Categories of Multicultural Literature

Like all good literature, multicultural literature cuts across all the genres including fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Nonfiction books include biographies, informational and photo essays. Fiction includes realistic and fantasy tales. When selecting a book it is important to ask two key questions: Is it a good story? Is it worth sharing with a child?

There are several categories of multicultural books:

1. World Literature is literature that is set outside the United States. This often includes folk and fairy tales, books that have been translated, and stories about children visiting relatives in other places.

2. Culturally Specific literature are those stories that come from the various cultural groups themselves. These books are those in which people tell their own stories. They are written by a member of the specified culture. These books typically include nonfiction and historical and realistic fiction.

3. Culturally inclusive books are those that are themselves about multiple cultures. They are stories about appreciating and often celebrating the similarities and differences between us all. Themes for young children include looking at where we all live, what we eat, and the various kinds of families. These books are often multi-lingual as well.

4. Visually integrated books are not necessarily about coming to understand something about a person's culture, but they visually show people of color, women, and those from different lifestyles as a natural part of the story.