Cultural Connections
By Maryann Manning

My friend Christine King Farris has written a beautiful book, My Brother Martin (Simon and Schuster, 2003, ISBN 0-689-84387-9), about her brother Martin Luther King, Jr. In the book, Christine reminisces about her family, especially her brother. The memories of her family were brought to life by Chris Soentpiet's illustrations.

Celebrating heritage
It's wonderful that more multicultural books are being published. I look for multicultural books that are well-written, accurate and usually by an author or illustrator from within the culture.

Like you, I know that multicultural literature should be part of every topic we teach. Even in classrooms that aren't culturally or linguistically diverse, we try to help our students develop a greater appreciation and understanding of all groups. Our students need to see their cultures celebrated and reflected through reading and writing in our classrooms.

Cultural pride is increased when students read books that accurately portray their heritage. An example of this kind of book is Freedom Like Sunlight by J. Patrick Lewis (Creative Editions, 2000, ISBN l-568-46138-0), a collection of poems about well-known African-Americans. After reading this book, students may want to write poems about their favorite famous people of color.

Important contributions
All cultural groups have enhanced the history of the United States. Earthquake by Milly Lee (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2001, ISBN 0-374-39964-6) is about Milly's mother's experiences in the San Francisco earthquake of l906. The book confirms the Asian-American contribution to the history of California.

Many other historical novels chronicle the building of our country. Seaward Born by Lea Wait (Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-689-84719-X) is the story of a 13-year-old slave who flees for freedom. Twelve Travelers, Twenty Horses by Harriette Gillem Robinet (Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-689-84561-8) is about a slave who discovers a plot to stop Pony Express riders from reaching California with news of Lincoln's election.

Deeper understanding
Books can help to increase mutual understanding and respect of all cultural groups. Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side (Putnam, 2001, ISBN 0-399-23116-1) will evoke conversation about the friendship of two girls of different races. Rat by Jan Cheripko (Boyds Mills Press, 2002, ISBN 1-59078-034-5) helps us move beyond a superficial understanding of other cultures by accurately portraying the interaction of young adolescents.

Witness by Karen Hesse.

Facing the issues
Multicultural books can help raise awareness of social issues. Home of the Brave by Allen Say (Houghton Mifflin, 2002, ISBN 0-618-21223-X), is about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Witness, Karen Hesse's novel in free verse (Scholastic, 2001, ISBN 0-439-27200-9), helps us understand the fear evoked by the Ku Klux Klan in a small town in the 1920s. After reading the book aloud as a drama, students can write scripts about other events in the fight for civil rights.

Immigrants and folktales
Students' understanding of the difficulties that many immigrant families endure can be aided by books such as Pam Muñoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising (Scholastic, 2002, ISBN 0-439-12042-X), which illustrates the life of a Mexican immigrant family. Another book about a Mexican migrant child is Tomàs and the Library Lady by Pat Mora (Alfred A. Knopf, l997, ISBN 0-679 80401-3), which shows how the library can be a joy.

Hold Up the Sky by Jane Louise Curry.

Folktales are one of the truest representations of a culture. One good collection about Native Americans is Hold Up the Sky, folktales from Texas and the Southern Plains, by Jane Louise Curry (Simon & Schuster, 2002, ISBN 0-689-85287-8). The Girl Who Spun Gold is a West Indian folktale retold by Virginia Hamilton (Blue Sky Press, 2000, ISBN 0-590-47378-6).

Song and dance
Some books offer potential for writing and visual arts. Dance by Bill T. Jones and Susan Kuklin (Hyperion, 1998, ISBN 0-786-80362-2) features photos of the author, choreographer Bill T. Jones. Pair it with Rap A Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillon (Blue Sky Press, 2002, ISBN 0-590-47883-4), a book about dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. After reading these, students can write about, and draw, activities they enjoy.

Celebrating our cultural pluralism through literature offers many benefits. Ashley Bryan's latest book Beautiful Blackbird (Simon & Schuster, 2002, ISBN 0-689-84731-9) is about a group of birds who covet their neighbor's beautiful black feathers. This metaphor for diversity reminds us that we are more alike than different.

Maryann Manning is on the faculty of the School of Education, the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

May 2003, Vol.33, No.8