Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
“When someone with the authority of a teacher, say, describes the world and you are not in it, there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked into a mirror and saw nothing.”
– Adrienne Rich
Mrs. Kathy Patten / Dr. Dorothy Valcarcel
Craig
Associate Professors
Educational Leadership
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132 kpatten@mtsu.edu dvcraig@mtsu.edu

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027


Why Use Multicultural Literature?
Identity, Acceptance, Independence
Validation
Heart in Two Cultures
Empathy and Understanding
Looking carefully and critically
Ways to Judge
Cultural Styles
Awards
Books and Activities
A lesson with a multicultural book
Celebrations
Source of Materials
Publishers and distributors
MTSU’s ESL Enterprise Grant site http://www.mtsu.edu/eslep
"When I was a child, the teacher read, 'Once upon a time, there were five
Chinese brothers and they all looked exactly alike'...Cautiously the pairs of eyes stole a quick glance back. I, the child, looked down to the floor...
"The teacher turned the book our way: bilious yellow skin, slanted slit eyes.
Not only were the brothers look-alikes, but so were all the other characters!...Quickly again all eyes flashed back at me...I sank into my seat."
(Aoki, 1981, p.382)

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
Thinking points: o Culture vs. race vs. mainstream? o Appearance (skin color, hair texture, etc.) based? o One group only represented or multiracial acceptable? o Interface among races present? o Heritage included rather than just color of skin? o Which cultures merit attention? o Special unit vs. all the time? o Focus on one or just mix all together? o Diversity rather than culture focus?
It can be all of these. The only thing I know is to use them all of the time in all of their formats so that students are accustomed to seeing themselves (and others not like them) in the settings and situations common to all of us.
Bookjackets from www.amazon.com
from the following books:
In my family, Carme Lopez Garza, Children’s Press, 2000.
Tea with Milk, Allen Say, Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Special People, Special Ways by Arlene Maguire and Sheila Bailey, Future Horizons, 2000.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
If the world is a village of 100 people,

-

Identity, Acceptance, Independence
61 are from Asia
12 are from Europe
8 are from South America
Validation  5 are from the U.S. and Canada
Heart in Two Cultures  1 is from Oceania
Smith, David J. If the World Were a Village. Kids Can, 2002.
Empathy and Understanding
: As children mature, they seek to find their “place in the world”. Who they are, why they are here, what makes them special, what they have in common with everyone else, etc. They are seeking an identity of their own, but grounded in the identity of the familiar, which is usually their ethnic heritage and home language. It is an essential part of them and needs to be preserved and retained as part of their
“themness”. Not as it was for their parents, but as it is for their reality. Literature from their heritage is an affirmation of this part of their identity. It is not their whole being, but a part to be cherished and melded with the second language, it is the heritage to come. Literature from traditions other than their own is also an affirmation for them. It tells the child that it is not only all right to be different, but it is positive to be different. It is differences that generate tolerance, empathy, understanding, kindness, and delight in the world.
: Use of heritage-based literature makes all students more accepting of the variety of heritage possibilities. The ethnocentricity of a group can be overcome. Children will realize that artificial boundaries separate and bring about intolerance. The idea that one’s culture is unacceptable is unacceptable if a child is exposed to the wide variety of possible societies.
: Children seem to seek independence as soon as they can walk and talk! How can it be that multicultural literature would foster independence when it is based on the adult’s ethnic tradition? The opportunity to study all cultures, not just one’s own, makes one independent of the conventional labels of heritages. The child reads about other children in other cultures, s/he sees the differences, but sees more than that, s/he sees the similarities and thus has an independent view of other cultures and her/his own culture. It is not the same view as the adults, it is a new formulation. Existing information must be reconciled with the new information—and a new attitude towards culture is crafted.
: when you read about yourself in common situations, as if it is no big deal to see yourself in a book, you are reassured that you are not weird or odd or alone. It’s as simple as that!
: this is not negative! So you like two cultures, you regard yourself as part of two heritages--this is wonderful! Many immigrant children choose to reject their heritage culture in own to fit in with the majority crowd. Teachers should try to extinguish this tendency with a good squirt of recreational reading with characters, situations, and language from the culture. Foster their love for the adopted heritage with explanation, illustration, and participation and kindle the existing love for the birth heritage with the same tools. Literature engenders literacy and literacy in two languages is to be admired.
Background knowledge and familiar experiences helps students to integrate new information into their “knowledge space” in a meaningful and retentive way. True comprehension is much easier to attain with authentic texts, meaning that children can see themselves in the book.
: Children don’t need to be explicitly told that difference is valuable if they see it in the literature that they enjoy. To encourage empathy for others is done, not by didactic explanation, but by subtle, pervasive clues. Seeing other heritages, geographies, activities in everyday settings and seeing them in the literature as the “usual” rather than the curious, is more powerful than any formal lesson. Choose books that represent the four types of multicultural literature and you will be the vehicle they ride to appreciation and understanding of others.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
Each of these has a contribution to make to your knowledge base.
Author / Title
Day, Frances Ann.
Multicultural voices in contemporary literature , 1994
Codell, Esme. Educating Esmé
1999.
Corliss, Julia.
Crossing borders with literature of diversity . 1998.
ESL standards for PreK-12 students
Note
Arranged by multi authors with brief ideas for their books
Teacher turned librarian. Anecdotal solutions to student struggles.
Sound annotated booklist with chapters on using and selecting.
Not overwhelming like some lists.
Gaughn, John. reflections
Gay, Geneva. promise
Children of
. 1991
Cultural
. 1997.
Igoa, Cristina. The inner world of the immigrant child .
1995.
The “bible” If you’re doing something in your ESL teaching and can’t find a reason in this book, stop doing it! You’re focusing on the wrong things.
Middle or High school. Teaching lit drawings upon each student’s cultural context.
Basic ideas for incorporating real learning into a literature – based classroom.
Important information giving insight into the lives and feelings of immigrant children.
Kottler, Ellen.
Children with limited English.
2001.
Miller, Pat. Multicultural activities : Library Lessons.
2003.
Norton, Donna. Multicultural children’s literature.
2001.
Sadler, Norma. Multicultural connections . 2002.
Strategies, background. Simple intro.
The lesson themes include: a global community, school, immigration, values, work and play and celebration.
Textbook so is inclusive and overview. Great resource!
English classroom focus. Moves through each topic of novel critique—theme, plot, etc. using mc lit.
Massive bibliography arranged by country of origin.
Schon, Isabel. The best of the Latino heritage . 1997
Steiner, Stan. Promoting a global community through multicultural literature.
2001.
Thomas, Rebecca L.
Connecting culture s. 1996.
York, Sherry.
Picture books by Latino writers.
2003.
Great resource for ideas and some overview.
Another comprehensive listing of materials. All and subject, author, and title indexes.
Nice list of materials with annotations and uses.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
17 would speak Chinese, 9 English, 8 Hindi and Urdu, 6
Spanish, 6 Russian, and 4 would speak Arabic. That would account for half the village. The other half would speak Bengal, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese,
German, French, or some other language . From If the world were a village of 100 people C. Douglas Lummis at http://pratyeka.org/library/text/100people.html

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
Ways to Judge
Awards
The Council on Interracial Books for Children brochure oth in school and out children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These
B their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about minorities and women are accepted as reality. It is difficult for a librarian or teacher to convince children to question society's attitudes. But if a child can be shown how to detect racism and sexism in a book, the child can proceed to transfer the perception to wider areas. The following ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluation children's books from this perspective.
1. Check the Illustrations
Look for Stereotypes.
A stereotype is an over-simplified generalization about a particular group, race or sex, which usually carries derogatory implications. Some infamous
(overt) stereotypes of blacks are the happy-go-lucky, watermelon-eating Sambo and the fat, eye-rolling
"mammy"; of Chicanos, the sombrero-wearing peon or fiesta-loving, macho bandito; of Asian Americans, the inscrutable, slant-eyed "Oriental"; of Native Americans, the naked savage or "primitive brave" and his "squaw"; of Puerto Ricans, the switchbladetoting teenage gang member; of women, the completely domesticated mother, the demure, doll-loving little girl or the wicked stepmother. While you may not always find stereotypes in the blatant forms described, look for variations that in any way demean or ridicule characters because of their race or sex.
Look for Tokenism . If there are racial minority characters in the illustrations, do they look just like whites except for being tinted or colored in? Do all minority faces look stereotypically alike, or are they depicted as genuine individuals with distinctive features?
Who's Doing What?
Do the illustrations depict minorities in subservient and passive roles or in leadership and action roles? Are males the active "doers" and females the inactive observers?

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
2. Check the Story Line
Liberation movements have led publishers to weed out many insulting passages, particularly from stories with Black themes and from books depicting female characters; however, racist and sexist attitudes still find expression in less obvious ways. The following checklist suggests some of the subtle (covert) form of bias to watch for.
Standards for Success . Does it take "white" behavior standards for a minority person to
"get ahead"? Is "making it" in the dominant white society projected as the only ideal? To gain acceptance and approval, do persons of color have to exhibit extraordinary qualities
- excel in sports, get As, etc.? In friendships between white and non-white children, is it the child of color who does most of the understanding and forgiving?
Resolution of Problems.
How are problems presented, conceived and resolved in the story? Are minority people considered to be "the problem"? Are the oppressions faced by minorities and women represented as related to social injustice? Are the reasons for poverty and oppression explained, or are they accepted as inevitable? Does the story line encourage passive acceptance or active resistance? Is a particular problem that is faced by a racial minority person or female resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person or male?
Role of Women.
Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their good looks or to their relationship with boys?
Are sex roles incidental or critical to characterization and plot? could the same story be told if the sex roles were reversed?
3. Look at the Lifestyles
Are minority persons and their setting depicted in such a way that they contrast unfavorably with the unstated norm of white middle-class suburbia?
If the minority group in question is depicted as "different", are negative value judgments implied? Are minorities depicted exclusively in ghettos, barrios, or migrant camps? If the illustrations and text attempt to depict another culture, do they go beyond over-simplifications and offer genuine insight into another lifestyle? Look for inaccuracy and inappropriateness in the depiction of other cultures. Watch for instances of the "quaint-natives-in-costume" syndrome (most noticeable in areas like clothing and custom, but extending to behavior and personality traits as well).

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
4. Weigh the Relationships Between People
Do the whites in the story possess the power, take the leadership, and make the important decisions? Do racial minorities and females of all races function in essentially supporting roles? How are family relationships depicted? In Black families, is the mother always dominant? In Hispanic families, are there always lots of children? If the family is separated, are societal conditions - unemployment, poverty, for example - cited among the reasons for the separation?
5. Note the Heroes
For many years, books showed only "safe" minority heroes - those who avoided serious conflict with the white establishment of their time. Minority groups today are insisting on the right to define their own heroes (of both sexes) based on their own concepts and struggles for justice.
When minority heroes do appear, are they admired for the same qualities that have made white heroes famous or because what they have done has benefited white people? Ask this question: "Whose interest is a particular hero really serving?"
6. Consider the Effect on a Child's Self-Image
Are norms established which limit any child's aspirations and self-concept? What effect can it have on images of the color white as the ultimate in beauty, cleanliness, virtue, etc., and the color black as evil, dirty, menacing, etc.? Does the book counteract or reinforce this positive association with the color white and negative association with black?
What happens to a girl's self-image when she reads that boys perform all of the brave and important deeds? What about a girl's self-esteem if she is not "fair" of skin and slim of body?
In a particular story, are there one or more persons with whom a minority child can readily identify to a positive and constructive end?
7. Consider the Author's or Illustrator's Background
Analyze the biographical material on the jacket flap or the back of the book. If a story deals with a minority theme, what qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the author and illustrator are not members of the minority being written about, is there anything in their background that would specifically recommend them as the creators of this book?
8. Check Out the Author's Perspective
No author can be wholly objective. All authors write out of a cultural, as well as a personal context. Children's books in the past have traditionally come from authors who were white and who were members of the middle class, with one result being that a single ethnocentric perspective has dominated children's literature in the United States. With any book in question, read carefully to determine whether the direction of the author's

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027 perspective substantially weakens or strengthens the value of his/her written work. Is the perspective patriarchal or feminist? is it solely Eurocentric, or do minority cultural perspectives also appear?
9. Watch for Loaded Words
A word is loaded when it has insulting overtones. Examples of loaded adjectives (usually racist) are "savage," "primitive," "lazy," "superstitious," "treacherous," "wily," "crafty,"
"inscrutable," "docile," and "backward"."
Look for sexist language and adjectives that exclude or ridicule women. Look for use of the male pronoun to refer to both males and females. While the generic use of the word
"man" was accepted in the past, its use today is outmoded. The following examples show how sexist language can be avoided: ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman; community instead of brotherhood; firefighters instead of firemen; manufactured instead of manmade; the human family instead of the family of man.
10. Look at the Copyright Date
Books on minority themes - usually hastily conceived - suddenly began appearing in the mid-1960s. There followed a growing number of 'minority experience" books to meet the new market demand, but most of these were still written by the white authors, edited by white editors and published by white publishers. They therefore reflected a white point of view. Not until the early 1970s has the children's book world begun to even remotely reflect the realities of a multiracial society. The new direction resulted from the emergence of minority authors writing about their own experiences. Unfortunately, this trend has been reversing, as publishers have cut back on such books. Non-sexist books, with rare exceptions, were not published before 1973.
The copyright dates, therefore, can be a clue as to how likely the book is to be overtly racist or sexist, although a recent copyright date, of course, is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity. The copyright date only means the year the book was published.
It usually takes about two years from the time a manuscript is submitted to the publisher to the time it is actually printed and put on the market. This time lag meant very little in the past, but in a time of rapid change and changing consciousness, when children's book publishing is attempting to be "relevant," it is becoming increasingly significant.
The bottom line, is

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
:
There are major awards given that are based not only on the quality of the item, but on it’s author’s heritage and the book’s theme.
These can be a starting place for you when seeking a book from these cultures. However, don’t think that other excellent books don’t exist! Also, these awards do not help lead to quality items for all cultures. You must learn to critique for yourself.
Pura Belpré – “ The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for
Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) and the
National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-
Speaking ( REFORMA ), an ALA Affiliate.
The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian from the New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and author, she enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the
U.S.A. through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.
The awards are given biennially.” From www.ala.org
Américas Award – “The Américas Award is given in recognition of
U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction
(from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the
United States.” http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLACS/outreach_americas.html
.
Coretta Scott King Award -- given every year by the American Library
Association for African American work. Award books and honor books for both narrative and illustration.
Mildred Batchelder Award – “…awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United
States. ALSC gives the award to encourage American publishers to seek out superior children's books abroad and to promote communication among the peoples of the world.” http://www.ala.org/alsc

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
What follows is a very selective list of books that are high quality and have much to offer in the way of discussion and cross curriculuar application. There are numerous lists in the sources cited above. Web sites such as www.oyate.org offer many items that are culturally authentic.
Multicultural Faces
Kindersley, barnabas & anabel
Rohmer, harriet
Simon, norma
Burns, margy
Lester, Julius
Hispanic
Aardema, verna
Geeslin, campbell
Horenstein, henry
Krupp, robin rector
Madrigal, antonio hernandez
Soto, gary
Soto, gary
Soto, gary
Wing, natasha
Winter, jeanette
Dorros, arthur
Jaffe, nine
Johnston, tony
Ancona, george
Ancona, george
Native American
Davidson, A..M.
Depaola, tomie
Mikaelsen, ben
Tapahonso, luci
Bruchac, joseph
Bruchac, joseph
Santiago, chiori
African American
Polacco, patricia
Myers, walter dean
Woodson, jacqueline
Children just like me
Honoring our ancestors
All kinds of children
Talking Walls
Let’s Talk About Race
Borreguita and the coyote
On ramon's farm
Baseball in the barrios
Let's go traveling in Mexico
Brandi's braids
Chato's kitchen
Baseball in April
The cat's meow
Jalapeno bagels
Diego
Isla
Golden flower
Day of the dead
Barrio: Jose’s neighborhood
Harvest
The Spirit Line
The legend of the bluebonnet
Touching spirit bear
Byron through the seasons
Songs of Shiprock Fair
Bowman’s store
Crazy Horse’s vision
Home to Medicine Mountain
Pink and Say
Monster
Miracle’s Boys
1995
1999
1999
1996
1991
1995
1995
2002
1998
2001
1994
1998
1997
1996
1999
1995
1990
1987
2004
1983
2001
1990
1999
2001
2000
2002
1994
1999
2000

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
Wolff, virginia euwer
Mitchell, margaree king
Cosotain, meredith
Havill, juanita
Hoffman, mary
Igus, toyomi
Marzollo, jean
Medearis, angela shelf
Asian American
Rishankar, anushka
Say, allen
Say, allen
Corer, eleanor
Knight, margy burns
Koja, kathe.
Mak, kam
Recorvits, helen
Takabayashi, mari
Wells, rosemary
Arab American
Bannerman, helen
Khan, fuchsine
Nye, naomi shihab
Nye, naomi shihab
Winter, jeanette
InterRacial
Igus, toyomi
Tallchief, maria & rosemary wells.
Adoff, arnold
True Believer
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop
Mom's secret
Jamaica's find
Boundless grace & Amazing Grace
I see the rhythm
Happy birthday martin luther king
Big mama and grandma Ghana
Tiger on a tree
Tea with Milk
Grandfather’s Journey
Sadako and the thousand Cranes
Who belongs here?
Buddha Boy
My Chinatown
My name is Yoon
I live in Tokyo
Yoko's paper cranes
The story of little Babaji
Ruler of the courtyard
19 varieties of gazelle
Sitti’s secrets
The Librarian of Basra
The Two Mrs. Gibsons
Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina.
Black is Brown is Tan .
1996
2003
2002
1994
2005
1994
1999
1973
2004
1999
1993
1977
1993
2004
2002
2003
2001
2001
2001
1993
1997
1986
1995
1998
1993
1994

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
The list of characteristics is very general;
Do not create stereotypes with these lists!
— Countries of Origin for Spanish Speakers
Argentina
Venezuela
Mexico
Paraguay
Cuba
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Nicaragua
Peru
Chile
Honduras
Bolivia
Guatemala
Panama
Puerto Rico
El Salvador
Guinea Equatorial
Uruguay
Remember, these are broad and may not include values from one or more of the possible
Hispanic cultures
-
-
-
-
Integration of religious beliefs into daily life
Extended family including godparents as extremely important
Mutual cooperation
Polite
Conservative
Respectful (especially towards teachers)
Respect for elderly
Respect for personal attribute of cleverness
Wasting time is punished
Greed and evil actions are punished
— Languages of Asia
Learning Implications

Learns by doing
 Sensitive to others’ opinions

Will not challenge authority

Concrete rather than abstract

Prefers quiet environment

Places value on group activity

Extrinsic motivation will appeal
Japan has 15 living languages. China has 201 living languages. Taiwan has 22 living languages. Iraq has 23, Afghanistan has 45. Vietnam has 93, Laos has 82. You get the picture. Any of the children in your class may speak one of these languages and be a part
-
-
-
of the culture represented by these languages.
Remember, these are broad and may not include values from one or more of the possible
Asian cultures
Respect for ancestors
Filial duty, includes to emperor as well as family
Family hierarchy is important
Duty
Persistence and endurance
Emphasis on children’s education
Community is primary concern
Cooperation
Interrelatedness
Learning Implications

Conforms to group norms

Listens more than speak

Will not challenge authority

Prefers well-structured environment

Prefers quiet environment

Places value on group over individual success (China and Japan are more competitive)

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
— Tribes of North America
There are 9 culture areas— the subarctic, the Northwest Coast, California, the western
Plateau, the western Great Basin, the Southwest, the Plains, the Eastern Woodlands, and the Southeast (according to Encyclopedia Britannica). Culture areas are defined as geographical regions that contain groups of people with the same cultural characteristics.
Therefore, a tribe from the Great Basin region may not have the same cultural values as a tribe from California. Here is the list of tribes from just the New Southwest:
Acoma Indians
Havasupai Indians
Isleta Indians
Keresan Indians
Mohave Indians
Qahatika Indians
Apache Indians
Hopi Indians
Jemez Indians
Laguna Indians
Navajo Indians
Taos Indians
Cochiti Indians
Hualapai Indians
Jicarilla Indians
Maricopa Indians
Pima Indians
Tewa Indians
-
-
-
-
Tigua Indians
White Mountain Apache Indian
Tohono O'Odham Indians
Yavapai Indians
Yuma Indians
Zuñi Indians
Tribe
Remember these are broad and may not include values from one or more of the possible tribal cultures
Harmony with nature
Oral tradition is valuable
Knowledge of elderly people should be valued
Passing on cultural and tribal beliefs
Honor, but not pride
Unselfishness
Tribal identification
Learning Implications

Learns privately

Visual, spatial rather than verbal

Generalist

Small group work

Mental images help retention of content

Modeling important
When evaluating materials, ask these questions about the minority characters:
Poverty portrayed as common condition?
Problems solved by learning English?
Problems solved by protagonist or by intervention by Anglo Americans?
Cultural information accurate depending upon geographical origin of speaker?
Language free from derogatory terms?
Dialects as part of story and not stereotype?
Native words correctly spelled, accented, used?
Sources to use:
Culture and Learning.
Educational Research Service, 2003.
William Hart. Never Fade Away. Fithian Press, 2002.
Patricia L. Marshall. Cultural Diversity in Our Schools. Wadsworth, 2001.
Donna E. Norton,
Multicultural Children’s Literature,
Prentice Hall 2001.
Ilan Stavans. The Hispanic Condition. Harpercollins, 1994.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
EVERY CHILD SHOULD KNOW
Compiled by Ginny Moore Kruse and Kathleen T. Horning
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Preschool
What a Wonderful World . Written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele.
Atheneum, 1995. (Multi-ethnic)
One Afternoon . Orchard, 1994. (Asian Pacific American)
Elivia. Holt, 1994. (Latino)
Grandmother's Nursery Rhymes / Las nanas de abuelita . Illustrated by
Margaret and Margarita/Margarita y Margaret . Greenwillow, 1993. (Latino)
Baby Says . Lothrop, 1988 (African American)
I Love My Hair!
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. Little Brown, 1998. (African
American)
Baby Rattlesnake . Illustrated by Mira Reisberg. Children's Book Press, 1989. (American
Indian)
You Are My Perfect Baby . Illustrated by Nneka Bennett. HarperCollins, 1999.
(African American)
Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes . Illustrated by Grace Lin. Chronicle, 2000.
(Asian Pacific American)
Where Did You Get Your Moccasins?
Illustrated by Herman Bekkering. Peguis,
1986. (American Indian)
More, More, More, Said the Baby: Three Love Stories . Greenwillow, 1990.
(Multi-ethnic)
Do You Know What I'll Do?
Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. HarperCollins, 2000.
(African American)
Ages 5-7
Drumbeat... Heartbeat: A Celebration of the Powwow . Lerner, 1995. (American
Indian)
Grandfather Counts . Illustrated by Ange Zhang. Lee & Low, 2000. (Asian Pacific
American)
Halmoni and the Picnic . Illustrated by Karen M. Dugan. Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
(Asian Pacific American)
Hairs / Pelitos
. Illustrated by Terry Ybáñez. Knopf, 1994. (Latino)
Abuela . Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Dutton, 1991.(Latino)
Honey, I Love, and Other Poems.
Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Harper,
1978. (African American)
The Good Luck Cat . Illustrated by Paul Lee. Harcourt, 2000. (American Indian)
American)
Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children . Photographs by Myles C.
Pinkney. Scholastic, 2000. (African American)
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message . Illustrated by Erwin
Printup, Jr. Lee & Low, 1995. (American Indian)
Morning on the Lake . Illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Kids Can Press, 1998.
(American Indian)
Celebrating Families . Scholastic, 1997. (Multi-ethnic)
Mirandy and Brother Wind . Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Knopf, 1988. (African
Ages 7-9
My Name Is Maria Isabel . Atheneum, 1993. (Latino)
From the Bellybutton of the Moon, and Other Summer Poems / Del ombligo de la luna, y otros poemas de verano . Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children's Book Press,
1998. (Latino)

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
Golden Tales: Myths, Legends and Folktales from Latin America . Scholastic, 1996.
(Latino)
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales . Illustrated by Leo and Diane
Dillon. Knopf, 1985. (African American)
Minfong. Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty . Illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. Lothrop, 1996. (Asian Pacific)
John Henry . Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial, 1994. (African American)
Baseball Saved Us . Illustrated by Dom Lee. Lee & Low, 1993. (Asian Pacific
American)
Wings . Scholastic, 2000. (African American)
The People Shall Continue . Illustrated by Sharol Graves. Children's Book Press, 1988.
(American Indian)
Tar Beach . Crown, 1991. (African American)
What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know about Horses?
Illustrated by
George Littlechild. Children's Book Press, 1998. (American Indian)
Mildred Pitts. Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World . Lothrop, 1998. (African American)
Ages 9-12
Through My Eyes . Scholastic, 1999. (African American)
American Indian Animal Stories . Fulcrum, 1992. (American Indian)
Bud, Not Buddy . Delacorte, 1999. (African American)
The Birchbark House . Hyperion, 1999. (American Indian)
The Journey: Japanese Americans, Racism and Renewal . Orchard, 1990. (Asian
Pacific American)
Oh, Freedom! Kids Talk About the Civil Rights Movement with the People Who Made It Happen . Knopf, 1997 (Multi-ethnic)
Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia . Children's Book Press, 1990. (Latino)
Now Is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom .
HarperCollins, 1992. (African American)
The Tree Is Older Than You Are . Simon & Schuster, 1995. (Latino) uñoz. Esperanza Rising . Scholastic, 2000. (Latino)
Quilted Landscape: Conversations with Young Immigrants . Simon & Schuster, 1996.
(Multi-ethnic)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry . Dial, 1976. (African American)
Laurence. The Rainbow People . HarperCollins, 1989. (Asian Pacific American)
The Friends . Farrar Straus Giroux, 1996. (Asian Pacific)
Revised and updated January 2001.
© 2001 Cooperative Children's Book Center
This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved from http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/50mult.htm#repro on July 19, 2003

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37027
Toot! Toot!
Let’s go to the house of Abuela / Grandma / бабушка / großmutter / bestemor / avó etc.
Level : B/I
Objectives :
Tennessee Curriculum Frameworks
Reading : Content Standard: 1.0 The student will develop the reading and listening skills necessary for word recognition, comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and appreciation of print and nonprint text.
Math : Content Standard 4.0
The student will become familiar with the units and processes of measurement in order to use a variety of tools, techniques, and formulas to determine and to estimate measurements in mathematical and real-world problems.
The ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students
Goal 2, Standard 2
To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information in spoken and written form
Concepts in the book:
Travel, train, farm, household furnishings, family, geography of NJ to FL
Goals :

TLW pronounce and understand the meaning of the vocabulary list chosen from the book
Grandma
Conductor
Train
Catalogs
Washstand
Tiptoe
Syrup
Worms
Cane pulp
Horse
Wagon
Sewing machine
Bicycle
Dipper
Chicken and chicken coop
Shed
Wigglers
Fishing
Stable
Barn
Fireplace
Record player
Pump
Turkey
Pond
Boat
Kerosene lamps Toolshed

TLW identify the household elements and the farm elements in the story.

TLW locate on the map of the U.S. and measure the distance between the two places.

TLW relate distance and speed to time.

TLW will understand the concept of journey by creating a journal of their experience with a journey.

TLW understand the concept of compound words.

TLW understand family relationships.
Additional Read Alouds:
Grandaddy’s Place by Helen V. Griffith, Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats, The Animals of Maplewood
Farm by the Provensons, On Ramon’s Farm by Campbell Geeslin, The OxCart Man by Barbara Cooney,
Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen, Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney, Mapping Penny’s World by Loreen
Leedy, This train by Paul Collicott, Seymour Simons’ Book of Trains.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Activities :
 Use prereading strategies to introduce Donald Crews’ Bigmama’s
Show book cover, title page, talk about journeys, trips, travel, trains
Use Crews’ Freight Train to introduce the concept of train

Read the story
Language arts:
Journey:
Bigmama’s by Donald
Crews. Harper Trophy,
1998. 0688158420
TLW list the things that Donald looked for when he first arrived at
Bigmama’s.
TLW list the things that they look for when they first arrive at a familiar place.
TLW make a journal entry about their trip.
TLW relate a journey that they have experienced to a partner. The partner will tell the story to the class.
Vocabulary:
TLW list the things that are in the house and the things that are on the farm. Each word should be pronounced and defined in a vocabulary journal.
TLW create an alphabet page using the vocabulary words. The class can complete two books for each of the areas in Crews’ book (farm/house).
Elements:
Brainstorm and list on the board all of the elements in the book that relate to farm or house. Provide a starter list: Porch, hall, clock, lamp, sewing machine, etc. TLW will use the pictures and words to provide the list. TLW will create a two column list of these elements.
Compound Words:
Explain or review compound words. Give examples and have the class find all the compound words in the story.
Have the students work in small groups to find all items in the classroom that are compound words.
Create puzzle pieces with each half containing half of the compound word. Students will try to find the match to their card from among their classmates. They can use this phrase to search, “My word is ______. What is your word? Let’s say them together.”
Art and Writing:
Sequencing:
The class will create a chart of all the activities at Bigmama’s. TLW will work with another student to create a picture of one of the activities. A sentence or two should be written about the illustration. The class will then sequence the activities to match the sequence in the book.
Family Tree:
Draw a tree on the board and have the class contribute the people in the book. TTW place the people in the correct place on the tree. TTW identify the relationships and the terminology for each person.
TLW create a list of people in their family and then use the tree pattern to create their own family tree.
Math:
Measuring:
TLW use a map of the united states to measure the distance between Newark, New Jersey and Florida (about 1200 m)

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
TLW estimate the time it would take to travel the distance by train. TTW provide train information regarding speed (mph).
Goals:

Cooperative learning

Research skills

Knowledge of other places and culture
Objectives and Assessment Tools:

TLW will show knowledge of his/her own culture by producing the map and providing expert knowledge to the other students (rubric, self, and teacher observation)

TLW will show knowledge of another culture by a presentation (rubric)

TLW will show cooperative learning skills by working with others to study cultures and prepare a presentation (Self and peer assessment, teacher observation)
ESL stand a rds:
Goal 1, Standard 1
To use English to communicate in social settings: Students will use English to participate in social interactions
Goal 2, Standard 1
To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use English to interact in the classroom
Goal 2, Standard 2
To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information in spoken and written form.
Goal 3, Standard 1
To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways: Students will use the appropriate language variety, register, and genre according to audience, purpose, and setting.
Tennessee Curriculum Standards
5 th grade Social Studies
Content Standard: 1.0
Culture encompasses similarities and differences among people including their beliefs, knowledge, changes, values, and traditions. Students will explore these elements of society to develop an appreciation and respect for the variety of human cultures.
Content Standard: 3.0
Geography enables the students to see, understand and appreciate the web of relationships between people, places, and environments. Students will use the knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts within the six essential elements of geography: world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and the uses of geography.
Literacy standards:
Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Orientation:
Read the following:
The Traveling Man: the Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 by James Rumford. There can be an extension on this to Islam (the Hajj) and Arabic culture.
Discuss journeys from home to other places. Ask for the children to tell their journey stories. Vocabulary: journey, trip, travel, voyage, transportation
Section 1:
TTW ask the children to physically show their journey by assigning the group project to make the map and by the placing of the personal placards on the map. The ribbons will show connections between places. Discuss how the ribbons cross on the globe and the lengths of each student’s journey to get to the present place.
Materials:

Books for Extension:
Where’s Waldo by Martin Handford
Grandma Went to Market by Stella
Blackstone
One World, Many Religions by Mary
Pope Osborne
As the Crow Flies: a first Book of
Maps by Gail Hartman
Celebrating Ramadan by Diane Hoyt-
Goldsmith
On the Same Day in March: a Tour of the
World’s Weather by Marily Singer
Madlenka by Peter Sis
Grandfather’s journey by Allen Say
Letters from Felix by Annette Langen

Globe with small pushpin flags

Continents of the world drawn by students on bulletin board paper.

Yarn or ribbon
 Placards with student’s name and city of origin

Decorative beads, paper, etc.
TLW will place flag pins of the map that show where they are from. On a ribbon they will write their name and pin it from the current home to the former home.
TLW (as a class unit) spread out on the ground with the bulletin board paper and draw the continents: N/S
America, Antarctica, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.
TLW creates the placard for himself or herself. It should contain their name and place of culture. If the maps are large enough the placards may be placed directly on the map, if not, place the placards around the borders and run ribbons or yarn from the placards to the geographical area.
TLW will then be grouped to study the country and culture of another student’s heritage. They will report to the rest of the class on what they have found. The students of that heritage may be consulted as
“experts”.
Closure:

The groups will discuss the effectiveness of the presentations and complete the peer evaluation rubrics for their own group members and on themselves.

The class will discuss what they learned that was surprising about each country.

The class will identify similarities among the cultures and countries.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Teacher name: Patten
Student Name ___________________
CATEGORY Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs
Improvement
Preparedness
Uses Complete
Sentences
Always (99-100% of time) speaks in complete sentences.
Student seems pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals.
The student is somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking.
Student does not seem at all prepared to present.
Enthusiasm
Content
Facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.
Facial expressions and body language sometimes generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.
Facial expressions and body language are used to try to generate enthusiasm, but seem somewhat faked.
Shows a full understanding of the topic.
Comprehension Student is able to accurately answer almost all questions posed by classmates about the topic.
Shows a good understanding of the topic.
Student is able to accurately answer most questions posed by classmates about the topic.
Very little use of facial expressions or body language.
Did not generate much interest in topic being presented.
Shows a good understanding of parts of the topic.
Does not seem to understand the topic very well.
Student is able to accurately answer a few questions posed by classmates about the topic.
Student is unable to accurately answer questions posed by classmates about the topic.
Collaboration with
Peers
Student is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed.
Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others in the group.
Tries to keep people working well together.
Usually listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others in the group. Does not cause "waves" in the group.
Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others in the group but sometimes is not a good team member.
Mostly (80-98%) speaks in complete sentences.
Sometimes (70-80%) speaks in complete sentences.
Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others in the group. Often is not a good team member.
Rarely speaks in complete sentences.

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Teacher name: Patten
Student Name ___________________
CATEGORY
Contributions Routinely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A definite leader who contributes a lot of effort.
Quality of
Work
Provides work of the highest quality.
Usually provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A strong group member who tries hard!
Provides high quality work.
Sometimes provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A satisfactory group member who does what is required.
Rarely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. May refuse to participate.
Provides work that occasionally needs to be checked/redone by other group members to ensure quality.
Provides work that usually needs to be checked/redone by others to ensure quality.
Working with
Others
Attitude
Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others.
Tries to keep people working well together.
Usually listens to, shares, with, and supports the efforts of others. Does not cause "waves" in the group.
Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others, but sometimes is not a good team member.
Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Often is not a good team player.
Never is publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Always has a positive attitude about the task(s).
Rarely is publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Often has a positive attitude about the task(s).
Occasionally is publicly critical of the project or the work of other members of the group. Usually has a positive attitude about the task(s).
Often is publicly critical of the project or the work of other members of the group. Often has a positive attitude about the task(s).

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Placard Example
My name is:
I am from:
My favorite thing about my home culture is:
My name is:
I am from:
My favorite thing about my home culture is:
My name is:
I am from:
My favorite thing about my home culture is:

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
is a trickster from Africa carried to the Caribbean; Anancy, Ananze,
Ananse are variations in spelling depending upon culture.
1.
Geographic studies
Tricksters and tricking
Naming the continents
Spider tales in other countries
Sailing from Africa to the
Caribbean
2.
Vocabulary studies
Sequencing
Tie to Greek goddess, Arachne
5.
Art and Theater
Reader’s theater
Story telling
3.
Science studies
4.
Names of animals
Names of fruits
Spider’s fact and fiction
Growing melons
Literature studies map of world with animals on the continent
6.
Character studies
Is it good to trick?
Is it good to get mad?
7.
Extensions
Folktale structure
What if….?
Sources:
Nursery rhymes (Miss Muffet)
Spiderman
Books

Kimmel, Eric. Anansi and the Talking Melon . New York : Holiday House, 1994.

Carle, Eric. Very Busy Spider.
New York : Philomel, 1994.

Simon, Seymour. Spiders . New York : Harper Collins, 2003.

Berger, Melvin. Spinning Spiders . New York : Harper Collins, 2003.

Spinelli, Eileen.
Sophie’s
Masterpiece . New York : Simon and Schuster, 1998.
And, of course, Miss Spider and Charlotte’s Web !
WebSites

PBS http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Kids/home.htm

The Lost Stories of Anansi http://www.takemetoyourreaders.org/anansi.htm
This has an auditory telling.

Spiders from Australian class http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~glen/spiders1a.htm

Come Into My Parlor http://www.jeannepasero.com/aboutspiders.html

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
New York : Clarion, 1999.
“I emptied my secret money box, arranged the coins in piles and the piles in rows . . ." The market is full of wonderful coins for a red and blue can help his mother carry bicycle-and how disappointed things, but Saruni is saving his precious bicycle. How happy he will be when he heavy loads to market on his very own he is to discover that he hasn't saved and generosity are at the heart of this nearly enough! Determination satisfying tale, set in Tanzania.
Bicycles, money, family, food of Tanzania
New York : Harper Collins, 2000.
“What can you do with a boy who tries to do things right but only leaves disaster in his wake?
Laugh--that's what! Readers everywhere will love to laugh at the hilarious antics of the ever-blundering Juan Bobo, Puerto
Rico's most celebrated fold character.
In this Juan Bobo tale, our hero sets out to find work at the farm and the grocery. Although the tasks are simple and the directions couldn't be clearer, he always finds a way to bungle things up as only a character whose name means "Simple
John" could!”
Sequencing, Puerto Rico culture, Bilingual, Fixing mistakes, language idiom and literal meanings,
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Multicultural Calendar at http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/index.html
for more celebrations!
January
3 rd Monday
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
Established to honor King for his leadership of the nonviolence movement in the U.S. Often celebrated through peaceful rallies, marches, and demonstrations.
Schools sponsor essay contests and other assignments related to King’s philosophy.
Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, My Big Brother
Martin by Christine King Farris
February
Black History Month
March
27 & 28
African Cultural Festival
Established by the Mandeleo Institute to preserve
African folklore and culture. Traditionally features
African dance troupes, singers, and African marketplace with ethnic arts, crafts and foods.
Ashley Bryan’s African Tales, Uh-huh by Ashley Bryan and I See the Rhythm text by Toyomi Igus; paintings by
Michele Wood.
May
19
Malcolm X’s Birthday
Celebrates the birthday of Malcolm X, black nationalist and civil rights activist. Malcolm X by Arnold Adoff and
Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly by
Walter Dean Myers. Malcolm X / by
Arnold Adoff ; illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez.
June
19
2 nd Weekend
Juneteenth
Legal holiday in Texas celebrating June 19, 1865, when
Union soldiers told slaves they had been emancipated.
Traditionally celebrated with family picnics and barbecues, parades, and rodeos. Juneteenth : Freedom
Day by Muriel Miller Branch and Freedom's Gifts : A
Juneteenth Story by Valerie Wesley.
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
3 rd Weekend
Odunde Festival
Two part new year celebration to ensure prosperity
(both religious and secular). The festival begins when Yoruba priests and drummers lead a Procession to a river, where the priests say a prayer and make offerings of rum, oranges, or white and yellow flowers. The people in the procession also make offerings by throwing silver change into the river.
Later, the festival continues with a street fair and marketplace selling African American food and crafts.
The Origin of Life on Earth : An African Creation Myth
/ retold by David A. Anderson/Sankofa ; illustrated by
Kathleen Atkins Wilson.
International Percussion Explosion
Celebrates the art of drumming.
Drummers and other percussionist perform and discuss music traditions of different cultures, demonstrating the musical links between African, African-
American, and other cultures.
Faraway Drums by Virginia Kroll and In the time of the drums by Kim L.
Siegelson ; illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
October
1 st Weekend
November
2
James Beckworth Days
Commemorates frontiersman James Pierson Beckworth and the pass he discovered through the Sierra Nevada mountains around 1850. It is usually celebrated with parades, bike rides, and booths. Residents dress like frontiersman, display covered wagons, and reenact scenes from the American west.
Black frontiers : A History of African American Heroes in the Old West by Lillian Schlissel.
Day of the Dead/ Ancestor’s Day
Designed to honor and pay tribute to family ancestors, this day is celebrated by many cultures. African
American observers take flowers, gifts, food, drink and other offerings to the graves of loved ones. Food is also placed on ancestral shrines in homes.
December
26-Jan 1
Many Voices, Many Stories
Kwanzaa
A nonreligious, uniquely African-American holiday,
Kwanzaa draws on elements of several African harvest festivals. Kwanzaa is a time for gathering with family, friends, and the community. Celebrated on seven successive days, it centers on seven principles, or Nguzo Saba , that are guidelines for daily living.
K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination),
Ujima (collective work and responsibility), U jamaa
(cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba
(creativity), Imani (faith).
Seven Spools of Thread : A Kwanzaa Story by Angela
Shelf Medearis and The Story of Kwanzaa by Donna L.
Washington.
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
1 st Saturday
May
Strawberry Festival
This festival blesses the first edible fruit of spring as well as celebrates the spring and new year.
Special ceremonies, including prayer and song and dance, bless the arrival of the first fruit.
The first strawberries : a Cherokee story / retold by
Joseph Bruchac
This ancient event is based on a ceremony of the
Mountain Maidu tribes indigenous to northern
California. Symbolic of the grizzly bear’s hibernation, the Bear Dance welcomes the renewal of life. Traditional activities include a medicinal ceremonies and dances.
Last Friday – Sunday
Brush Dance
The Brush Dance is an ancient ceremonial healing dance performed by the Yurok, Hupa and Karuk tribes from
Northwestern California. Shell necklaces are a focal point of the dancing regalia; women’s include dentillum, a shell which signifies wealth, and men’s necklaces include abalone which makes a beautiful sound. Headrolls are also an integral part of the ceremonial dressing. A baby who has been ill plays a central role in the ceremony by representing everyone who has been sick. This tradition symbolizes the healing of all ill people. july
Midsummer
Mother’s Day Weekend
Stanford Pow Wow Established by the American
Indian group at Stanford University to provide an opportunity for American Indians to meet, share food, dance and display art and crafts.
Activities include food booths, crafts, and contest dancing.
Powwow / photographs and text by George Ancona.
June
2 nd Weekend
Bear Dance
Sun Dance
This ancient ceremony of Plains tribes was performed each summer as a ritual of penance and usually lasted eight days. The ceremony is performed for several reasons – the recovery of an ill or injured loved one, hope for a good year for the entire tribe, prayers for rain,
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten protection from death by lightning or other disaster, thanksgiving for deliverance from evil. Today, the ceremony often lasts three days and is still an important religious ceremony for the Cheyenne,
Arapaho, Shoshone, and other Plains tribes.
August
Orange County Pow Wow
The Orange County Pow Wow is the largest powwow and arts and crafts show in Southern California. The powwow fosters interpersonal and spiritual connections. Dances, songs, rituals, ancestor stories, and art are integral to this gathering.
September
4 th Friday
California Indian Day
This holiday recognizes the people of the state and acknowledges the cultural contributions of California.
Traditional Indian foods like fry bread and Indian tacos are featured, as well as traditional “American” foods such as hot dogs. Intertribal dancing is the main event with each tribe presenting their characteristic dances in traditional costumes.
The event also includes a job work fair, educational and cultural workshops, an arts and crafts fair, and an art show.
October
Full Moon period
Feast of the Harvest Moon and Feast of the Hunter’s
Moon
Algonquian year: the year according to the full moon / written and illustrated by Michael McCurdy. Itse selu
: Cherokee harvest festival / by Daniel Pennington ; illustrated by Don Stewart.
November
Mid
American Indian Film Festival
The American Indian Film Festival is the oldest and largest Indian film festival in the U.S. It showcases and often premiers films and videos by and about
American Indians. The festival also holds panel discussions and hosts appearances by celebrities from the film industry. An annual awards presentation and a fundraiser are highlights.
Website for the Film Festival: http://www.aifisf.com/
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
1 st
January
Shogatsu (New Year’s Day)
Shogatsu celebrates the New Year and fresh beginnings. This is the biggest familyoriented celebration in the Japanese-American community. It is preceded by days of preparation –a thorough house cleaning, repaying outstanding debts, completing unfinished business, buying new clothing and household items. The aim is to start the New
Year with a clean slate. Eating is important, too. Specialty stores sell prepared plates of traditional food, including sake, fish cakes, oranges, bean paste, egg rolls, seaweed rolls, bamboo shoots, lotus root, dried fish, mixed vegetables, sashimi, sushi an mochi (rice cakes). Most of the foods have symbolic meanings. Radio and television stations air special programs from Japan; members of the Buddhist and Shinto faiths visit temples and shrines; and children, especially girls, play traditional games.
Sul Nal (Korean New Year)
Traditionally celebrated on the first day of the lunar year, some Korean Americans observe this familyoriented holiday on January 1. Wearing new clothes, eating rich foods and settling old debts welcome the
New Year. Late on New Year’s Eve, families eat potstickers and man too guk , a dumpling soup. On New
Year’s Day, everyone eats tuk guk , a white rice-cake soup, and wear fancy clothes. During visits to older relatives, children perform a special, deep New Year’s bow called saebae to show their respect and best wishes.
February
Varies
Songkran (Buddhist New Year)
This Thai water festival celebrates the New Year.
Buddha images are “bathed”, and young people sprinkle their hands with water to Show respect for monks and elders. Lots of water is tossed about for fun.
Tet (Vietnamese New Year)
Traditionally lasting seven days, Tet also marks the beginning of spring, a time to make a fresh start and to make new resolutions. Homes are cleaned and thoroughly decorated with flowers, debts are paid and mistakes and offenses of the past year are forgiven and forgotten. On the eve of the new year, families light candles and incense on family altars and invite
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Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten their ancestors back to earth to enjoy the holiday.
Green rice pie is prepared, and people talk about the past year. At midnight, firecrackers are lit.
Chinese New Year
Celebrated on the first day of the lunar year, this holiday marks fresh beginnings.
On the eve of the new year, families prepare food for the next three days to bring luxury, wealth and luck for the new year. A family memorial service is held. The celebrations last for two weeks, ending with the Lantern Festival, a dragon parade through Chinatown and a lantern competition.
Chinatown by William Low.
Holi (Hindu spring festival)
This Hindu spring festival sometimes known as the Fire
Festival traditionally is celebrated before the monsoon season begins on the full moon of the month of
Phalguna. The most colorful of Hindu festivals, boys and girls squirt each other with water pistols filled with saffron or red-colored water. Others throw colored powders at people they meet.
March
3
Hina Matsuri (Girls’ Day)
Honoring a Japanese family’s daughters, Hina
Matsuri originally was observed in the early spring when the peach trees began to bloom.
Paper dolls were thrown into the rivers to dispose of misfortune or sickness. Today, dolls are elaborately dressed in brocade to bring good luck and express hope for a good marriage.
April
5
Ching Ming (Festival of Ancestors)
The first outing of the year celebrates the coming of spring and honors ancestors. Unlike most Chinese holidays, the date of Ching Ming depends on the
Chinese solar calendar. Families gather, sweep, pull weeds, clean family graves and give food offerings to ancestors.
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Varies
Fung Vuong Day
Fung Vuong, who lived about 4000 years ago, was the first king of Vietnam and is believed to have taught the Vietnamese how to plant rice and make rice cakes.
Children visit friends and family. Rice cakes are eaten. In Vietnam, elephant dances are performed.
Makha Bucha Day
In Laos and Thailand, this day commemorates the preaching of Buddha to 1250 enlightened monks. This holiday culminates in a candlelit procession circling the main chapel at every wat (temple-monastery).
Sakuramatsuri (Cherry Blossom
Festival)
Japanese celebrations of the arrival of spring, many festivals in the U.S. were begun by local Japantown merchants or by community groups. A similar festival is knows as
Akimatsuri (Autumn Festival).
May
1
Lei Day
This Hawaiian holiday was established in 1928 in Oahu to foster interesting the lei, or flower garland. Everyone wears a lei, and lei displays and leimaking contests are held. There are pageants, traditional music, singing, hula dancing, lei queen pageants and luaus. Luaus feature a whole pig roasted with bananas and yams in a pit dug in the ground. Other foods include poi (sour mashed taro root), mangoes, papayas and pineapple. The last princess : the story of Princess Ka`iulani of Hawai`i
/ Fay Stanley ; illustrated by Diane Stanley . A lei for Tutu / by Rebecca Nevers Fellows ; illustrated by
Linda Finch .
May
5
Children’s Day or
Tango no Sekku (Boys’ Day)
Honoring the sons in the family, this
Japanese holiday is sometimes known as
Shogbu no Sekku (Iris Festival). Folkhero dolls, miniature armor and helmets and swords are displayed. Carp
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Varies streamers, one for each boy in the family, fly from flagpoles. People eat chimaki (a sweet, pounded rice cake w rapped in a bamboo leaf ) and kashiwamochi (a sweet bean-filled rice cake wrapped in an oak-leaf).
Sometimes young boys dress in traditional clothing and visit grandparents.
A Carp for Kimiko by Virginia Kroll.
Wisakha Bucha Day
This day is celebrated in Laos and Thailand as the date of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away. Candlelit processions and other activities, including chanting and sermons are held at the wat
(temple-monastery).
Buddha Stories by Demi. Hidden in Sand by Margaret
Hodges.
June
5
June 12
Dragon Boat Festival
This Chinese festival honors the 3 rd century B.C. poet and statesman Ch’u Yuan, who drowned himself to protest government injustice and corruption and to affirm his devotion and love for his country. In the
U.S., this is a quiet holiday compared to celebrations in China. Some families make or buy sticky rice cakes, called tsung or zhong-zi , to eat and to feed to fish. Zhong-zi represents the rice offerings for Ch’u
Yuan that was thrown into the river for his spirit to eat, or perhaps to keep the fish from eating Ch’u Yuan’s body.
Philippine Independence Day
On this day in 1898, General
Emilio Aquinaldo proclaimed the Philippines independent from Spain. Although not a major holiday in the
Philippines itself, it is the major festival for Philippine
Americans and is observed on the weekend closest to
June 12. Food is a major attraction, including roast pig, noodle dishes and soft, sweet rice cakes of different colors. Children and adults perform traditional dances in native dress and play games.
July
7
Many Voices, Many Stories
Tanabata (Star Festival)
This Japanese holiday is traditionally celebrated on the 7 th day of the 7 th lunar month. It is based on the
Chinese story of the Weaver Princess Star and the
K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Mid-Late
Herdboy Star. Japanese-American communities hold cultural displays, handcraft exhibits, such as flower arrangements and demonstrations. People also meet to read and write poetry.
Buddhist Lent
Celebrated in Laos and Thailand, this event occurs before the rainy season, this is a time for men to enter the monkhood and for all young monks to remain in a single monastery for three months. People bring food and sweets to the temple for Buddha.
One world, many religions : the ways we worship / by Mary Pope
Osborne.
August
6 & 9
15
Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing and Moment of Silence
Observed by both Japanese and Americans, these days commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki in 1945. In the U.S., peace groups hold demonstrations. People may observe a moment of silence, alone or with others.
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.
Hiroshima no Piku by Toshi Maruki.
Moon Festival
Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, this harvest celebrations is common among most Asian groups. The actual date varies according to the harvest moon.
Celebrants sit outside, watch the full (harvest) moon and eat mooncakes. Mooncakes are pastry with a bean paste, nuts or dates filling. Sometimes the yolk of a hard-boiled egg is added to the filling.
Varies (full moon)
Children’s Festival
The biggest Vietnamese holiday of the year for children, this celebration also is known as the Mid-
Autumn Festival. Adults make lanterns for children, decorating them with pictures of animals or making them in animal shapes. Tin the evening, the lanterns are lit with candles, and the children walk around the community singing songs. A lion parade weaves through the streets, performing a good luck dance to the beat
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Varies of a drum. Adults also read poems to the children and tell stories about the moon. Everyone eats moon cakes.
Dia's story cloth / written by Dia Cha ; stitched by Chue and Nhia Thao Cha
Chusok (Full-Moon Festival)
In Korea, this is a day to pay respects to ancestral tombs and to relax from the work of the harvest.
Children dress in bright clothing. Girls play see-say games, and boys wrestle. To honor ancestors, families clean graves, burn incense, bow and place food offerings before pictures of their ancestors. Special foods are prepared.
September
Labor Day Weekend
Buon Thathlouang (Hmong New Year)
The Hmong, who live in the mountains of Laos, traditionally celebrate New Year between November and
December after the rice harvest. Other Laotians observe the Water Festival in May as their New
Year’s celebration. Like most Asian New Year festivals, dances, games, new and colorful traditional clothing and special foods mark this holiday.
3 rd Week
Aloha Week
Begun in 1945, Aloha Week celebrates Hawaiian traditions and costumes. Beginning with Oahu, each island celebrates the holiday on a different week until the end of October. The week begins with a pageant in which the King and Queen of Aloha Week each arrive by canoe with their retinue in traditional dress. Hula performances, canoe races, stage pageants, choral singing, a Lantern Parade, a Floral
Parade and formal balls add to the fun.
October
Varies
Diwali
Diwali is an Indian festival also known as the
Festival (or Fest) of Lights, and is the most widely celebrated Hindu festival. Diwali celebrates the return from exile of Rama, the greatest hero-king of
India. Before the festival begins, homes are cleaned thoroughly and doorways are decorated with garlands of flowers. People take perfumed baths and dress in new clothes. Friends and family visit and exchange small gifts.
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
6
January
Los Tres Reyes (The Three Kings’ Day)
The oldest festival in the Catholic Church calendar,
Three Kings’ Day also is known as Epiphany, which means “manifestation” or “appearance”. Many people attend Catholic midnight mass, and the streets are filled with crowds and music.
May
5 Cinco de Mayo(Fifth of May)
Cinco de Mayo represents the day that the French captured Mexico City after
Mexico had gained its independence from
Spain. Mexican Americans celebrate this date with traditional dancing, music, and food all of which recreate a feeling of home. Today, this day is synonymous with self-determination and cultural independence for Latinos of many different origins.
The underdogs by Mariano Azuelan.
June
2 nd Sunday
Puerto Rican Day
In 1958 the Puerto Rican community broke away from the Hispanic Day
Parade to celebrate its own day.
The day includes a parade is filled with speeches on ethnic pride, races and sporting events.
Traditional dances are also performed. Specialty foods of the day include arros con dulce , a rice pudding traditional to Puerto Rico, and piraguas , snowcones made with tropical flavors, and pan dulce (dessert breads). Street vendors sell art and souvenirs, in particular the pava , a straw hat worn by the jibaros , or mountain people, of Puerto
Rico. Golden flower : a Taino myth from Puerto Rico / by Nina Jaffe ; illustrated by Enrique O. Sánchez.
Yagua days / by Cruz Martel ; pictures by Jerry
Pinkney.
August
Las Sunday
Festival Folklorico (Folklore Festival)
This event consolidates all the Fiestas Patronales
(patron saint festivals), many of which ordinarily fall during the winter months in New York. Puerto
Ricans take over Central Park with lots of food, folklore, songs and dances.
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
September
15,16
15 o 16 de Septiembre
Central America declared its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821; Mexico on September 16, 1821.
People from different Latin American countries sell traditional foods from booths decorated with characteristic crafts and national flags. Natives of each country share basic facts about their country and perform traditional music and dance. School children often perform plays portraying the struggles of independence.
October
12
Dia de la Raza (Day of the People)
Dia de la Raza is like Columbus Day with an important difference – it emphasized indigenous cultures rather than European “discovery” of those cultures. In the
U.S., many Latinos boycott Columbus Day with marches, parades, speakers, music, and dancing indigenous to
Latino cultures.
November
1 & 2
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the
Dead)
Dia de los Muertos honors the dead, especially saints and martyrs.
November 2 is All Souls’ Day, a commemoration of and prayer for all the souls in purgatory.
Celebrations are very familyoriented and emphasize decoration and artistry. Families make home altars and visit the cemetery.
Activities can vary by state and community. Examples are cleaning graves and making wreaths from wax-dipped crepe flowers, sponsoring art exhibitions, lighting candles, and holding special church services and prayers.
Pablo remembers : the fiesta of the Day of the Dead /
George Ancona.
December
7
Many Voices, Many Stories
La Griteria (The Shouting)
This day celebrates the Holy Conception of the Virgin
Mary, the patron saint of Nicaragua. Most celebrations dedicate an altar to the Virgin Mary, usually by placing pictures on the altar, which is placed near the front door or open garage of a home.
Visitors are welcome to praise and sing before the
Virgin, including call-and-response singing.
Refreshments are provided by the hosts.
K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Sources of Graphics:
PowWow web site California State Univ. http://www.csulb.edu/~gcampus/libarts/am-indian/powwow/
A Page for Japanese Dolls http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jshoaf/Jdolls/hina.htm
Japanese Children’s Festivals http://www.internet-atwork.com/hos_mcgrane/holidays/2_yuko.html
Native American Way Weapons http://www.nativewayonline.com/
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tn 37132
Kathy Patten
Children’s Press
Now part of Scholastic. One of the first to look for and publish authentic cultural books for kids.
Fiction and non-fiction. http://librarypublishing.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomeView?storeId=10001
Lee & Low
Like Children’s Press, one of the best sources. “ LEE & LOW BOOKS is an independent children's book publisher specializing in multicultural themes. It is the company's goal to meet the need for stories that children of color can identify with and that ALL children can enjoy. LEE & LOW makes a special effort to work with artists of color, and takes pride in nurturing many authors and illustrators who are new to the world of children’s book publishing.” http://www.leeandlow.com/home/
Hyperion & Jump at the Sun
Edited by Andrea Davis Pinkney. “ Jump at the Sun will "honor the uniqueness of being black"”
47 Riverside Ave
Westport, CT 06880 http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/
Charlesbridge
85 Main St.
Watertown, MA 02472 http:// www.charlesbridge.com
Clarion
215 Park Avenue S.
Nyc, 10003 http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/clarion/
HarperCollins
1350 Avenue of the Americas
NYC 10019
Journals such as
Multicultural Review
Stepping Stones include reviews of MCL.
Kaleidoscope
or
from the
NCTE is a multicultural http:// www.harperchildrens.com
Random House
Scholastic
90 Sherman Pike
Danbury, CT 06816 booklist available through
ERIC. http:// www.scholasticlibrary.com
Tundra Books
Whitman
6340 Oakton Street
Morton Grove, IL 60053 http:// www.albertwhitman.com
Cr
í ticas Magazine is published by Reed Elsevier. Each issue contains over 100 reviews and previews of adult and children's books, audio and videos for the Latino market. Published 6 times per year.
BWI, Ingram, Amazon.com, and Baker & Taylor have stocks of many of the award winners.
With the discount, these are the sources to try first.
Many Voices, Many Stories K. Patten
Middle Tennessee State University
4/13/2020