Multicultural Literature Survey

1
Multicultural Literature Survey

• Allison Jenkins
• LS 5903 Vardell
• Summer 2006

2
Multicultural Literature

• Children not only need to read literature that
  they can find themselves depicted within, but
  they need to reach beyond the confines of their
  own culture to experience others as well.
  "Children need the opportunity to view issues
  from a variety of perspectives, to think
  critically about social constraints, and to
  engage in decisions that result in action. They
  need to understand concepts from various
  perspectives and deal with issues of oppression
  and human rights. (Pang, et al.) By reading
  multicultural literature and opening oneself up
  to other possibilities, it helps foster feelings
  of tolerance and understanding. Multicultural
  literature helps children build their view of
  themselves and the variety of those around them.

3
Colleyville, Texas

• Website http//www.colleyville.com
• Population 21,700
• Racial Makeup 93.14 White
• 3.23 Hispanic/Latino
• 3.15 Asian American
• 1.31 African American
• 0.39 Native American
• 0.03 Pacific Islander
• 0.59 Other Race
• 1.40 Two or More Races

4
Age of Library Opened November 24, 2003
Years of Experience of Current Librarian 2 years in September
of Items in Library Collection 41,811
of Circulations for Library Since July 1, 2005 159,881
of Items in Youth Services Dept. 15,390
of Circulations for YS Dept. Since July 1, 2005 61,217
Selected Multicultural Books in Collection 142 titles / 179 items
of Circulations of Selected Multicultural Books 958
of Selected Multicultural Books of Total Youth Services Collection 0.92
Circulation of Selected Multicultural Books of Total Youth Services Circulation 1.56
5
International Authors
David Almond of Copies of Circulations
1 Counting Stars 1 5
2 The Fire-Eaters 1 0
3 Heaven Eyes 1 2
4 Kits Wilderness 1 1
5 Secret Heart 1 0
6 Skellig 1 5

Total 6 11
6
International Authors
Mem Fox of Copies of Circulations
1 A Bedtime Story 1 8
2 Boo to a Goose 1 19
3 Feathers and Fools 1 1
4 Guess What? 1 2
5 Harriet, Youll Drive Me Wild 1 9
6 Hattie and the Fox 1 10
7 Hunwicks Egg 1 3
8 Koala Lou 2 14
9 The Magic Hat 1 14
10 Night Noises 1 6
11 Possum Magic 1 8
7
International Authors
12 Sleepy Bears 1 20
13 Sophie 1 0
14 Time for Bed 3 21
15 Tough Boris 2 2
16 Where is the Green Sheep? 1 4
17 Whoever You Are 1 0
18 Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge 2 15
19 Wombat Divine 1 3

Total 24 159
8
International Authors
Cornelia Funke of Copies of Circulations
1 Dragon Rider 2 38
2 Inkheart 2 60
3 Inkspell 1 16
4 Pirate Girl 1 4
5 The Princess Knight 1 23
6 The Thief Lord 2 32
7 The Wildest Brother 1 3

Total 10 176
9
International Authors

• German author Cornelia Funke is the most popular
  international author surveyed. Many of her books
  are available in both print and compact disc
  formats. Though she has a significantly lower
  number of titles than Mem Fox, her fantasy novels
  remain young readers favorites. Fox also shows
  strong circulation records, but only a few of her
  titles circulate on a regular basis. Many others
  are overlooked. Though David Almonds books have
  been recognized by the Michael L. Printz Award
  committee, his books are ignored by the librarys
  younger patrons.

All book jacket images were taken from the
Colleyville OPAC.
10
African American Authors
Christopher Paul Curtis of Copies of Circulations
1 Bucking the Sarge 3 5
2 Bud, Not Buddy 2 18
3 Mr. Chickees Funny Money 2 3
4 The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 2 4

Total 9 30
11
African American Authors
Angela Johnson of Copies of Circulations
1 The First Part Last 1 7
2 Heaven 1 12
3 I Dream of Trains 1 18
4 Just Like Josh Gibson 1 3
5 The Leaving Morning 1 0
6 Looking for Red 2 4
7 One of Three 1 1
8 Running Back to Ludie 1 0
9 Violets Music 1 8
10 When I Am Old With You 1 0

Total 11 53
12
African American Authors
Jerry Pinkney of Copies of Circulations
1 Back Home 2 1
2 Black Cowboy, Wild Horses 1 12
3 Goin Someplace Special 1 2
4 John Henry 2 8
5 Miranda and Brother Wind 2 0
6 New Shoes for Silvia 1 6
7 Nightingale 1 4
8 Sam and the Tigers 2 7
9 The Sunday Outing 2 4
10 The Tales of Uncle Remus 1 5
11 Tanyas Reunion 1 0

Total 16 49
13
African American Authors
Mildred Taylor of Copies of Circulations
1 The Land 1 6
2 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 2 15
3 The Well Davids Story 1 0

Total 3 21
Jacqueline Woodson of Copies of Circulations
1 Hush 1 5
2 If You Come Softly 1 3
3 Locomotion 1 3
4 Miracles Boys 1 4

Total 4 15
14
African American Authors

• Angela Johnson has the highest number of
  circulations among the selected African American
  authors. Her books include young adult and
  juvenile novels, as well as picture books. Her
  picture book, I Dream of Trains, and Christopher
  Paul Curtiss Newbery Medal winner, Bud, Not
  Buddy, have circulated more than any other
  African American title. Jerry Pinkney also has a
  large number of titles that circulate well. As
  both author and illustrator, he has developed
  many picture books and non-fiction titles for
  children.

15
Hispanic/Latino Authors
George Ancona of Copies of Circulations
1 The Folk Arts 1 2

Total 1 2
Pat Mora of Copies of Circulations
1 Tómas and the Library Lady 1 13
2 Uno, Dos, Tres 1 17

Total 2 30
16
Hispanic/Latino Authors
Pam Muñoz Ryan of Copies of Circulations
1 Becoming Naomi León 1 2
2 Esperanza Rising 2 11
3 Riding Freedom 1 5
4 When Marian Sang 2 3

Total 6 21
17
Hispanic/Latino Authors
Gary Soto of Copies of Circulations
1 Accidental Love 1 1
2 The Afterlife 1 12
3 Canto Familiar 1 1
4 Chato and the Party Animals 2 16
5 Chato Goes Cruisin 1 6
6 Chatos Kitchen 3 17
7 Marisol 1 7
8 Nickel and Dime 1 0
9 The Old Man and His Door 1 7
10 Pacific Crossing 1 2
11 Poetry Lover 1 1
12 Too Many Tamales 2 9

Total 16 79
18
Hispanic/Latino Authors

• Despite the limited number of selected Hispanic
  titles, the librarys collection includes many of
  the popular titles and award winners. Well-known
  author, Pam Muñoz Ryan only has a handful of
  titles within the collection. Esperanza Rising
  was a Bluebonnet Award Nominee in 2003 and the
  2002 Pura Belpré Award Winner. Another one of
  her juvenile fiction titles, Becoming Naomi León
  was one of this years Pura Belpré Honor Books.
  Two of Gary Sotos picture books, including
  Chatos Kitchen and Chato and the Party Animals
  were Pura Belpré Award winners for illustration.

19
Native American Authors
Joseph Bruchac of Copies of Circulations
1 The Arrow Over the Door 1 7
2 A Boy Called Slow 1 2
3 Code Talker 1 0
4 The Earth Under Sky Bears Feet 1 0
5 Four Ancestors 1 0
6 The Heart of a Chief 1 0
7 Hidden Roots 1 7
8 Jim Thorpes Bright Path 1 0
9 The Journal of Jesse Smoke 1 1
10 Skeleton Man 1 11
11 The Story of the Milky Way 1 8
12 Thirteen Moons on Turtles Back 1 0
13 Turtles Race with Beaver 1 9

Total 13 45
20
Native American Authors
Michael Dorris of Copies of Circulations
1 Morning Girl 2 2
2 Sees Behind Trees 1 3

Total 3 5
Paul Goble of Copies of Circulations
1 Death of the Iron Horse 1 3
2 The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses 1 9
3 Iktomi and the Buzzard 1 1

Total 3 13
21
Native American Authors

• The library has a very small selection of Native
  American books and has no titles by Native
  American author, Cynthia Leitich Smith. Almost
  half of Joseph Bruchacs titles have never
  circulated. The most popular titles include the
  Caldecott Medal winner, The Girl Who Loved Wild
  Horses, and the juvenile novel, Skeleton Man.
  This collection of titles are vastly overlooked
  and go unnoticed. The library should acquire
  more Native American titles and promote them
  using displays throughout the childrens
  collection. Recommended reading lists could be
  developed to guide readers toward Native American
  literature.

22
Asian American Authors
Allen Say of Copies of Circulations
1 The Bicycle Man 1 2
2 The Boy of the Three-Year Nap 1 3
3 Emmas Rug 1 9
4 Grandfathers Journey 3 27
5 The Lost Lake 1 5
6 The Sign Painter 1 9
7 Tea with Milk 1 13
8 Tree of Cranes 1 8

Total 10 76
23
Asian American Authors
Linda Sue Park of Copies of Circulations
1 The Firekeepers Son 1 10
2 The Kite Fighters 2 18
3 Project Mulberry 2 6
4 Seesaw Girl 1 1
5 A Single Shard 1 2
6 When My Name Was Keoko 1 4

Total 8 41
Janet Wong of Copies of Circulations
1 Apple Pie Fourth of July 1 8

Total 1 8
24
Asian American Authors
Laurence Yep of Copies of Circulations
1 The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes 1 7
2 Cockroach Cooties 2 0
3 Dragon Prince 1 7
4 Dragonwings 1 6
5 Dream Soul 1 5
6 The Ghost Fox 1 1
7 Hiroshima 1 0
8 The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung 1 0
9 Lady of Ch'iao Kuo 1 7
10 The Lost Garden 1 0
11 Spring Pearl The Last Flower 1 13

Total 12 46
25
Asian American Authors

• The titles by the selected Asian American authors
  circulate fairly well and there is a large
  diversity among racial ethnicities. Laurence Yep
  and Janet Wong focus on Chinese American
  literature, while Linda Sue Park creates Korean
  American characters and Allen Say concentrates on
  Japanese literature. These authors choose to
  focus on the various cultural groups that make up
  Asians and Asian Americans. Their stories are
  not only limited to American settings, but travel
  back to the cultures original country.

26
Inclusive Literature
Nancy Garden of Copies of Circulations
1 Endgame 1 0
2 The Year They Burned the Books 1 4

Total 2 4
Isaac Millman of Copies of Circulations
1 Howie Bowles and Uncle Sam 1 3
2 Howie Bowles, Secret Agent 1 4
3 Moses Goes to a Concert 1 9
4 Moses Goes School 1 14
5 Moses Goes to the Circus 1 16
6 Moses Sees a Play 1 5

Total 6 51
27
Inclusive Literature
Naomi Shihab Nye of Copies of Circulations
1 19 Varieties of Gazelle 1 2
2 I Feel Jumpy Around You 1 0
3 Is This Forever or What? 2 2
4 A Maze Me 2 1
5 Sittis Secrets 1 14
6 What Have You Lost? 1 1

Total 8 20
28
Inclusive Literature

• The library does not own any titles by inclusive
  author, Michael Wilhoite. Inclusive literature
  makes up the lowest percentage of the selected
  multicultural titles. With only fourteen titles,
  the youth services collection has very few books
  on characters with disabilities and gay or
  lesbian characters. Because of the conservative
  community it serves, the library is especially
  careful about which childrens titles it selects
  that focus on homosexuality or alternative
  families. This prejudicial selection, however,
  limits young readers exposure to alternative
  lifestyles, and perhaps their own.

29
Results
Total Number of Titles Percent of Total Collection
International 32 0.208
African American 32 0.208
Hispanic/Latino 19 0.123
Native American 18 0.117
Asian American 27 0.175
Inclusive 14 0.091

Total 142 0.922
30
Results Analysis

• Based on the results of the multicultural
  literature survey, the Colleyville Public Library
  has a long way to go in providing its youngest
  patrons with a diverse and authentic youth
  services collection. It was found that out of
  the twenty-four possible multicultural authors
  the library has titles by twenty-two of the
  selected authors. No books are owned by the
  Native American author, Cynthia Leitich Smith,
  and the inclusive author, Michael Wilhoite.
  Between the 22 selected authors, there were 179
  items, which includes duplicate copies and books
  on compact disc. Of those items, the library's
  collection consists of only 142 unique titles.
  In comparison to the 15,390 volumes in the Youth
  Services collection, the selected multicultural
  titles make up a fraction of the books on the
  shelves. They make up a dismal 0.92 percent of
  the total items in the children's collection.
• Circulation statistics were acquired and based
  on a one year period beginning on July 1, 2005
  and running through July 24, 2006. The
  circulation statistics are slightly better than
  the library's holdings. Of the 61,217
  circulations within the children's collection,
  958 of those were multicultural titles. The
  percentage of circulations for the selected books
  in comparison to the total number of circulations
  comes out to 1.56 percent. The low circulation
  and title numbers are partially justified because
  the library has not even been open for three
  years. The youth services librarian is in the
  process of building up the children's and young
  adult collections. There are numerous award
  winners, honor books, and nominees that the
  library is still lacking. As funding allows, the
  librarian is attempting to fill in these gaps.

31
Results Analysis Contd

• With three authors and 346 circulations, the
  selected international authors have circulated
  more frequently than any other culture. Cornelia
  Funke's fantasy novels and picture books make her
  a popular choice among Colleyville's young
  readers. Her novel, Inkheart has circulated an
  astounding sixty times. The children's
  collection has more Mem Fox titles than any other
  author. Her nineteen picture books circulate
  almost as well as Funke's. In turn, the Native
  American titles circulate the least. With only
  three of the four selected authors, the
  Colleyville Public Library's eighteen books have
  only been checked out sixty-three times. Though
  the collection contains numerous Joseph Bruchac
  titles, almost half of them have never circulated
  in the previous year.
• Keeping in mind the city's racial makeup, the
  multicultural titles that circulate the most
  (aside from the international books) are those
  that correspond to the highest minority
  percentages. The materials depicting Asian
  Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics or
  Latinos have the next highest circulation
  records. In turn, the city has a very low Native
  American population, which correlates with the
  disappointing circulation statistics for the past
  year. However, multicultural literature is not
  written solely for the ethnic group it portrays.
  Sandra S. Yamate states, "When it comes to
  multicultural children's books, a dangerous
  stereotype exists. This stereotype insists that
  multicultural books are only intended for the
  particular racial or ethnic group represented."
  (105) This is an unhealthy notion and stereotype
  that limits children from experiencing cultures
  other than their own.

32
Results Analysis Contd

• By reading literature that focuses on one
  ethnicity, children develop a distorted and
  homogenous view of the world. Multicultural
  literature helps break down these barriers and
  provide young readers with a more accurate
  representation of the world's population. Even
  though the Colleyville Public Library services a
  population, in which the majority of patrons are
  Caucasian, does not mean that it should not
  provide a balanced and diverse children's
  collection. Though the circulation statistics
  and titles lists appear limited, one should keep
  in mind that the survey only encompasses a select
  list of authors and books. Overall, the
  Colleyville Public Library offers its patrons a
  fairly diverse collection, especially in young
  adult fiction.
• However, my first recommendation for
  strengthening and building a more comprehensive
  collection would be to purchase all the award
  winners and honor books for those given by the
  American Library Association. This includes, but
  is not limited to, the Pura Belpré Award, the
  Batchelder Award, and the Coretta Scott King Book
  Awards. By using these award lists as collection
  development tools, the library will be able to
  add authentic and quality titles to their
  collection. In addition to these awards, the
  librarian should utilize the selection resources
  known for promoting multicultural literature,
  such as Bookbird and School Library Journal.
  Also, by browsing publishers' catalogs, the
  library will be able to locate appropriate books
  to add to its collection. Then the librarian
  should focus on building up the inclusive
  literature within the library, since this is the
  area with the fewest amounts of titles.

33
Results Analysis Contd

• Finally, the library should work to promote the
  multicultural literature it already owns. By
  creating recommended reading lists, patrons can
  easily locate multicultural award winners and
  books based on a specific culture or ethnicity.
  Setting up displays throughout the children's
  section and in the main entryway of the library
  will attract the patrons' attention. The key is
  placing the books in plain sight and making them
  easily accessible. Patrons are always asking for
  reading suggestions. This provides the youth
  services librarian the opportunity to booktalk
  the multicultural titles within the children's
  collection on a one-on-one basis. The Youth
  Services department can also incorporate
  multiculturalism into its programs. By offering
  multilingual story times, children can be
  introduced to various cultures and languages. It
  provides the chance to dispel the stereotypes and
  preconceived notions about certain cultures. It
  allows children to ask or address any questions
  or concerns they may have about a foreign custom.
  A family craft time could be arranged, so long
  as the librarian researches the cultural
  significance of the craft and does not stereotype
  cultural groups with projects, such as dream
  catchers and piñatas. In addition to the story
  times and family programs, the library can
  participate in annual cultural events, such as El
  Día de Los Niños El D Día de Los Libros. The
  idea is to get the children in the community to
  actively participate and be exposed to cultures
  other than their own.

34
Multicultural Publishers

• Albert Whitman and Company
• Alyson Publications
• Arte Público Press
• Del Sol Books, Inc.
• Greenfield Press
• Just Us Books
• Kane/Miller Book Publishers
• Lee and Low Multicultural Books
• Mantra Publishing
• Polychrome Publishing

35
Multicultural Websites

• American Library Association Literary Awards
• Asia for Kids
• Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish
  for Children and Adolescents
• El Día de Los Niños
• Happy Ever Afters
• International Board on Books for Young People
• International Reading Association
• Michigan State Libraries Multicultural
  Childrens Literature
• Multicultural Pavilion
• Oyate
• Shens Books
• Texas Library Association Reading Lists
• United States Board on Books for Young People

36
Multicultural Resources

• Journals
• Bookbird A Journal of International Childrens
  Literature
• Book Links
• Journal of Childrens Literature
• School Library Journal
• The Horn Book
• Books
• Stories Matter The Complexity of Cultural
  Authenticity in Childrens Literature, edited by
  Dana L. Fox and Kathy G. Short
• Using Multiethnic Literature in the K-8
  Classroom, edited by Violet J. Harris

37
My Final Thoughts

• Working at the Colleyville Public Library, I
  have always had trouble finding the required
  reading for my classes. I had assumed that this
  was because the library is only two years old and
  still has a very young collection. However, when
  conducting the survey of the circulation records,
  I was shocked by how low the percentage of
  multicultural books was and how many award
  winners are missing from the children's
  collection. I feel that by promoting the
  collection the library already has and
  supplementing it with multicultural programming
  will boost the circulation statistics for the
  children's collection. Also, though the survey
  provides a general overview, it is difficult to
  determine how many multicultural titles actually
  make up the childrens collection. It has helped
  point out to me the cultural groups that need the
  greatest attention and work, in order to build a
  more balanced collection. It has offered a great
  starting point for multiculturalism.

38
Reference List

• Colleyville Public Library. 2006.
  Library.Solution PAC. http//www.youseemore.com/C
  olleyville (Accessed July 24, 2006).
• Pang, V.O., C. Colvin, M. Tran, and R. Barba.
  1992. Beyond chopsticks and dragons Selecting
  Asian-American literature for children. The
  Reading Teacher 46 (3) 216-23.
• Wikipedia. 2006. Colleyville, Texas.
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleyville,_Texas
  (Accessed July 24, 2006).
• Yamate, Sandra S. 1997. Asian Pacific American
  childrens literature Expanding perceptions
  about who Americans are. In Using Multiethnic
  Literature in the K-8 Classroom, ed. Violet J.
  Harris, 95-128. Norwood, MA Christopher-Gordon
  Publishers, Inc.