Final Course Reflection

At the beginning of this course, diverse literature to me was about a group of people, culture, race, religion, etc. that was underrepresented in literature. Little did I know there was so much behind what makes up quality diverse and multicultural literature.

I thought the course was very organized and before we even got to reading multicultural books I was thrown into the chaotic mix of what classifies as diverse/multicultural literature and who is allowed to write these books. The insider/outsider issue was one that was engraved into my head throughout the course of the semester. Even though all the books we read were written by insiders, not always were they a perfect, quality representation of a group. I believe overall the books were a good representation but by engaging in questioning the text and group discussions there were always extremely good points and questions brought up that made me question the text. I will continue to look for books by insiders and if so, by outsiders and treat them the same paying particular attention to what the purpose is and how the group of people is represented.

The readings that corresponded with the books on a particular group of people really changed how I read and interpreted the text. There is so much information out there that can help readers identify a quality and authentic multicultural book and I think these readings really showed me that in order to choose books for my collection I need to take several things into consideration. I know that I am unfamiliar with many aspects of other cultures and these readings have helped me learn the basics about what should be represented and what should not be represented. Even though it is hard to come across a book without a stereotype, I have learned that stereotypes can serve a purpose in a book and if you look into why the author chose to write the book the way they did then this question might be answered. I also really enjoy the list of books that many of the readings shared. This gave me an idea of some of the books I can go out and look for and by reading and analyzing these books there is a chance I will be able to pick up an unfamiliar book and decide whether it constitutes as a quality multicultural book.

After taking this course I have realized how important it is for students to have a variety of multicultural books available to them. Even though it may take time to develop a collection that represents everyone equally, I look forward to building a library for all that represents everyone. This course has showed me that my experience with multicultural literature as a student was very slim and with the exposure that I have gained this year, I believe that I would have been a better well rounded person with a more complete knowledge of my surroundings and people. I grew up in a place with a lot of diversity but the literature I was exposed to never represented my peers. I think that I, as well as my peers, would have benefited from more exposure to diverse literature.

This course has made me look forward to building a collection of multicultural literature but I am still unsure of if the books I choose will be an accurate representation. As I continue with my education and eventually get my own classroom where multicultural literature will be a MAIN part in the classroom I believe my understanding will increase and I will learn from books as well as my students.

Reflection on Text Set for Jewish American Literature

As a Jewish American I have always kept on eye out for text in which I could relate too. Many of the books that I have dealt with and have a Jewish association were of two kinds. They were either about the holocaust or about holidays primarily focusing on Hanukkah. These books did not give me a sense of something I could relate too other than what everyone refers to when they think of being “Jewish”. I enjoyed these books because they taught many of my peers who were unfamiliar about my religion but they didn’t provide me with anything special. So as I set out to find books to include in my collection I wanted to look for more books like Confessions of a Closet Catholic instead of the usual written to teach books.

As a whole my set includes a small variety of what is out there. I found several books to include although I did not review them all on this my blog. The four books I did decide to use spoke to me in a different way. The first one was always a favorite as a child and although it was about Hanukkah, it didn’t teach about Hanukkah in any way. ­Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel is an excellent book that is interesting and exciting for all its readers and stands out amongst the literature about Hanukkah. The second book that I chose was Papa’s Latkes by Michelle Edwards which, is also a story that takes place at Hanukkah but does not teach about the holiday. It provides the story of a family coping with loss at a special time which many readers can relate too. Even though these two books are Hanukkah based, they are the exception to the wide variety of texts that are available to teach about the holiday.

The third book in my set is The Keeping Quilt­ by Patricia Polacco, an author who we have recognized for being from Lansing, Michigan but never for her Jewish heritage. It wasn’t until I came across this book on a website with an extensive list of Jewish literature that I was able to think about her as an author who is of many different identities and writes about them. This was the first book that I have read of hers that shares a family’s history based off own life. The story of immigration and tradition is one that is not recognized often in Jewish Literature and I thought this was a great picture book for children to see how love, faith and tradition in a family are carried down. I was amazed at how much the pictures tell the story and exhibits their religious affiliation and cultural assimilation.

The last book in my set was one that opened the doors to much of the Jewish Literature that is out there today for children. The award that honors Jewish American literature couldn’t be named after a more appropriate author, Sydney Taylor. ­After reading All-of-a-Kind Family I was able to see why this prestigious award was named after her. This book opened the doors over 50 years ago for Jewish Children to relate too and for Jewish writers to share their stories. It was not based on one Holiday or one event but the life of a Jewish Family in America. It covers many of the Jewish holidays that are not brought up in literature and shares the meaning behind each and every one of them. This book is more than just an explanation of a Jewish family but a loving, close knit family growing over the course of a year together. I think it is very obvious that this is one of the first books about Jewish Americans because of the amount of events that Taylor chooses to address and cover. I believe many authors as a whole have learned from this book and its series how to go about different ways of writing Jewish American literature for everyone to read, learn and enjoy.

As a whole these text represent a variety of differences but many similarities. Each of these authors has written from experience and often based their book on their own lives in some way or another. They represent books that are overlooked by children and adults and could be included in a collection to brighten and open the minds of its readers for more reasons than just being Jewish literature. Other books that I would have loved to include are Night by Elie Wiesel and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry but chose not to because these are two of the very familiar Jewish texts that are used to represent this group of people in many libraries. Both of these are written about the holocaust which is the first popular theme in Jewish Literature that I mentioned which is very important but should not be the only way Jews are portrayed in books. I hope that my set speaks to people looking for literature that may be different than the Jewish Literature they have been exposed to because each of these books has a new story that children can relate to and learn from.

Becoming an "All-of-a-kind" American: Sydney Taylor and strategies of assimilation

June Cummins. "Becoming an "All-of-a-Kind" American: Sydney Taylor and strategies of assimilation. " The Lion and the Unicorn 27.3 (2003): 324-343. Children'sModule. ProQuest. Michigan State University Libraries, East Lansing, Michigan. 21 Apr. 2008 .


When it came to finding a critical or scholarly review about a book there was one question to ask myself after an article is located. Do you find the article, read it and then read the book or do you find the article, read the book and then read the article? When I found the article "Becoming an "All-of-a-Kind" American: Sydney Taylor and strategies of assimilation, I decided to read the article first. Being a critical review of Taylor’s book All-of-a-Kind Family I believe that much of what I had read in the article contributed to the way I read the book.

In the article, June Cummins takes a look at the first book in a series of five and “focuses both on its depictions of positive Jewish cultural identification and on its treatment of cultural assimilation during a period when large numbers of immigrant Jews were moving into American society”. From reading the article I realized that these were two things I needed to focus on as I read the text and these were important to all readers. If I hadn’t read this article, the prominence of Jewish cultural identification would have exceeded the portrayal of an immigrant family assimilating to American ways. Just like Cummins explains, there is a lack of assimilation which was very important to all immigrants of this time. Cummins says “the characters do not discuss changes to their lifestyles or values, and no incidents occur that point to the acculturation process”.

Throughout the article, Cummins discusses the differences between the manuscript that is available to read and the actual printed book. For example, Cummins says in the manuscript there is a detail description of the fourth of July and its importance to America but it is taken on in the printed book. Apparently the editorial process can really affect what goes into the book. I think that it would have been important to have the meaning of the fourth of July explained in the text to one of the characters because this would have highlighted some of the assimilation to the American culture. But I would have never made this connection if it wasn’t for reading this critical review.

Overall this review has allowed me to get inside a critics head and the authors head and enabled me to read the book in a different way. To much contribution, I noticed many qualities as well as possible issues that All-of-a-Kind Family may have with its readers and without this article I would not have been able to think with such a critical eye. Scholarly reviews and critics are important to reviewing literature of any kind and can contribute to the way a text is read and used by its readers; it can enlighten readers to new ideas and possible complications and this will help supply children with a selection of quality multicultural literature where they can appreciate and learn from others

All-of-a-Kind Family

Taylor, Sydney. All-of-a-Kind Family. 1951. New York: Taylor Productions, Ltd., 1979.

In the first of a series of 5, Sydney Taylor introduces the All-of-a-kind family and shares the lives of five sisters and their parents as they go about their daily lives in New York’s lower east side. Although money is short, these girls never fail to have a good time and engage in all life has to offer. Throughout the story readers will feel apart of the family as they live their everyday lives, celebrate holidays and traditions related to their Jewish culture and watch an immigrant family assimilate to the American. With the strong friendships they have with the other immigrants and the openness to meeting Americans, this family proves to be an overall caring and loving family that will leave you wanting to read more. The introduction to a new member at the end of the book encourages the readers to read the books that extend and expand the story and the lives of the all-of-a-kind family.

Based and written about the authors own experience growing up as a child in the lower east side of New York, All-of-a-Kind Family was one of the first and still well known books about Jewish American children. Written for Sydney Taylor’s daughter and other Jewish children due to the lack of books representing them, Taylor describes in details Jewish holidays and traditions that occur throughout the year in order. One implication is that she does not give the reader a sense of how far apart any of these holidays take place which could be problematic for people who know little about Judaism. But for both readers that are Jews and non-Jews, this books share the story of a family that many children can relate too. It also teaches in detail what many of the holidays are and how they are celebrated. Throughout the text there are also several Hebrew and Yiddish words that are all described in parenthesis to prevent confusion.
I believe that this piece of literature is very relatable to Jewish American Children although it may be repetitive for them. Since every Jewish holiday and the words that associate with the Jewish culture are explained, this could get boring for its insider readers. Although it shares the family’s traditions as well, I think there is a little to much in this book that teaches about the Jewish religion. Depending on the reader, I think if the purpose of the reading is to inform about the Jewish religion and culture than this book does an excellent job but if it is to be put on a bookshelf for Jewish American children to be able to relate to and enjoy a story with Jewish characters and backgrounds than it may not be the story they are looking for. Overall, I believe that this is a quality piece of literature that should be available to every one of all ages as it is one of the first and well-known books that represent Jewish Americans.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

Kimmel, Eric. Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. New York: Holiday House, 1985.

In this unique and exhilarating Hanukkah tale, Hershel must try and save Hanukkah from the goblins and bring back the excitement and celebration of the festival of lights to the village. Hershel has to spend the eight nights of Hanukkah in the synagogue outwitting the goblins to keep the menorah burning each night. This book has been recognized as a Caldecott Honor Book.

Through this fictional story of Hanukkah, Kimmel incorporates traditional themes that relate to Hanukkah and uses them in ways that if you were not Jewish might confuse you. For example, when Hershel uses the dreidel game to trick the goblin he explains it with a twist which is not consistent with the way the game is actually played. The overall story is exciting and unique which is different than the majority of the Hanukkah literature out there for kids. It doesn’t persuade to teach about the holiday but uses the holiday to share a fictional, entertaining story. At the end of the book there is an explanation of the holiday and how it came about. It also explains the dreidel game clarifying that the game in the book is created by Hershel himself which helps outsiders prevent inaccurate information about the holiday and things that may relate to it. The explanation at the end also explains the word “Shammes” which is used through the text as well as the term Latkes which are also discussed and not explained in the story. By providing this information at the end of the book, it gives readers a chance to learn about the holiday if they would like without taking away from the actually story and leading it to be repetitive for many insiders.

A review of this book and explanation from the author, Eric Kimmel can be found in the article titled “Joy on Beale Street” which was published in The lion and the Unicorn, Volume 27, issue 3 on page 410.

Papa's Latkes

Edwards, Michelle. Papa's Latkes. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2004.

Papa’s Latkes is the story of a family’s first Chanukah without their mother. With beautiful oil and acrylic painted illustrations, Edwards shares the story of carrying on with traditions and coping with loss when Papa attempts to make latkes, a job that Mama had always done, on the first Chanukah celebration without her. Through remembering and maintaining tradition, this book shows the struggles of continuing life at hard times with the loss of a loved one.

Although this is not the average Chanukah story explaining the holiday to its readers, this story reaches out to not only the Jewish American audience. Although it is based around Chanukah and making Latkes, the story touches on a deeper level trying to cope with loss and carry on traditions when a family member has passed. I think this is a quality piece of Jewish American Literature because the story does more than teach. Through the preparations and celebration of the first night of Chanukah, Jewish children can relate and outsiders can get a feel for what goes on as someone celebrates this well known holiday.

The Keeping Quilt

Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. New York: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers, 1988.

In The Keeping Quilt, Patricia Polacco shares the story of her family through a picture book that shares how a quilt is made to remember back home in Russia when her family immigrates to the United States. The quilt is passed on down from mother to daughter for generations and used to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, funerals, Jewish holidays, and so on. The pictures in the story are primarily black and white except for the quilt which is drawn in vibrant colors. As the story progresses, the Jewish family assimilates to the American culture but still keeping family and religious traditions. It is in the pictures where change is most apparent and the illustrator does an excellent job portraying change and tradition at the same time.

A winner of the Sydney Taylor Award, The Keeping Quilt not only shares the story of a family full of tradition but it also shares cultural ways of Jewish Americans. As a diverse piece of literature, Polacco chooses to share her story and not teach about the Jewish religion. With a lack of knowledge of Jewish traditions, some readers may have trouble understanding why things are they way they are; for example, the use of the huppa in weddings and the reason men and women do not always celebrate together. This information can be looked up and discussed to relate to outsiders who are unfamiliar. The pictures do an excellent job showing the assimilation through the generations of the family and I believe that everyone can find a way to relate to this book whether or not they are Jewish because of the role that tradition, love and faith play throughout the story but it can also connect to Jewish Americans because it is a book that’s purpose is not to teach but relate to the history of Jewish immigration and adjustment.

My books as a child

As I was sitting at home at my desk wondering what to blog about I glanced at my bookshelf. Although it does not have very many books on it, one shelf is full of books that I read as a kid. I remember these books clearly and loved every page of them. Some of them include Black Beauty, Mandy, Stranded, and the BFG. When I think about multicultural literature and my collection the two really do not go together. The only books that I have that I would include in multicultural literature are Number the Stars and Esperanza Rising. The first one I remember reading and purchasing due to my background as a Jewish American and interest in the Holocaust and the second one was required for my TE 348 class. I look back to the rest of the books which were purchased when I was in elementary school and I think to myself, why the lack of diversity?

After contemplating this question I can only think of several things. The first is that as a child I wanted to read books about adventure and other things I enjoyed such as swimming and animals, these books really did not have much to do with diversity. The second thing I can think of is that at the book fairs I went to, many of the book were chosen by cover and title. I would probably read the back but it never occurred to me that I could learn about another culture and actually enjoy what the book has to say. The last thing is, the books in my elementary classrooms and libraries were lacking when it came to diversity and I was not encouraged to explore.

After thinking about all these things and taking this course, I have realized there is a lot of quality multicultural literature out there that students are not being encouraged to explore. If it wasn't for this class, I may have never picked up the books and engaged in the reading and research of finding other books. I have enjoyed all the books that we have read in class because they have great stories. They also have taught me a lot about other cultures and being able to identify stereotypes and generalizations that are written into the text. Once again I look forward to expanding my collection of children's literature for the day that I have my own classroom and I can open students eyes to the wide variety of excellent diverse literature that is out there hidden amongst the bookshelves.

Boy Meets Boy

Once I picked up Boy Meets Boy, I had a lot of trouble putting it down. I had never read a book like this in my entire life and I was very intrigued by the idea. The reality behind this book was amazing to me. The entire book I was waiting for the main character or author to just stop and say "wouldn't this be nice?". It was a world of imagination and one that I wish would replicate society today. I ask myself this question... will this ever be reality?

After two nights submerged in the life of Paul and his friends I finally finished. There was no ending that explained why the story was written like this or anything for that matter. I wanted to know more so I want to www.davidlevithan.com to see what he had to say about his book. The question I contemplated the entire book was right there in his bio which ironically is not so much about himself as a person himself as a writer and his work. He says " I’m often asked if the book is a work of fantasy or a work of reality, and the answer is right down the middle - it's about where we're going, and where we should be". Pleased with this answer I began to browse the other books he has written and I am definitely going to have to pick up several of them.

The entire time I was reading Boy Meets Boy it felt like everything made sense in the book and I loved it! I could have been reading about any high schooler dealing with life and relationships whether or not they were gay. I thought it was brilliant and relatable. The characters were diverse, the stereotypes were far from represented, except one which I would love to know the explanation for (if this character possibly represented someone from Levithans own life).

My only questions that I have about this book, which anyone should feel free to respond too, is where would this book fit in the classroom? What age is it appropriate for? Being a future teacher who will be having a very diverse collection of multicultural literature, I hope! I would like others ideas on how I or anyone else would be able to incorporate this into their collection because I think it is an excellent book and representation of a group or culture that needs to be heard from.

Jewish American Literature

For my final project I have decided to focus on Jewish American literature. There are several reasons I have decided to focus on this topic. This first one is that I myself am a Jewish American. Another reason is that growing up, the only books I had read that were related to my religion and culture were based on the holidays. These books often taught and being apart of the religion it was all repetitive and did not necessarily represent a character that I could relate too. This week we are reading Confessions of a Closest Catholic and so far, I have realized that there are books out there that are not focusing on teaching and sharing holidays. This book has more to deal with other than the Jewish holidays. Its about life and growing up which anyone could relate to Jewish or not.

While researching articles I came across Eric Kimmel's "Joy on Beale Street". Little did I know this was the article in our course pack. I enjoy that he "wasn't interested in explain or defending the holiday. [He] wanted to find its spirit". This is one of the reasons I have always enjoyed the book "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins". This quote is exactly how I felt looking for books on Jewish American literature. I wanted more than the usual explanation. I wanted to be able to see myself in a character not only because they were Jewish.

For my project I am focusing on books that you may look at the cover and not realize they are Jewish American Literature. You may be able to tell by the authors last name or because the character has a Jewish background but I want it to represent Jewish Americans as well as every other student one way or another. I think there are more books out there that need to be incorporated into the classroom other than the books teaching the holidays. There is more to this religion and culture that is very interesting and highly underrepresented in literature.

For others who have chose this topic, I have found this site with a list of Jewish American literature http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/jewishamericans.html .

Gender in Books

As I was reading the article "The Gendered Classroom" by M.S Kimmel for my Communications class I stumbled upon some shocking information that I thought would be interesting to share. We are talking about how many cultures are underrepresented in literature but years ago there was another issue that existed with books. Until recently, can anyone guess who were the primary characters among books? Another image that we have seemed to bypass is the roles of characters in the books, primarily the roles of the males and females.

Take from the article, here are some facts that may leave you dumbfounded from a study done in 1975 from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. 134 text were looked at by "sixteen different publishers, looking at the pictures, stories, and language used to describe male and female characters". The results were

• "Boy-centered" stories outnumbered "girl-centered" stories by a five to two ration
• 3 times as many adult male characters
• 6 times as many biographies about men
• 4 times as many male fairy tales

Although things have changed today in literature and women and girls are seen more as the main character than in the past but "gender stereotypes still prevail: girls are still depicted as more interested in domestic life than boys are". Even though female characters roles in stories have changed, there has been no significant change in the role of males becoming more domestic, nurturing or caring.

After reading this article I seem to have a better eye when reading and looking over literature. I am interested in the main characters and the roles of males and females and I believe this is another issue that should be represented fairly in the classroom. Girls should have the chance to relate with the main character and not just because they are doing domestic or stereotypical "girly" things. While reading Project Mulberry it was brought to my attention that while working on the project that the roles are split in a peculiar way. Julia is in charge of the sewing and entering her work in the Domestic Arts/Needlework category while Patrick was in charge of the book work and research end of the Ecotherm Farming or before it was changed Animal Husbandry project. Julia also took on the nurturing role and cared for the worms while Patrick had nothing to do with because of his phobia. Do you believe this as anything to do with the stereotypical roles that have been attributed to males and females over time?

Personal Philosophy

TE 448 has opened my eyes to the lack of diversity I experienced in my own elementary education. As much as I enjoy children’s and adolescent literature I had not realized the absence and misrepresentations of different cultures that I was or was not reading about. This class has made me realized the importance of finding quality and accurate literature to share with my students. It has opened my eyes to how much multicultural literature is out there and how important it is to look at it from every perspective and culture that is portrayed in the text. I want to be able to choose literature that will benefit my students learning about their culture as well as others. I want them to feel comfortable reading and discussing these books in the classroom and I also would like to counter act many of the stereotypes that they may have or will be influenced by in the outside world.

The issues of diversity play a very important role in literacy teaching and learning. Not only do I have to know and understand where I stand and where I may have biases to set aside, I have to be able to teach my students how to respect the ideas and ways of other cultures that they may not know about or agree with. Growing up, my religion has set myself aside from many of my classmates and I loved to learn about their traditions and values as well as share mine. I thought it was important for them to know where I came from and vise versa. I also have to be able to recognize and pull out quality literature that will represent cultures appropriately and respectively. I think it is imperative to children’s learning that they are engaged in a multicultural education. Students should feel comfortable in a classroom environment that displays a variety of cultures and ways of life. Students should have an equal opportunity to learn and grow within the classroom and I believe I am responsible for adhering to this environment. Children’s lit fits into this multicultural classroom because it is one tool that can engage students in learning about different cultures and open them to new ideas. A wide variety of literature needs to be displayed to make the students feel comfortable in the classroom. Each student needs to be able to relate too and be represented by more than a handful of books. There also needs to be an abundance of books that are not represented in the classroom so students can be introduced what else is outside of the classroom, community and city, state, and country.

Thinking about bringing my philosophy into the classroom is a lot easier than actually implementing it. I worry about my ability to accurately portray many cultures through literature because as we have discussed, there are many different opinions on who should write and what should count as quality multicultural literature. I want my students to feel comfortable in the classroom and I do not want to misrepresent one of them accidentally. This will also be a challenge for me to find books that make a collection that I think will help foster individual growth with all students. I look forward to exploring books in libraries as well as in my cooperative teachers classrooms that I think are beneficial to students learning and I could include in my own library. Now that I am involved in this class, I believe I have a better idea of what I need to include and what is underrepresented that I need to represent. My elementary career definitely lacked a representation of many of the cultures we are reading about and I look forward to learning and growing myself with respect to the many cultures that need to be presented in the classroom. It will be an exciting experience and challenge for me and I look forward to creating a collection of multicultural literature!

Where Can I find....

When I volunteered in my group this past Wednesday to look up and obtain books that have won the Asian Pacific American Award, I thought to myself "this should be easy enough. The book has won an award, it will most likely be in several libraries!". Was it a surprise to find out the opposite.
I immediately went to the East Lansing public library web page and to the library catalog to look up which books they had. They had almost every book that I typed in but the problem was, the majority of them were checked out. Since I had been in my home town for the weekend and several days during the week I decided to check out my pubic library and get the books from there. Upon going to the online catalog to see what books were offered, I was astonished. Book after book, author after author and nothing came up. Why were none of these books available at my library? Did they not have an interest in books about Asian Pacific Americans? I was still shocked and eager to find out the answer.
During class we discussed the availability of finding multicultural books and even books that have won awards and have been recognized in libraries. To think that a Librarian can use the excuse of not having books about a certain culture or race in their collection because that specific culture or race is not present in the community. How are students supposed to learn about people outside of their community if they do not have the opportunity to learn about them through books. Multicultural literature allows us to explore cultures and people we have no idea about. It allows us to make connections and see what is out in the world. It gives us a great opportunity to learn! Whether or not a book has won an award, I believe all libraries need to have representation of a variety of different cultures, races, etc.
I look forward to walking into my home library and asking them... "where can I find (insert multicultural book they do not have)? And when they say they do not have it, I can't wait to ask "why not?"

Insider/Outsider Debate

After reading these articles I find myself more interested in the definition of multicultural literature then the discussion of who writes it better: insiders or outsiders. But since this post is about the latter, I am going to stick with the topic and share my views.

Insider or outsider? Well, we have all seen and read that it is easier to find books written by the outsiders but should we be using them? I think that to write multicultural literature you do not necessarily have to be an insider to the culture. I think that an insider has an easier time writing about their culture and sharing ideas then an outsider but that doesn't mean that it is necessarily going to be better. If an outsider takes the time to "get to know a culture intimately" as Sims Bishop says, why wouldn't they have an accurately portrayal of those people? Harris gives us a great example of author Donnarae McCann, an European-American who "possesses the critical consciousness that enabled her to create an excellent examination of the depiction of Native-Americans". That being said, outsiders can and do have the opportunity to write multicultural literature about another cultural group that is beneficial to its readers.

With multicultural literature, the culture being portrayed needs to be looked at carefully. Both insiders and and outsiders need to avoid stereotyping. Even if a book is written by an insider it doesn't mean it is an accurate reflection of the entire culture. One person does not reflect an entire culture but just one aspect and one person living within that particular culture. With that being said, should readers assume that if a book is by an insider that they are more credible than a book about the same culture from an outsider? I think there are many questions to ask about the quality and authenticity of multicultural literature and who the author is and what their relationship to the culture is just one of them and should not be the determining question. With that being said I believe that there should be a combination of insider and outsider written books about a culture in a classroom to show that everyone has the ability to write about a topic whether it is close to them at home or an interest they have taken expert credibility in. Outsider literature should not be turned away but should be looked at just as critically as an insiders piece of literature to make sure that the culture is being represented the best and honest it can be.

Multicultural posters!

As a member of SMEA an e-mail was sent out to us last week providing us with details for a professional development opportunity, it read "Kappa Delta Pi is hosting a Multicultural Poster Contest in celebration of Martin Luther King Day". I thought this would be a great chance to go check out some new multicultural literature. I thought it would be interesting to start applying what we have been talking about in class to the books introduced and shared on the posters.

When I arrived to the multicultural poster contest, I was somewhat disappointed. Only six posters were put on display! I thought to myself, either this was not advertised well or people are unsure of what qualifies a book as decent multicultural literature appropriate for a classroom. Being only the third week of class, I still am learning about the in's and out's of diverse literature and I am lucky to have this class to guide my learning.

The first poster on display was Jingle Dancer. The poster was very artisitic and eye catching. In the center of the poster was a dress that was drawn on and attached to it were bells. I thought this was very creative and would have caught my eye if I never heard of this book. The poster had several quotes from the book and was very delightful to look at. This was definitely one of the more intriguing posters and it made me want to add Jingle Dancer to my collection. Another poster that caught my eye was small but very professional looking. It was focusing on the book Bread, Bread, Bread by Ann Morris. From the cover of the book which was printed on the poster one may not have thought this book was about diversity although the first sentence of the book is "People eat bread all over the world". The book then shares the different types of bread that are a part of different cultures around the world. This book focuses on many cultures and not just one. There were several other posters on display, two of which were about a book on Martin Luther King Jr.

After viewing the rather small collection of multicultural literature posters I began to think of all the diverse books that I would have liked to share or would have liked to seen advertised. If only this contest was more towards the end of the semester, we all would have gotten a chance to share what we are learning about diverse and multicultural literature and shared the books we are all going to add to our collections!

Hello my name is...

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! This is my first time blogging so I hope you enjoy my words and I look forward to your response!

My name is Jenna and I am a senior in the College of Education at Michigan State University. I am an elementary education, language arts major. I am enjoying every second of my time in the field and look forward to applying what I learn about diverse literature to my own classroom and others in the future.

When I think of diverse and multicultural literature I think of all the possibilities of learning about others and their cultures. Diversity encompasses many different aspects whether it be race, religion, background, interests, gender, learning abilities, or socio-economic status. This is just a sample of ideas of diversity over a large spectrum. I believe it is very important to have a wide variety of diverse literature in a classroom. As a college student, I have been exposed to many different books on cultures that I knew very little about. They tend to fascinate me and always leave me wanting more! I now realize that my education on diversity would have been more interesting and beneficial if I had been introduced to a greater variety of multicultural and diverse literature as a younger student.

This class is giving me the opportunity to expand on my ideas of why diverse literature is important to everyone. I hope to learn what types of diverse literature make up a quality collection and how to identify which books are "quality". I look forward to hearing questions posed by my classmates because I am sure they have crossed my mind at one point or another.


"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same" - Anne Frank