31. Multicultural Book Awards Pura Belpré Award presented biennially to a Latino/Latina author and illustrator whose work best celebrates the Latino cultural experience

32. Multicultural Book Awards Coretta Scott King Award presented annually for the most outstanding book by an African American author and by an African American illustrator

33. Multicultural Book Awards Jane Addams Children’s Book Award presented annually by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Jane Addams Peace Association to the children's book that most effectively promotes the cause of peace, social justice and world community

34. Multicultural Book Awards Asian Pacific American Award for Literature for outstanding books by and about Asian Pacific Americans Children’s Africana Book Awards presented to the authors and illustrators of the best children's books about Africa

35. Multicultural Book Awards Carter G. Woodson Book Awards presented by the National Council for the Social Studies for the most distinguished social science books depicting ethnicity in the United States