This Land Is Our Land: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults

(Hardback)

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Description

How do you select the best recent works of fiction, oral tradition, and poetry about African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American Indian experiences and traditions from the profusion of titles being published today This annotated bibliography of titles for children and young adults published from 1985 through the end of 1993--with 60% published since 1990--provides a one-stop selection tool. Appraisals of 559 titles, as well as information about an additional 188 recent books and 90 earlier ones of importance, are provided. Each entry features a plot summary incorporating themes, critical comments with a judgment of the book's value as an example of its genre, suggestions of other books by that writer, and related books of importance. The authors, who are recognized authorities in children's literature, and an advistory board of librarians and teachers, each of whom specializes in the literature of a particular ethnic group, have provided insightful critical appraisals and expertise and guidance in the selection of titles. Helpful subject, grade-level, author, title, and illustrator indexes are organized for ease of use. Titles in the grade-level and subject indexes are also identified by ethnic group.

Reviews

.,.".very fine reference book. The annotations are very well written commentaries about the book contents and the quality of the presentation of race and ethnicity for young people. The range and scope of the titles is enormous and represents a superb collection of literary works. The many indexes found in This Land Is Our Land are especially useful to teachers and library media specialists. This reference book will be invaluable to educators who prize diversity and who want to share high-quality works of literature celebrating American life experiences with young people."- ARBA 95
....very fine reference book. The annotations are very well written commentaries about the book contents and the quality of the presentation of race and ethnicity for young people. The range and scope of the titles is enormous and represents a superb collection of literary works. The many indexes found in This Land Is Our Land are especially useful to teachers and library media specialists. This reference book will be invaluable to educators who prize diversity and who want to share high-quality works of literature celebrating American life experiences with young people.- ARBA 95
Developing high quality multicultural collections is a major concern of youth librarians, and this single source will provide valuable guidance with its evaluative, timely, and thorough reviews.-School Library Journal
In the preface, the authors state their concern with the issue of quality in multi-ethnic books of imaginative literature, and they clearly explain the purpose and methodology of this guide to those books published from 1985-1993. Sections are divided by ethnic groups (African American, Asian, Hispanic American and Native-American Indian are the four groups represented here) and then, within each group into Books of Fiction, Books of Oral Tradition, and Books of Poetry. Annotations (alphabetic by author within each category) are opinionated but measured and thoughtful, usefully weighing good and bad points of every book included in a refreshing contrast to gushier and less practical bibliographies. Each of the 570 annotations includes publication information and recommended age level; indices of titles, writers, grade level, and subjects are included.-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
This book's strength is in its worldwide coverage. Libraries and curriculum resource centers will want to consider This Land Is Our Land for its currency and comprehensive coverage of quality multicultural literature for children.-Reference Book Bulletin/Booklist
This work should be of interest to researchers, teachers, librarians, and parents interested in multicultural and multiethnic literature.-Choice
...".very fine reference book. The annotations are very well written commentaries about the book contents and the quality of the presentation of race and ethnicity for young people. The range and scope of the titles is enormous and represents a superb collection of literary works. The many indexes found in This Land Is Our Land are especially useful to teachers and library media specialists. This reference book will be invaluable to educators who prize diversity and who want to share high-quality works of literature celebrating American life experiences with young people."- ARBA 95
"Developing high quality multicultural collections is a major concern of youth librarians, and this single source will provide valuable guidance with its evaluative, timely, and thorough reviews."-School Library Journal
"This book's strength is in its worldwide coverage. Libraries and curriculum resource centers will want to consider This Land Is Our Land for its currency and comprehensive coverage of quality multicultural literature for children."-Reference Book Bulletin/Booklist
"This work should be of interest to researchers, teachers, librarians, and parents interested in multicultural and multiethnic literature."-Choice
"In the preface, the authors state their concern with the issue of quality in multi-ethnic books of imaginative literature, and they clearly explain the purpose and methodology of this guide to those books published from 1985-1993. Sections are divided by ethnic groups (African American, Asian, Hispanic American and Native-American Indian are the four groups represented here) and then, within each group into Books of Fiction, Books of Oral Tradition, and Books of Poetry. Annotations (alphabetic by author within each category) are opinionated but measured and thoughtful, usefully weighing good and bad points of every book included in a refreshing contrast to gushier and less practical bibliographies. Each of the 570 annotations includes publication information and recommended age level; indices of titles, writers, grade level, and subjects are included."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Author Bio

ALETHEA K. HELBIG is Professor of English Language and Literature at Eastern Michigan University. She has been teaching Native-American literature for 20 years. A former president of the Children's Literature Association, she has received the State of Michigan Award for Outstanding Teaching and Publication. She has published over 100 articles in professional journals such as Children's Literature and The Children's Literature Association Quarterly and reference books such as American Women Writers, Writers for Children, and Masterplots. AGNES REGAN PERKINS is Professor Emeritus of English Language and Literature at Eastern Michigan University. She has published numerous articles in journals and reference books including A Tolkien Compass, Unicorn, Children's Literature, Children's Literature Association Quarterly, Writers for Children, and Masterplots. She is co-compiler of the poetry anthologies New Coast and Strange Harbors (with Helen Hill) and Straght on till Morning and Dusk to Dawn (both with Hill and Alethea Helbig).