Across Cultures: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children

摘要

As the populations of the world's largest countries become ever more mixed and diverse due to the continual movement of people, it is important that children from a very young age are introduced to the cultures of the people living around them. This is because there are so many varied cultures in the world many have yet to be fully explored. Of those cultures that have been studied, much has been written and more is understood, certainly by adults, than ever before. One of the ways in which the adult population discovers more about the cultures of the world is through literature: this is a perfect medium to use with children. There are now a considerable number of children's books written for pre-schoolers through to teenagers that address issues faced by immigrant as well as native cultures. America has a particularly diverse and mixed society; children in many parts of this country are likely to find themselves surrounded by any number of people from a wide variety of backgrounds. If they can begin to understand more about these people with whom they share their world, then it could perhaps be hoped that, one day, there may be a greater degree of tolerance and understanding in the world.