Seven Ways to Evaluate Multicultural
Literature
1. Determine the author’s perspective and expertise.
 What source material informs the author’s writing?
 Is he/she writing from an “insider” perspective?
 Has the author researched, visited, or lived among the culture they are writing about?
2. Watch out for stereotyping in characters or cultures.
 Does the author use condescending tones toward minority characters?
 Are traditional costumes and customs used to perpetuate negative stereotypes?
 Is respect shown for all peoples and cultures?
3. Assess illustrations for authenticity and accuracy.
 Do characters have recognizable features of their culture?
 Are features the same across cultures but with different colors?
 Are ethnic features or costumes exaggerated or drawn out of proportion?
4. Check that cultural details are current and correct.
 Is historical information correct?
 Are language specific words spelled and pronounced correctly?
 Are cultural details naturally integrated into the storyline?
5. Analyze the storyline and characters for tokenism or typecasting.
 Are majority characters dominant while minority characters remain submissive?
 Do majority characters have to “save” minority characters?
 Is diversity within a cultural group displayed?
6. Look for multidimensionality and interconnections between characters.
 Does the storyline bring diverse characters together in a realistic way?
 Does the author encourage readers to explore both similarities and differences between cultures?
 Are characters recognizable as distinct beings apart from their culture?
7. Consider multicultural book awards and honors.
 Pura Belpré Award - Given for excellence in Latino/Latina children’s and young adult literature.
 Mildred L. Batchelder Award - Given for most outstanding children’s book translated from a language
other than English.
 Correta Scott King Award - Given to outstanding African American authors of books for children and
young adults.
Resources for Using Multicultural Literature in the
Classroom
Book Lists:
 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Read
nea.org/grants/29510.htm
 Recommended Diverse Children’s Books (Michigan State University)
tinyurl.com/n72zcy9
 Global Literature: Literature Award Listings
resources.primarysource.org/globalliterature
Other Resources:
 Google Lit Trips
Google Lit Trips are free downloadable files that mark the journeys of characters from famous
literature on the surface of Google Earth.
googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Home.html
 UNC Carolina Navigators: Culture Kits
Culture Kits are free collections of tangible items from a country brought to us by international and
UNC students. Each item is accompanied by a description highlighting the item's use or significance.
navigators.applicantstack.com/x/openings
 World View Global WebFriends
Scholars agree to communicate their international experiences to a North Carolina classroom via email.
Scholars are in various regions of the globe.
worldview.unc.edu/global-resources/rotary-webfriends/
 UNC African Studies Center: Learning Boxes
To deepen understanding of the cultures and histories of African societies, the ASC offers classroom
kits featuring sets of African-themed novels for student reading. These are available free of charge to
N.C. teachers, and the African Studies Center will pay the shipping costs in both directions.
africa.unc.edu/outreach/learning_boxes/index.asp
 Multicultural Experiential Exercises (Antioch University)
Descriptions, instructions, and discussion questions for over twenty multicultural exercises and games.
antiochne.edu/multiculturalcenter/exercises/