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Resources: I found a variety of resources (#1-#5) that include articles and journals that critically analyze the importance of multicultural children’s literature. #6-#10 are websites that have tips on how to design and write a children’s book. Since I am unable to go to the library and look at physical children’s books, something I originally planned on doing before the current situation, I tried to find websites with examples as well (see #9). I think the articles, journals, and few examples I found will help me discover the limitations. I tried researching children’s books that cover Asian American multicultural experiences and I could not find any – this is a limitation.

Chaudhri, A., & Teale, W. (2013). Stories of Multiracial Experiences in Literature for Children, Ages 9–14. Children’s Literature in Education, 44(4), 359-376. Summary: “This study analyzed 90 realistic novels written and published in the United States between the years 2000 and 2010 and featuring mixed race characters. The researchers examined specific textual features of these works of contemporary and historical fiction and employed Critical Race Theory tocontextualize the books within paradigms about multiracial identity. Findings indicated three broad trends in representations of mixed race identity with an almost equal number of novels falling among three descriptive categories. Books in the Mixed Race In/Visibility category depicted stereotypical experiences and provided little or no opportunity for critique of racism. Mixed Race Blending books featured characters whose mixed race identity was descriptive but

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not functional in their lives. Mixed Race Awareness books represented a range of possible life experiences for biracial characters who responded to social discomfort about their racial identity in complex and credible ways. This study has implications for research and pedagogy in the fields of education and children’s literature as they expand to become more inclusive of this type of diversity.” Strengths: This article applies “Critical Race Theory” (“CRT is based on the notion that racism is ubiquitous and must be revealed as such”) during its discussion and study of multiracial experiences in literature. This was my first introduction to “Critical Race Theory” and is the reason why I cite this source in my problem statement. “It sought to understand the nature of multiracial representation in the literature with respect to dominant ideological perspectives about mixed race identity. The study was guided by the question: what is current children’s literature aimed at 9–14 year-olds saying about the experience of being mixed race?” A major strength of this article is that it studies published works and what they are saying about the experience of being mixed race. Understanding the critical analyses of these works will guide me in the topics I would like to cover and my book’s main themes based on where the need is (if the need appropriately applies). Weaknesses: This article doesn’t have weaknesses, but rather exposes the weaknesses and reasoning for creating more

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literary works with a multicultural theme. “In general, the body of research in multicultural literature makes only sporadic or tangential mention of mixed race issues.” “Additional information about context included characters’ socioeconomic circumstances, family structures and the racial and ethnic makeup of their environments. These features were studied because race and class are intricately connected factors in North American society and tend to bear significantly on identity construction. Family and community influences are integral to how children understand their identities. A salient finding about family situations was that in almost half of the books one or both biological parents were absent, dead, or basically uninvolved in the their children’s lives. Solitary protagonists are common in children’s literature and support an individualistic ideology, so this finding was perhaps not surprising. However, interracial relationships described as failing because of “racial incompatibility” echo and sustain segregationist notions. Biracial characters either speculated about the notion that racial or cultural differences were the likely reason that their biological parents were not together or were directly told so.”

It’s important that I do not make any segregationist notions in my writing, often a weakness in multiracial literature. The experience of my protagonist must be unique and not stereotypical.

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Examples of Illustrated Children’s Books (www.millcitypress. net/author-learning-hub/childrens-books/exampleschildrens-books/) Summary: 4 examples of illustrated children’s books. Each book has a very different illustration style. Strengths: There is a lot of room for creativity when it comes to children’s books. A strength I’d like to adopt is artistic typography that goes beyond plain black horizontal type. The example Evan Meets Bucky Lee features drawing bubbles rather than full-bleed drawing. I think this type of drawing may be beneficial to adopt because it will be easier and focus on details of the story. Weaknesses: I find brighter colors and childlike drawings more appealing and easier to look at than the darker and more saturated colors. I also dislike the mature drawings with hard details of the characters. I want my book to contain serious and important topics, but I want the children to have fun reading it.

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“Children’s literature continues to misrepresent underrepresented communities, and we wanted this infographic to show not just the low quantity of existing literature, but also the inaccuracy and uneven quality of some of those books,” Dahlen wrote. To create the infographic below, Dahlen and Huyck used data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), which has been compiling statistics on diversity in U.S. children’s books since 1985.

Of the 3,134 children’s books they reviewed in 2018, just 23, or one per cent, depicted Indigenous characters. Five per cent of the pics depicted LatinX characters, seven per cent had Asian Pacific Islander/Asian Pacific American characters, and 10 per cent had African/African American characters.

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