Sometimes called multicultural literature, diverse children's literature is an umbrella term for a wide variety of books. Searching for multicultural books or diverse books in the library catalog will not get you very far.
When exploring diverse children's literature, it is helpful to think of the specific kinds of people and/or experiences you want to introduce to your students. Do you want to talk to your students about a specific disability? Do you want to compassionately address the issue of homelessness or poverty?
Once you have a more specific idea of the topic you would like to address, it is time to brainstorm keywords. The library catalog responds best when you enter in a key word or phrase rather than typing in a sentence or question.
Start your search on the Ballenger Teachers Center website using the Books and Kits tab: https://www.eiu.edu/booth/btc/
Below, I have provided suggested search terms to use to find literature about different diversity categories. I have pulled many of these search terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings. Sometimes these headings use old, outdated, and/or problematic terms. This is unfortunate, but I do suggest using the terms suggested to best find books related to the literature you want.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Please contact Mrs. McDaniel if you are having trouble finding literature in a specific area. Combine search terms below with the phrase juvenile works or picture books or juvenile fiction to limit to children's books.
Search for specific conditions, such as:
Additional search terms include:
Search:
For Divorce
For multigenerational families, search
For Same-Sex Parents, search juvenile with any of these search terms (don't search for all at once):
Additional ideas:
This is not an exhaustive list, but some to consider are:
Some ideas include
Please note, these search terms are taken from Library of Congress Subject Headings, and are not necessarily the best way of describing specific people groups.