1. Created by Collette Knight
Multiculturalism Annotated Bibliography
Alvarez, Julia. (2008). Once Upon A Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the U.S.A. Plume,
Reprint Edition.
Alvarez travels the country interviewing young Latino girls about their Quinceanera
parties. During the interviews, the reader learns about the culture and symbolism
surrounding these sometimes extravagant “coming out” parties.
Bend It Like Becham. 112 min. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD, $14.99.
This movie portrays a teenage Sikh girl who wants to pursue her love of soccer but has
trouble with combining this passion with her Sikh beliefs. It is listed under the 2009
Fabulous Films for Young Adults.
Bernardo, Anilu. (1996). Jumping Off to Freedom. Arte Publico Press.
A novel about a father who builds a raft to help him, his son, and two other passengers
escape to Cuba. They face many life threatening challenges during the journey.
Bitton-Jackson, Livia. (1990). I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The
Holocaust. Simon Pulse Publisher.
This is a memoir of a 13 year old girl and her experiences during the Nazi occupation of
Hungary in 1944. Some of the awards this novel has earned: Sydney Taylor Book Award
(1997), ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1998), and the Christopher Award (1998).
Cunxin, Li. (2006). Mao’s Last Dancer. Bolinda Audio.
This is the story of a ballet dancer from the Beijing Dance Academy who lives under
Mao’s control. The dancer tries to find a way to freedom.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. (2009). Elijah of Buxton. Scholastic Audio.
This novel is about a Canadian settlement where slaves from America settled. The main
character Elijah, has to deal with the aftermath of slavery.
Freedom Writers. Paramount Pictures, DVD. $29.99.
This is a movie about a teacher who tries to get her students to express themselves
through writing. This writing helps students achieve personal and academic success in an
environment where many students drop out of school. It is listed under the 2010
Fabulous Films for Young Adults.
Hidier, Tanuja Desai. (2003). Born Confused. Scholastic Paperbacks.
2. Created by Collette Knight
Born Confused is a story of an Indian girl struggling with her identity. She is not sure
whether she is American or Indian, and struggles with the concept of being an American
Indian.
Jazz. Live Oak Media. Music by James “D-Train” Williams and Vanessa Thomas coordinated
with the poetry of Walter Dean Myers.
This musical compiliation is a winner of the Odyssey Award. The music is coordinated
with the rhymes and rhythms of the spoken word of Walter Dean Myers.
Kazuki, Nakashima. (2009). Takeru, Opera Susanoh Sword of the Devil Volume 1. TokyoPop
Publishing.
Three friends go on a journey to locate a magical sword named Susanoh. While
journeying for the sword, evil places obstacles along the way.
Lengyel, Olga. (1995). Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz. Academy Chicago
Publishers.
This is the story of a Olga Lengyel and how she survived seven months in Auschwitz.
Lowry, Lois. (1998). Number the Stars. Laurel Leaf Publishers.
Winner of the 1990 Newberry Award, this novel tells the story of a family hiding their
daughter’s best friend from the Nazis. It takes place in Nazi occupied Denmark in 1943,
and provides information regarding Danish secret operations to hide Jews and help them
escape to Sweden.
Magoon, Kekla. (2010). The Rock and the River. Aladdin Publisher.
The author tells a story about a young African American teen whose father is a civil
rights activitist. The teen and his girlfriend witness a brutal beating and his brother tries
to join the Black Panther Party even though his father disapproves.
Manzano, Juan Francisco. (2006). The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco
Manzano. Henry Holt and Company.
This story is about a young man who is a slave in Cuba. The story is told in verse and is
a winner of many awards including, the American Library Association Best Books for
Young Adults.
Na, An. (2003). A Step From Heaven. Speak Publishing.
This novel is a winner of the ALA Michael Printz Award. This is a story of a Korean
Immigrant family’s move from Korea to America. It is told through the perspective of
3. Created by Collette Knight
four year old Young Ju, and describes the struggles with locating jobs and
communication.
Nelson, Kadir. (2008). We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. Jump At The
Sun Publishers.
This story is broken into nine innings and tells about the segregation of baseball and
introduces the reader to African American ball players who never made it big because of
segregation.
Sanchez, Alex. (2007). Getting It. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing.
A story about Carlos who asks the school’s gay guy, Sal, if he can give him a makeover.
Sal also teaches him some positive character traits, like standing up for what you believe
in, in the process.
Van Den Bogaert, H.W and O’Connor George. (2006). Journey Into Mohawk Country.
Roaring Brook Press.
This nonfiction graphic novel traces the journey of a Dutch trader into land controlled by
the Mohawk tribe.
Wittlinger, Ellen. (2001). Hard Love. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing.
This story depicts a friendship between John Galardi, who doesn’t feel anything since his
parent’s divorce and a young girl, Marisol, who is just learning about herself as a lesbian.
The two develop a friendship, which Jon would like to turn into more, but his new friend
doesn’t know how to let him down gently. A winner of numerous awards, including:
Printz Award Honor Book, 2000.
Yolen, Jane. (2004). The Devil’s Arithmetic. Puffin.
Winner of the Teens Read Too Gold Star Award, this novel is about a young girl who is
transported to Poland in the 1940’s. Her experience explains why her family tries to
teach her about the horrible events of the Holocaust.
