Children's Literature in the Reading Program —
Abstract of

Chapter 7
Learning Through Literature That Offers Diverse Perspectives: Multicultural and International Literature

Junko Yokota

As a country, the United States is becoming increasingly diverse and will be continuing on this path in the foreseeable future. In addition, the world is becoming increasingly a global community, as technology advances have closed the gaps when it comes to our relationship with world neighbors. Thus, in the 21st century, we can no longer afford to merely look inward, reading and learning only from literature that reflects who we are and our own corner of the world. Instead, as our students grow up in a world that allows them more direct contact with diversity than ever before, we—and they—are challenged to consider a wide range of perspectives and to take a global perspective on a variety of social, economic, scientific, political, and intellectual issues. In this chapter, we will consider the roles that multicultural literature (literature reflecting the diversity in the United States) and international literature (literature originating outside the United States) can play in helping students gain diverse perspectives of the world.

Yokota, J. (2009). Learning Through Literature That Offers Diverse Perspectives: Multicultural and International Literature. In D.A. Wooten, & B.E. Cullinan (Eds.), Children's Literature in the Reading Program (pp. 66-73). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.