Multicultural Literature by Erin Ballentine

What is multicultural literature?

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:22:27 UTC

"Broadly defined, multicultural literature includes literature about people who are considered outside of the mainstream of society and have been in some manner marginalized. This definition would include people from diverse cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. In addition, it encompasses issues on gender, sexual orientation and disabilities"(Yokoto, 2001).

diversebooks.org

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:28:06 UTC

Diverse Book Finder

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:29:28 UTC

Scholastic Diverse Resources

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:30:37 UTC

Social Justice Books

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:31:32 UTC

The Children's Book Council

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:32:16 UTC

neaToday

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:33:59 UTC

School Library Journal

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:35:53 UTC

Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:39:33 UTC

Priya lives in the United States and her family is from India. She feels the magic of the place her family comes from through her Babi Ba's colorful descriptions of India--from the warm smell of spices to the swish-swish sound of a rustling sari. Together, Priya and Babi Ba make their heritage live on through the traditions that they infuse into their everyday lives.

Read Aloud and Activity: https://www.thirteen.org/programs/lets-learn/priya-dreams-marigolds-and-masala-english-captions-v1pvb0/

Aru Shah and the End of Time

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:45:43 UTC

Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur? One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again. But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them. The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

Educator's Guide: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.scholastic.com/rickriordanpresents/pdfs/Aru_Shah_and_the_End_of_Time_Educator_s_Guide.pdf

Mission Mumbai

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:47:52 UTC

Dylan, an aspiring photographer, is spending a month in Mumbai with his friend Rohit Lal and his family, but knowing nothing of Indian culture, he cannot seem to do anything right (do not hit cows!)--and the situation is made worse by the tensions within the Lal family over whether Rohit should be raised in India, which Mr. Lal's wealthy sister is pushing for.

Fun Quiz for Students: https://www.scholastic.ca/books/activityzone/quizzes/missionmumbai.php

Malala, a Brave Girl From Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy From Pakistan

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:53:17 UTC

A lushly illustrated picture-book biography of two young Pakistani heroes, Malala Yousafzai and Iqbal Masih, from acclaimed nonfiction author/illustrator Jeanette Winter"--
"Two stories of bravery in one beautiful book! Meet two brave young heroes of Pakistan who stood up for the right to freedom and education in this inspirational nonfiction picture book from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter. One country: Pakistan. Two children: Iqbal Masih and Malala Yousafzai. Each was unafraid to speak out. He, against inhumane child slavery in the carpet trade. She, for the right of girls to attend school. Both were shot by those who disagreed with them--he in 1995, she in 2012. Iqbal was killed instantly; Malala miraculously survived and continues to speak out around the world. The stories of these two courageous children whose bravery transcended their youth are an inspiration to all.

Pre-Made Lesson Plan: https://highlandliteracy.com/2017/12/14/malala-and-iqbal-lesson-plan/

My Dadima Wears a Sari

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 12:59:41 UTC

Two young sisters raised in America learn about the beauty and art of wearing a sari from their wise Indian grandmother. Includes instructions on wrapping a sari.

Video on How to Wear a Sari: https://youtu.be/dxyyplADV5o?si=Bu7pySNf6UzKsfMA

Areli is a Dreamer

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 13:07:45 UTC

Areli is a Dreamer by Areli Morales tells the compelling story of Areli’s experience immigrating to the United States from Mexico as a young child. Through muted color schemes, Colombian illustrator Luisa Uribe encapsulates Areli’s sometimes playful and other times poignant upbringing. From the depiction of her grandmother’s house in Mexico to the bustling streets of New York, the illustrations throughout the book positively impact the telling of Areli’s story. Uribe does a wonderful job engaging readers with the book and demonstrating the differences in culture and setting between the two worlds Areli exists in. For example, readers see her hugging the chickens goodbye in Mexico and in another illustration observing the colorful fireworks during the fourth of July in New York City.

Resources for Teaching: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/book-of-the-month-areli-is-a-dreamer.pdf

Islandborn

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 13:10:04 UTC

“Every kid in Lola’s school was from somewhere else,” the book opens. “Hers was the school of faraway places.” Lola was brought to the United States as a baby, therefore she has no memories from the island. When her teacher asks the class to draw a picture of “the country you were originally from, your first country,” Lola asks family and friends in the neighborhood what they remember most about the country where she was born. The stories paint a picture of life on the island and the forces that led her family to leave such a wonderful place. Leo Espinosa’s illustrations of people beautifully affirm a range of skin colors and Afro-Latinx identity.

SEL Lesson: https://seldallas.org/unit-16-skill-building-island-born/

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 13:11:46 UTC

Quintero’s picture-book text acts as an evocative love letter to her apá and to the interconnected web of Mexican immigrant working-class people who built her hometown of Corona, California. When Papi gets home from work, young Daisy jumps into his arms for a hug (the warmth of his body language expressing “all the love he has trouble saying”), then grabs their helmets, eager to zoom through their neighborhood on Papi’s speedy blue motorcycle before the sun goes down. Peña’s joyous digital and hand-painted watercolor illustrations capture the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and “redbluegreenorangepink” colors of the town.

Downloadable Activities: https://www.penguinclassroom.com/books/my-papi-has-a-motorcycle/

My Two Border Towns

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 13:14:38 UTC

Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to The Other Side/El Otro Lado. It's close--just down the street from his school--and it's a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they're greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.

Teaching Guide: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/teachers_guides/9780593111048.pdf?_gl=1*smrhb*_gcl_au*MjA0MjcyMzk0Ni4xNzUxODk0MDIy

Separate is Never Equal

ering_ballentine — 2025-07-07 13:18:40 UTC

A 2015 Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book and a 2015 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.

Educator's Guide: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://laii.unm.edu/info/k-12-educators/assets/documents/literature-guides/separate-is-never-equal-educators-guide.pdf