Using Children's Books to Explore Multiculturalism in Its Less Visible Forms

Farrington, Eleanor, NATE Classroom

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At Seven Stories we believe that children and young people should be able to choose and enjoy books that reflect the lives of young people from different cultures in the world today. Today, Britain's under 16s come from more minority ethnic groups than any previous generation. This presents challenges and opportunities in producing and finding books that reflect this demographic. The books young people and children read play a vital role in helping them to communicate, express creativity, explore emotions, recognise their own identity and share experiences with others. Recognising how much we all have in common and learning to value the differences they see in people around them, their tolerance and respect for others is vital. Seven Stories, along with teachers and school librarians are seeking an ever more diverse range of children's literature and resources to tempt and enthuse culturally diverse young readers.

Understanding the terms 'multicultural' and I 'cultural diversity' is not without its problems. I There is a need to overcome the perception that it only refers to books that feature black or Asian characters, or any culture other than of a white European origin. 'Multicultural', in relation to literature for children and young people, should mean books that reflect the wide cultural diversity in our society. Books can sometimes concentrate entirely on diversity of race, ethnicity and religious practice, but at Seven Stories we promote children's books and develop learning projects and resources that also explore its less visible forms--not only racial, ethnic and religious but generational, class based, gender based, urban-rural and others. Different types of diversity overlap in complex …

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Publication information: Article title: Using Children's Books to Explore Multiculturalism in Its Less Visible Forms. Contributors: Farrington, Eleanor - Author. Magazine title: NATE Classroom. Volume: 17. Publication date: Summer 2012. Page number: 32+. © 2008 National Association for the Teaching of English. COPYRIGHT 2012 Gale Group.

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