(draft) Multicultural Literature:
Books for Alaskans
Who is
Introduction:
- Pura Belpré Award began in 1996 to acknowledge "Latino/Latina writers and illustrators representing the Latino cultural experience in literature for children and young adults" (Botelho & Rudman, 2009).
- She was the first Latina librarian of the New York City Library.
- Was also an author and a storyteller.
- She enjoyed telling Puerto Rican folklore to children in the United States.
- She was a pioneer in multicultural literature and one of the first to express the need for diversity with children's literature (Sanchez-Gonzalez, 2015).
Why should I include these books in my classroom?
- Represent students in all Latino cultures
- Provide authentic multicutural literature
- Students will feel represented in the books we share with them
- Book winners are a true representation of our students
- Students can make connections with what they read
What Books Do I Select?
- Vast number of books
- Some books are for all ages
- Some for young adults
- Books are versitile
- Poetry books also win awards!
Clipart: Google Images
Books Recommended for Read Aloud
Separate is Never Equal
By Duncan Tonatiuh
The story of the Mendez family going up against the Westminster school district to earn their right to attend the school closer to their home and not the "Mexican School".
Becoming Naomi Leon
By Pam Munoz Ryan
A story about a girl from an Anglo-Mexican background, deals with daily troubles at school, questions who she is. Her mother comes back after being absent for 6 years and tries to take her away from the life she knows. She searches for her father in Mexico and finds the answers to things she always questioned.
Poetry Books
Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems
By Francisco X. Alarcon and Maya Christina Gonzalez
Playing tribute to the children who work the fields, Alarcon does a marvelous job at humorously putting these poems about life together.
Laughing Out Loud, I Fly: Poems in English and Spanish
By Juan Felipe Herrera
A poetry book in English and Spanish about growing up in the jumbled world of two cultures, Mexican - American.
Click on the link below for ALL Pura Belpré Award winners and honorees
Questions?
References:
Bui, Y. N., & Fagan, Y. M. (2013). The Effects of an Integrated Reading Comprehension Strategy: A Culturally Responsive Teaching Approach for Fifth-Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension. Preventing School Failure, 57(2), 59-69.
C. (2012, May 14). Pura Belpré, A Storyteller (Trailer). Retrieved February 13, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=375vw6lS4-Y
Jiménez-García, M. (2014). Pura Belpré Lights the Storyteller's Candle: Reframing the Legacy of a Legend and What it Means for the Fields of Latino/a Studies and Children's Literature. Centro Journal, 26(1), 110-147.
Morrell, E., & Morrell, J. (2012). Multicultural readings of multicultural literature and the promotion of social awareness in ELA classrooms. New England Reading Association Journal, 47(2), 10-16,81. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/940889714?accountid=7117