What is this?[]
This wiki contains a book list of culturally relevant texts for use in diverse K-8 classrooms. The books included on this list are relevant for children with a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, appropriate for classroom use, and cover a wide variety of topics and subjects that will be interesting to elementary students. This list is updated and monitored by a group of teachers trained in ELMAC 17 cohort, a master's program at University of Michgan -- Ann Arbor.
Why?[]
Literature and informational texts are an important way that students come to understand the world, and their place in it. As educators, we believe that all students should be exposed to a wide variety of 'multicultural' texts, an umbrella term we use to label books that represent a wide range of cultural, linguistic, racial/ethnic, and national identities. All students, particularly those from minority communities, should encounter texts in school that represent their experiences, in addition to texts that open new horizons for them as readers.
This list offers suggestions of high quality multicultural texts, in addition to ways that these texts can be used in a classroom to support student growth. With particular attention to the needs of English Learners (ELs) we have offered some ways to use these texts including instructional approaches, interdisciplinary connections, and vocabulary. These suggestions are intended to be starting points to generate ideas, rather than explicit road maps for how you might use these books in the classroom.
How to Contribute[]
This list is a ongoing work in progress. Suggestions and ideas to improve the list are always welcome! An entry template is provided here, which can be used as a basic guide to adding books to the list.
Teachers: Please use the forum or contact us via the Google Form to make suggestions of book titles, or ways that you have used multi-cultural books in your classroom. (Google Form Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lmMA2PoEiU53JwGuB3o6Tk4lnz2_TBaNVh_ZvOdwZTw/viewform)
Parents/Families: Please use the forum or contact us via Google Forms to make suggestions or recommendations for the list. In the 'FORUM' there is also a board for families to communicate about particular books and ideas for how to use books at home. (Google Forms Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lmMA2PoEiU53JwGuB3o6Tk4lnz2_TBaNVh_ZvOdwZTw/viewform)
Current Booklist[]
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Grade Levels | Guided Reading | Lexile Level | Genre | Identity Group | Themes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becoming Naomi Leon | Munoz Ryan, Pam | N/A | 4-7 | V | 830 | Realistic Fiction | Latino, Mex-Am, Mexican, Biracial | Family, Challenge and Triumph, Identity, Abuse/Neglect |
| Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People | Brown, Monica | Paschkis, Julie | 1-5 | N/A | N/A | Biography, Informational | Latino, Chile | Poetry, Social Justice, Inspiration, Creativity, Bravery |
| Tar Beach | Ringgold, Faith | Ringgold, Faith | 1-5 | N/A | 790 | Fiction | African-American, Native American | Social Justice, Social Change |
| Tomás and The Library Lady | Mora, Pat | Colón, Raul | K-3 | N/A | N/A | Realistic Fiction | Mexican Americans, Migrant Workers | The Importance of Literacy, Family, Social Change |
| The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963 | Curtis, Christopher Paul | N/A | 4-8 | U | 1000 | Historical Fiction | African-American | Family, Civil Rights, Bullying, Violence, Humor, Challenge and Triumph |
| Wisdom Tales from Around the World | Heather Forest | N/A | K-8 | T | 840 | Folktales, Fiction | Various cultures | Traditions, Morals, Fairness, Respect |
| Witness | Karen Hesse | N/A | 5-8 | V/W | N/A | Historical Fiction | African American, Jewish | Racism, community, prejudice, perspectives |
| Four Feet, Two Sandals | Karen Lynn Williams | Doug Chayka | 2-4 | N/A | 620 | Fiction, Picture Books | Afghanistan, Refugee, Middle East | Friendship, Sharing, Refugees,Separation, Challenge and Triumph, Uncertainty, Problem Solving |
| La Causa: The Migrant Farmworker’s Story | Catharine de Ruiz, Diane & Larios, Richard | Gutierrez, Rudy | 4-7 | U | N/A | Non-fiction | Migrant Workers, Latino, Mexican-American | Social Justice, Non-Violent Protest, Social Change |