L&I SCI 691: Multicultural Children’s Literature
Fall 2010
Online and
5:30-8:10 BOL 521 Onsite
Dr. Laretta Henderson
Henderso@uwm.edu
Course Description
This course is an exploration of the literary and cultural heritage of parallel culture in the United
States including African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latino(a)s, and Native
Americans. The course focuses on major issues in multicultural children’s literature such as
representation, cultural authenticity, and evaluative criteria.
Course Objectives
 Students will read literature for children written by authors from cultures other than that
of the mainstream;
 Students will become aware of the major discourses in multicultural children’s literary
criticism;
 Students will be exposed to historical images of each cultural group and how these
images inform current literature and literary criticism;
 Students will recognize the ways in which a piece of literature reflects the author’s
culture. This may include themes, values, characters, setting, plot, style, language, and
authenticating details;
 Students will begin to understand that each culture, and its literature, has characteristics
which make it unique and which contribute positively to the pluralistic nature of the
United States;
 Students will begin to generate, from literature and secondary sources, criteria for the
evaluation of multicultural children’s literature;
 Students will use culturally relevant reference and review sources.
Prerequisite: L&I SCI 645: Library Materials for Children, an equivalent, or permission of the
instructor
Course Readings
Throughout the semester I ask you to read a “book.” My assumption is that you will
select a text that is a minimum of 150 pages. If you would like to read another format the
exchange rates are:
5 picture books=a chapter book
5 easy readers=a chapter book
3 transition books=a chapter book
1½ hours of video=a chapter book
Audiobooks are evaluated based upon their printed format
3 websites=a chapter book
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This formula applies to all assignments throughout the semester.
One of the purposes of the course is to expose you to as much children’s literature as
possible. As such, when you are given the option to select a text to read please select something
that you have not read before. Rereading books defeats the purpose of the course and may result
in a reduction of your grade.
Grading
UWM grade classifications are as follows:
 “A” indicates superior work
 “B” indicates satisfactory but undistinguished work
 “C” indicates work below the standard expected of graduate students
I will use the following grading scale:
94% or above=A
90% or above=A87% or above=B+
80% or above=B60% or above=D-
77% or above=C+
73% or above=C
70% or above=C63% or above=D
Your grade will consist of the following:
All Students
Participation
Cultural Accuracy Exercise
Annotated Bibliography
Journal
Autobiography of a Reader
Research Paper
20%
5%
15%
30%
30%
University Policies:
1. Students with disabilities. Verification of disability, class standards, the policy on the
use of alternate materials and test accommodations can be found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/DSAD/SAC/SACltr.pdf
2. Religious observances. Policies regarding accommodations for absences due to
religious observance are found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S1.5.htm
3. Students called to active military duty. Accommodations for absences due to call-up of
reserves to active military duty should be noted.
http://www3.uwm.edu/des/web/registration/militarycallup.cfm
4. Incompletes. The conditions for awarding an incomplete to graduate and undergraduate
students can be found at the following:
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http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S31.pdf
5. Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment). Definitions of discrimination,
harassment, abuse of power, and the reporting requirements of discriminatory conduct
are found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S47.pdf
6. Academic misconduct. Policies for addressing students cheating on exams or
plagiarism can be found at the following: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/OSL/DOS/conduct.html
7. Complaint procedures. Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic
unit or department in which the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a
specific university policy, it may be directed to the head of the department or academic
unit in which the complaint occurred or to the appropriate university office responsible
for enforcing the policy.
8. Grade appeal procedures. Procedures for student grade appeal appear at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S28.htm
9. Final examination policy. Policies regarding final examinations can be found at the
following: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S22.htm
Required Texts
Critical Sources
Cai, M. (2002). Multicultural literature for children and young adults. Westport, CT:
Greenwood Press.
Spring, J. Deculturalization and the struggle for equality: A brief history of the education of
dominated cultures in the United States. New York: McGraw Hill.
Children’s Literature: Chapter Books
Bruchac, (2006). Hidden roots. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Carvell, M. (2005). Sweetgrass basket. New York: Dutton Juvenile.
Clements, A. (2009). Extra credit. Atheneum.
Curtis, C. (1997). The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963. New York: Random House
Children’s Book
Dalgliesh, A. (1954/1991). The courage of Sarah Noble. New York: Simon & Schuster
Children's Publishing.
Frazier, S., T. (2010). The other half of my heart. New York: Delacorte Books for Young
Readers.
Lee, G. (2010). Ling and Ting: Not exactly the same. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Montes, M. (2002). A crazy mixed-up Spanglish day. New York: Scholastic.
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Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.
Woodson, J. (1995). From the notebook of Melanin Sun. New York: Scholastic.
Videos
All of the videos, except for Disney’s—which are easy to locate--are posted on D2L.
Carter, The Education of Little Tree
Disney, Aladdin
-----, Beauty and the Beast
-----, Lion King
-----, Pocahontas
Gee, Slaying the Dragon
Lee, Four Little Girls
Rosenstein, In Whose Honor
Riggs, Ethnic Notions
Happy Feet
Mickey Mouse Monopoly
In the White Man’s Image
Strain, The Difference between Us.
-----, The Story we Tell
-----, The House we Live in.
Picture Books
Because of cost, I did not order these books through the university bookstore. I assume
that you will borrow them from your local library. Just in case you are not able to locate the
books I have posted many of them on D2L. But, I would prefer that you read the actual book if
possible.
Adoff, Black is Brown is Tan
Bannerman, The Story of Little Black Sambo. Online at:
<http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/sambo.htm>
Bernier-Grand, Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!
Bishop, Five Chinese Brothers
Bunting, Going Home
de Haan, King and King
Cha, Dia's Story Cloth
Friedman, How My Parents Learned To Eat
Garland, The Lotus Seed
Grossman, Ten Little Rabbits
Gonzalez, Antonio's Card
Heide & Gilliland, Sami and the Time of the Troubles
Heide & Gilliland, The Day of Ahmed’s Secret
Hevron, Nappy Hair
Hoffman, Amazing Grace
Holman, Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad?
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Isadora, Ben’s Trumpet
Lacapa, Less than Half, More than Whole
Lee, Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same
Krull, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
Mahy, Seven Chinese Brothers
Martel, Yagua Days
Montes, Los Gatos Black on Halloween
Richardson, & Parnell, And Tango Makes Three
Savgeau, Muskrats will be Swimming
Say, Allison Tarpley, I Love My Hair
Shea, The Whispering Cloth
Tucker, Seven Chinese Sisters
Ten Little Indians
Ten Little Niggers
Wolf, Coming to America: A Muslim Family's Story
Wing & Casilla, Jalapeno Bagels
Wisnniewski, Sundiata
Young, Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China
Zemach , Jake and the Honeybunch go to Heaven
Any one of the following by Demi
Liang and the Magic Paint Brush
Dragon Kites and Dragon Flies: A Collection of Chinese Nursery Rhymes
A Chinese Zoo: Fables and Proverbs
The Empty Pot
The Magic Tapestry
Optional
Yoo, P. Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story
Required Articles on E Reserve at the Golda Meir Library
Al-Hazza, T. & Lucking, B. (2005). The minority of suspicion: Arab Americans.
MultiCultural Review, 14(3), 32-38.
Al-Hazza, T. C. & Bucher, K. T. (2008). Building Arab Americans' cultural identity and
acceptance with children's literature. Reading Teacher, 62(3), 210-219.
Althusser. L. (1970). Ideology and ideological state apparatuses. Online at:
<http://erikbenjamins.com/Main/index.html_files/althusser_Ideology&ISAs.pdf>.
Barrera, R. B. & Quiroa, R. E. (2003 ). Use of Spanish in Latino children's literature in English:
What Makes for Cultural Authenticity? In D. Fox & K. Short (Eds.), Stories Matter:
The Complexity of Cultural Authenticity in Children's Literature.
Bruchac, J. (2009). After the darkness. Multicultural Review, 18(1), 40-42.
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Cai, M. (1994). Images of Chinese and Chinese Americans mirrored in picture books.
Children's Literature in Education, 25(3), 169-191.
Chappell, S. & Faltis, C. (2007). Spanglish, Bilingualism, Culture and Identity in Latino
Children's Literature. Children's Literature in Education, 38(4), 253-262.
Delgado, R., & Stephancic, J. (2001). (Eds.), Introduction. In R. Delgado & J. Stephancic
(Eds.), Critical Race Theory: An Introduction (pp. 1-14). Available online at Google
Book.
Dow, J. (2009). It’s about power. Multicultural Review, 18(1), 43.
Gilton, D. (2007). Specific ethnic initiatives and conclusions. In D. Gilton (Ed), Multicultual
Children’s Literature in the United States (pp. 111-151). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow
Press.
Harris, R. (2001). Preface. In R. Delgado & J. Stephancic (Eds.), Critical Race Theory:
An Introduction (pp. xvii-xxi).
Horning, K. T., Lindgren, M. V. Michaelson, T., and Schliesman, M. (2009). Multicultural
writing (and illustrating, too!)/Multicultural Mandate. CCBC. Online at:
<http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/choiceintro10.asp>
Isklander, S. (1997). Portrayals of Arabs in contemporary American picture books. Bookbird,
35(3), 11-17.
Jiening Ruan (2010). Authenticity in Chinese folktale picture books. Academic Exchange
Quarterly. FindArticles.com. 14 Jul, 2010.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3325/is_1_6/ai_n28914644/
Kabak, W. (1977). Librarians wrestle with racism, sexism. In D. Maccann & G. Woodard
(Eds.), Cultural Conformity in Books for Children (pp. 162-166).
Kanell, B. (2009). The strands of historical fiction: Documentation, analysis, and storytelling
in The Darkness Under the Water. Multicultural Review, 18(1), 36-39.
Levy, M. (2000). The coming of war. In M. Levy (Ed.), Portrayal of Southeast Asian Refugees
in Recent American Children's Books (pp. 49-46). Lewiston: Edwin Mellen.
Levy, M. (2000). A new world. In M. Levy (Ed.), Portrayal of Southeast Asian Refugees
in Recent American Children's Books (pp. 47-56). Lewiston: Edwin Mellen.
Li, S. D. (2000). Beyond Mulan: Rediscovering the heroines of Chinese folklore.
New Advocate, 13(2), 143-55.
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MacCann, D. R. (1989). Introduction. In D., R. MacCann (Ed), Social Responsibility in
Librarianship: Essays on Equality (pp. 1-12). Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
(on contents page of D2L)
MacCann, D. R. (1989). Equality and ambiguity in library services to children. In D., R.
MacCann (Ed), Social Responsibility in Librarianship: Essays on Equality (pp. 81-96).
Jefferson, NC: McFarland. (on contents page of D2L)
MacCann, D. R. (1989). Libraries for immigrants and “minorities:” A study in contrasts. In D.,
R. MacCann (Ed), Social Responsibility in Librarianship: Essays on Equality (pp. 97116). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. (on contents page of D2L)
McIntosh, P. (2005). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In P. S. Rothenberg
(Ed.), White privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism (2nd edition) (pp.
109-113). New York: Worth Publishers.
McNair, W. & McNair, J. C. (2009). "But this story of mine is not unique": A review of research
on African American children's literature. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 125-162.
Morrison, T. (1992). Playing in the dark: Whiteness and the literary imagination. New York:
Vintage Books. pp. V-18; 51-53; and 63-69.
Nieto, S. (1997). We have stories to tell: Puerto Ricans in children's books. In V. Harris (Ed.),
Using Multiethnic Literature in the K-8 Classroom. Norwood, MA: ChristopherGordon.
Oklahoma Indian Times. (2006). Native American children recognize media stereotypes.
Online at: <http://ishgooda.org/racial/ranews1.htm>.
Reese, D. A. Native Americans in children's books of the twentieth century. In L. Pavonetti
(Ed.), Children’s Literature Remembered: Issues, Trends, and Favorite Books (pp. )
Santa Barbara: Greenwood Press.
Reese, D., A, et. Al. (1999). A critical review of Ann Rinaldi's My Heart Is on the Ground: The
diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. Rethinking Schools. Online at
<http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/13_04/review.shtml>.
Rinaldi, A. (2002/2003). How dare I write multicultural novels? Booklinks. 12(3), 31-33.
Seale, D & Dow, J. (2009). The Darkness Under the Water and the Vermont Eugenics Survey.
Multicultural Review, 18(1), 32-35.
Seale D. & Slapin, B. Living stories. In B. Seale & D. Slapin (Eds.), A Broken Flute: The
Native Experience in Books for Children.
Wingfield, M., & Karaman, B. (1995). Arab stereotypes and American educators. Social Studies
7
and the Young Learner, 7(4), 7-10.
Yamata, S. (1997). Asian Pacific American children's literature: Expanding perceptions
about who Americans are. In V. Harris (Ed.), Using Multiethnic Literature in the K-8
Classroom (pp). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon. (on contents page of D2L)
Weekly Schedule
9/2 Social Responsibility
MacCann, Introduction (all are on the contents page of D2L)
----, Equality and Ambiguity in Library Services to Children
-----, Libraries for Immigrants and “Minorities”: A Study in Contrasts
Defining Multicultural Children’s Literature
Cai, “Defining Multicultural Literature”
----, “Classifying Multicultural Literature”
Assignment due before 9/9:
Autobiography of a Reader of Racialized Children’s Literature
9/9 The Social Construction of Race
Savgeau, Muskrats will be Swimming
Holman, Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad?
Althusser. "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses”
Harris, R. “Preface”
Delgado, “Introduction”
Strain, The Difference Between Us (Video on D2L)
-----, The Story We Tell (Video on D2L)
-----, The House we Live In (Video on D2L)
Response Prompt: Please do any of the following: summarize and reflect upon Althusser;
summarize and respond to Harris and Delgado; discuss how these readings have informed your
assumptions about race.
9/16 “Playing in the Dark”
Spring, “Deculturalization & the Claim of Racial & Cultural Superiority by Anglo-Americans”
Morrison, Playing in the Dark
D’Algliesh, The Courage of Sarah Noble
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Seale & Slapin, “Living Stories” (specifically “A Parent’s Story” and “Raven’s Story;” read
“Liz’s Story” and “Naomi’s Story” if you have time)
Oyate’s Review of The Courage of Sarah Noble
Happy Feet (video)
Recess (on D2L)
Response Prompt: Use approximately 250 words (1 page) to summarize Morrison. Use the
other page to discuss Spring by reflecting upon, what was for you, new information and/or the
implications of this information on your assumptions about schooling in the US.
9/23 Cultural Authenticity: Native Americans and Schooling
Horning, “Multicultural Writing (and Illustrating, Too!)”
Cai, “Imagination, Ethnicity and Cultural Authenticity”
----, “Reader Response Theory”
Spring, “Native Americans: Deculturalization, Schooling, and Globalization”
In the White Man's Image (Video on D2L)
The Education of Little Tree (video)
Carvel, Sweetgrass Basket
Reese, et. al, “Critical Review of Rinaldi’s, My Heart is on the Ground “
Assignment Due: Cultural Accuracy
Response Prompt: None required.
9/30: Issues of Representation
In Whose Honor (video)
Website: <http://www.authentichistory.com/diversity/index.html> (Native Americans and
Mexican Americans)
Native Americans
Ten Little Indians
Grossman, Ten Little Rabbits
Hoffman, Amazing Grace
Oklahoma Indian Times, “Native American Children Recognize Media Stereotypes"
Mexican Americans
Yo quiero Taco Bell Commercials Online at:
<http://www.everwonder.com/david/tacobelldog.htm>l
Disney's Beverly Hill Chihuahua at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7tleFb6TlI.>
Cai, “Stereotypes and the Politics of Representation”
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Kabak, “Librarians Wrestle with Racism, Sexism”
Response Prompt: Your choice
10/7 Issues of Representation
Cai, “Cultural Correctness and the Evaluation of Multicultural Literature”
Website: <http://www.authentichistory.com/diversity/index.html>
Ethnic Notions (video)
African Americans
Ten Little Niggers (on D2L)
Bannerman, H. The Story of Little Black Sambo. Online at:
<http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/sambo.htm>
Hevron, Nappy Hair
Tarpley, I Love My Hair
Zemach , Jake and the Honeybunch go to Heaven
Isadora, Ben’s Trumpet
Slaying the Dragon (Video on D2L)
Asian Americans
Bishop, Five Chinese Brothers
Mahy, Seven Chinese Brothers
Tucker, Seven Chinese Sisters
Lee, Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same
Optional
Yoo, P. Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story
Response Prompt: Your choice
10/14 Representations of Race in Disney’s Movies
Disney’s Aladdin
-----, Beauty and the Beast
-----, Lion King
-----, Pocahontas
Mickey Mouse Monopoly (video on D2L)
Wisnniewski, Sundiata
Andersen, “Remake of Tezuka's Popular Story Turns into Denial?”
Li, “Beyond Mulan”
Any two picture books from this article
10
Response Prompt: Your choice
10/21 African Americans in Children’s Literature
Cai, “From Informing to Empowering”
Spring, “African Americans”
McNair, "But This Story of Mine Is Not Unique"
Curtis, C. The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963
Lee, Four Little Girls (Video)
Williams-Garcia, One Crazy Summer
Response Prompt: Your choice; feel free to discuss your reaction to the children’s literature
10/28 Asian Americans in Children’s Literature: Picture Books
Spring, “Asian Americans”
Yamata, “Asian American Literature”
Chinese and Chinese Americans
Cai,” Images of Chinese and Chinese Americans mirrored in picture books”
Any picture book discussed in this article
Jiening Ruan “Authenticity in Chinese folktale picture books”
Young, Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China
Any one of the following by Demi
Liang and the Magic Paint Brush
Dragon Kites and Dragon Flies: A Collection of Chinese Nursery Rhymes
A Chinese Zoo: Fables and Proverbs
The Empty Pot
The Magic Tapestry
Southeast Asians
Levy, “The Coming of War”
-----, “A New World”
Cha, Dia's Story Cloth
Garland, The Lotus Seed
Shea, The Whispering Cloth
Response Prompt: Your choice; feel free to discuss your reaction to the children’s literature
11
11/4 Arabs and Middle Easterners in Children’s Literature
Al-Hazza & Lucking “The Minority of Suspicion”
Wingfield & Karaman, “Arab Stereotypes and American Educators”
Isklander. “Portrayals of Arabs in Contemporary American Picture Books”
Heide & Gilliland, Sami and the Time of the Troubles
Heide & Gilliland, The Day of Ahmed’s Secret
Wolf, Coming to America: A Muslim Family's Story
Clements, Extra Credit
Response Prompt: Your choice—focus on the critical literature
11/11 Multi-racial Children in Children’s Literature
Sands-O’Connor, “Why Are People Different?”
By Birth
Adoff, Black is Brown is Tan
Friedman, How My Parents Learned To Eat
Wing & Casilla, Jalapeno Bagels
Lacapa, Less than Half, More than Whole
By Adoption
Say, Allison
Something Else
Frazier, The other half of my heart
Response Prompt: Your choice; feel free to discuss your reaction to the children’s literature
11/18 Racialized Characters in Children’s Literature with Gay and Lesbian Themes
It’s Elementary (video on D2L)
It’s Still Elementary (optional video on D2L)
de Haan, King and King
Gonzalez, Antonio's Card
Richardson, & Parnell, and Tango Makes Three
Woodson, From the Notebook of Melanin Sun
Response Prompt: Use 1 page discussing your reaction to this week’s readings. Next, locate 3
books with GLBTQ themes of any length with a racialized protagonist. Discuss your search and
what you learned.
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11/25
Break
12/2 Latino(a)s in Children’s Literature: Americas Award
Spring, “Hispanic/Latino Americans: Exclusion and Segregation”
Nieto, “We have stories to tell: Puerto Ricans in children's books”
Barrera & Quiroa, ‘Use of Spanish in Latino children's literature in English”
Chappell, & Faltis, “Spanglish, Bilingualism, Culture and Identity in Latino Children's Literature”
Bunting, Going Home
Montes, A Crazy Mixed-Up Spanglish Day
Martel, Yagua Days
Visual Interpretive Analysis
Bernier-Grand, Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!
Montes, Los Gatos Black on Halloween
Krull, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
Response Prompt: Your choice; feel free to discuss your reaction to the children’s literature
Assignment Due: Annotated Bibliography
12/9: Native Americans in Children’s Literature: Science and Racism
Cai, “Crossing Cultural Borders”
Reese, “Native Americans in Children's Books of the Twentieth Century”
Bruchac, Hidden Roots
Seale & Dow “The Darkness under the Water and the Vermont Eugenics Survey”
Kanell, “The Strands of Historical Fiction”
Bruchac, “After the Darkness”
Dow, “It’s about Power”
Response Prompt: Use 1 page discussing your reaction to this week’s readings. Next, locate 3
books of CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION of any length with a Native American
protagonist. Discuss your search and what you learned.
Journal Due on 12/9
Research Paper Due on 12/16
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REQUIREMENTS
Class Discussion
Engaged and thoughtful participation in class discussion is the single most important element of
online courses. Therefore, it is essential that you complete assignments, e.g., the readings,
contribute comments and questions that propel the discussion forward, and respond to your
classmates.
Our discussions are critical in nature thus, we will move beyond reader response and one’s
aesthetic reaction to a text. While such input is valuable, it is not the focus of our conversation.
Further, we are interested in all children thus, we will not limit our discussion to the children in
our families nor of our childhood experiences. Again, using them as examples is useful but, we
will not limit our discussion to the children we know; instead we will complicate our conception
of “children” to include as much diversity as possible.
As this is a conversation, be sure to read and respond to your colleagues comments.
I expect you to post at least twice to each forum for the discussion. Failing to do so will result in
a reduction of your participation grade.
Your participation in discussion will be graded using the following rubric:
Distinguished--A
Always well prepared
for discussion. Evident
that individual has
completed reading the
entire assignment prior
to discussion week.
Brings additional
material to discussion.
Engages classmates in
dialogue that adds
synthesis, clarification
and significant
dimension to discussion.
Proficient--B
Prepared for discussion
most of the time.
Evident that individual
completed most of the
reading prior to
discussion week.
Comments are well
supported with the
assigned readings and
shows above average
thought. Supports and
engages classmates.
Basic--C
Prepared for discussion
some times. It was not
evident that student
completed reading prior
to discussion period.
Comments are not well
supported with sources
or lived experiences.
Posts are isolated from
class dialogue.
Consistently contributes
comments that
demonstrate critical and
insightful analysis of the
material.
Makes comments that,
more often than not,
demonstrates critical
and insightful analysis
of the material.
Sometimes contributes
comments that
demonstrate critical and
insightful analysis of the
material.
Commonly posts more
Posts twice or more to
Posts consistently fall
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than twice to each
forum and read’s all of
their colleagues’
comments.
Consistently contributes
to discussions in
messages of
constructive length—
not too brief, not too
wordy.
each forum and reads
most of their
colleagues’ comments.
More often than not
contributes to
discussions.
below the minimum
requirement. Does not
consistently peer’s
posts.
Sometimes contributes
to discussions.
No Post Day!! In an effort to manage the workload, we will not post on Wednesdays. I will delete
any posts made on Wednesdays.
ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments are to be:
 Typed in Microsoft Word using a 12 point, Times New Roman font
 Double-spaced
 Documented using either MLA or APA formats
 Submitted on the date noted on the syllabus. The policy for submitting late papers is:
10% deducted the first day, 20% deducted the second day, not accepted the third
day or later.
 Use MS Office 2007 or lower to save and submit your documents. The university does
not run Windows Vista, OS X, or Linux. See the Campus wide Document Standard at
https://www4.uwm.edu/uits/campus/policies/campus_document_standard/index.cfm for
additional information.
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS
Do not re-read or double count books for any of these assignments other than the research paper
Autobiography of a Reader of Multicultural Children’s Literature Due before 9/9
How much multicultural children’s literature did you read as a child? How did what you
read, or did not read, impact your ideas about racialized groups? How might your familiarity
with multicultural children’s literature impact you as a librarian?
To begin this exploration, please write an autobiography of yourself as a reader of
multicultural children’s literature. First brainstorm a list of titles of books and movies you read
as a child (birth-14) that had Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, Latinos and Arab
Americans as prominent characters. Next, discuss the images you’ve seen of one of the
racialized groups. What ideologies about these people were posited in this text set?
15
Then, consider your identity, and how who you are impacted your reading
preferences as a child. Consider how your gender, ethnicity, geography, history (personal,
communal, societal), class, age, personal experience, and religion all informed your reading
habits and interpretations. Next, consider how your parent’s or your community’s
assumptions about childhood informed your reading. What ideas might your teachers have
held about multicultural education?
Finally, discuss your expectations for the course. What do you think that we will
investigate? What do you want to learn?
There is no page limit on this assignment.
Cultural Accuracy Exercise Due on 9/23
Please determine the cultural and historical accuracy of Carvel’s Sweetgrass Basket and
Carter’s The Education of Little Tree. While you are more than welcome to review print sources,
I strongly suggest that you conduct your research via the internet. In so doing, determine the
ethnicity of the author, the accuracy of the texts, and what, if anything, we should do about the
book/video.
After having come to some conclusions, or a new array of questions, write a 3 page essay
reporting your findings.
Annotated Bibliography of Multicultural Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Due on 12/2
This is an opportunity for you to select some multicultural children’s literature to read on
your own. To do so, first select either a theme or source from which you can select texts.
Themes could be an ethnic group, an issue, or an age range, etc. Sources from which to select
books might be annotated bibliographies, review journals, or awards. Please have the theme or
source pre-approved.
Then select books of multicultural children’s literature of your choice. Then write a 100
word review of the book that evaluates it as multicultural children’s literature using the
principals discussed in the course.
Graduate students will critique 10 books. Undergraduates will critique 6 books. Be
mindful of the exchange rate on page one when selecting books under 150 pages.
Journal Due on 12/9
The material in this course may be difficult in that it might disrupt your ideas about race, children’s
literature, and the role of schools in social stratification. In addition, the readings are extensive and
some are rather difficult. Finally, research shows that we write our way to understanding—that
writing about a topic, in and of itself, will help students synthesize the material and make sense of
them. As such, I would like you to create a journal for the course.
To do so, please write a 500 word response to the designated week’s readings—primarily the
theoretical and critical readings not the children’s literature. I will usually give you a prompt but,
there are weeks where I ask you to write a response but, I do not give you a specific direction. In
that case your responses could be any of the following:
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synthesize of the material
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discuss how the material impacts your assumptions and ideologies about race, children,
and/or children’s literature
apply the theoretical material to the children’s literature
discuss conversations you have with family and/or colleagues about the material
discuss your children’s responses to the material
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The first entry in your journal is the Autobiography of a Reader of Multicultural Children’s
Literature which is due on 9/9. Otherwise, you need not submit the complete journal until 12/9. The
last entry should be a self-reflection on your learning process and to articulate your goals for future
learning about multicultural literature, librarianship, and/or education.
At the end of the semester please re-read your all journal entries and write a self-reflective essay in
which you review your learning process. Please consider the following for the final entry:
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First, what were your expectations for the course? What did you want to learn? You might
want to discuss some ideologies that you held about multicultural children’s literature and
librarianship.
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Next, describe your process of discovery thorough the course. When and where did the
information in the course not concur with your ideologies and assumptions? What caused
you to stop and ponder or rant with indignation? Basically, what did you learn? Here you
might want to also discuss your emotional journey as well. Be sure to reference particular
texts, discussions either in or outside of class, and your journal entries to support your
analysis.
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Finally, what do you still want to know about multicultural literature and librarianship? And
how do you plan to attain this information?
The journal will be graded on how you engage the process of self-reflection; how honestly and
critically you look at your text and yourself. There is no page limit for the final entry.
Caveat: while it might be tempting to wait until the end of the semester to write the journal entries
doing so will be evident to me because your analysis will probably be markedly different than it
would have been earlier in the semester. If you do so, your journal will not document your
journey/process of learning through the course and defeated the purpose of the assignment thus,
impacting your grade. Therefore, I retain the right to ask you to submit the response prompts at any
point in the semester.
Research Paper Due on 12/16
In this research paper write about an area of multicultural children’s literature or library
services as it relates to multicultural children’s literature. See me to discuss possible options. The
paper is 12-15 pages for graduate students and 7-9 for undergraduates.
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