Multicultural Text Set

Family Structures
By Miranda Russnow
Boundless Grace By Mary Hoffman
● Summary: This book tells the story of when Grace went to visit her dad, whom
she felt disconnected from, in Africa. She meets her dad’s new family and
learns how to accept that she is part of a blended family now. At the end
Grace questions why there are not any books that depict a family like her own
so her nana tells Grace to write one of her own.
● Appropriate Grade Level: Pre-K through 2nd grade
● Keywords/themes: Acceptance, Different, and create.
Boundless Grace
● Evaluation:
● How does this book address
inclusivity: This book addresses the
fact that most children books only
show one type of family. Boundless
grace shows children that there are
different types of families, and if
there isn't a book or a show that
shows the way you live, create it
because every aspect of diversity
should be represented in media.
Boundless Grace
● Recommended Use: I would use this book as a way to introduce a writing
activity in a classroom K-2. I would have the students think about their lives
and think if there is anything about them that isn't represented and tell them
to write about that. As for pre-K, instead of a writing activity, I would have
them draw something about themselves that they want represented and
attempt to write out what they drew, then I would have them tell the teacher
(myself) what they drew so I could write that on the picture.
● Standards:
○ Literacy Block 1- Oral Language
■ c) Make predictions about what might happen in a story.
■ d) Use complete sentences to ask and answer questions about experiences or about what has been read.
○ Literacy Block 6- Writing
■ a) Distinguish print from images or illustrations.
Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale by Karen Katz
● Summary: This book tells the story of a couple who are adopting a child. They
first dream of where the child comes from, then they go to pick up the child,
and take her home. They tell her how loved she is and they were meant to be
a family.
● Appropriate Grade Level: Pre-K through 1st grade
● Keywords/ Themes: Patience, Dream, Prepare
Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale
● Evaluation
● How does this book address inclusivity:
This book shows inclusivity by including
another family structure in children's
literature. While ti doesn't say it directly
in words, the illustrations show a family
that is a mix of different cultures and
backgrounds.
Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale
● Recommended Use: One activity that could be implemented in practicum
classroom: If I were in a pre-K classroom, I would only use this as a read
aloud. If I were in a classroom for either Kindergarten or 1st grade, I would
use this as an opening for a writing activity in which the students would write
about a dream they had and what they had to do to prepare for that.
● Standards:
○ Literacy Block 1- Oral Language
■ a) Listen with increasing attention to spoken language, conversations, and texts read aloud.
■ b) Correctly identify characters, objects, and actions in a text with or without pictures and begin to comment about each.
■ g) Listen attentively to stories in a whole class setting.
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding By Sarah S Brannen
● Summary: This book discusses how family relationships may change after
marriage through a family of guinea pigs. Chloe’s Uncle is getting married and
she is worried about losing him. Without mentioning it in the book, Uncle
Bobby’s Wedding shows a positive example of a gay marriage, thus
promoting inclusion of same sex couples.
● Appropriate Grade levels: Pre-K through 2nd grade
● Keywords/ Themes: Acceptance, Inclusion, and Uncertainty
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
● Evaluation:
● How does this book show inclusion:
This book shows a gay marriage
without talking about the topic of gay
marriage. I feel that this book shows
inclusivity of gay marriage because it
doesn't make a big deal out of it.
Instead it doesn't even discuss it
because there is an understanding that
nothing is wrong with gay marriage.
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
● Recommended Use: One activity that could be implemented in practicum
classroom: I would use this in a Pre-K classroom to open up a discussion
about including people without excluding others.
● Standards:
○ Personal and Social Development Block 1 - Self Concept
■ b) Begin to recognize and express own emotions using words rather than actions.
○ Personal and Social Development Block 4- Interaction with others.
■ c) Interact appropriately with other children and familiar adults by cooperating, helping, sharing, and expressing interest.
■ d) Participate successfully in group settings.
○ Health and Physical Development Block 4- Responsible Behaviors
■ c) Work well with others.
Let’s Talk About It: Stepfamilies By Fred Rogers
● Summary: This non-fiction book discusses what you may or may not feel or
experience when a parent remarries. Towards the end of the book it starts to
discuss how the child can cope on their own to these new changes. This book
uses pictures of two different families to show the different topics of the
book. The content of this book is still highly relatable but the pictures are a bit
outdated. I think the pictures should reflect many different cultures blended
into the families rather than a full african-american family or a full caucasian
family.
● Appropriate Grade Level: Pre-K through 3rd grade
● Keywords/ Themes: Adjust, Problem Solving, and Communication
Let’s Talk About It: Stepfamilies
● Evaluation:
● How does this book address inclusion:
While this book could be changed to better
represent today’s society of blended cultures,
The illustrations depict the diversity from
when it was published. The topic choice is a
way of addressing inclusivity because many
students can relate to the topic of
stepfamilies. This book can be used to open
up a discussion with students to ensure their
understanding of their personal lives.
Let’s Talk About It: Stepfamilies
● Recommended Use: One activity that could be implemented in practicum
classroom: I would use this book for more of a one on one lesson. This book
can used to help a student understand something happening in their
life.during the one on one lesson, I would use the book to assess
comprehension, as well as reading skills or listening skills.
● Standards:
○ Literacy Block 1- Oral Language
■ a) Listen with increasing attention to spoken language, conversations, and texts read aloud.
■ d) Use complete sentences to ask and answer questions about experiences or about what has been read.
○ Literacy Block 5- Print and Book Awareness
■ c) Identify where reading begins on a page ( first word).
■ d) Follow text with a finger, pointing to each word as it is read from left to right and top to bottom with assistance.
■ e) Distinguish print from pictures.
○ Personal and Social Development Block 5- Social Problem Solving
■ a) Express feelings through appropriate gestures, actions, and words.
You Were the First
● Summary: This short book goes through some off the firsts a baby will have.
At the end it says that one day their my be another child or two who will have
the same firsts, but they will always be the first child. Therefore the first child
will always hold a special place in the parents heart.
● Appropriate Grade Level: Pre-K through 3rd Grade
● Keywords/ Themes: Adjust and Important
You Were the First
● Evaluation:
● How does this book address
inclusion: I included this book to talk
about the idea of adding another family
member. While the book depicts a
nuclear family, there is always some
nervousness that comes along when a
new baby is born in a family. This book
can help a child reduce their
nervousness because they will know
they are still special to their parents.
You Were the First
● Recommended Use: One activity that could be implemented in practicum
classroom: I would use this book to prompt a writing activity in which
students would go home and talk to their parents to learn about one of their
firsts, and then write about it to share with the class.
● Standards:
○ Literacy Block 1- Oral Language
■ a) Listen with increasing attention to spoken language, conversations, and texts read aloud.
■ b) Correctly identify characters, objects, and actions in a text with or without pictures and begin to comment about each.
■ g) Listen attentively to stories in a whole class setting.
○ History and Social Science Block 1- Similarities and differences
■ c) Make the connection that he/she is both a member of a family and a member of a classroom community.