Culturally Authentic Literature

An initiative of the State Library to promote culturally authentic literature for all Utah children and their families.

Latino Children's Book Awards in English for use in libraries and classrooms.

Librarians, educators, child care providers and parents already know that picture books are effective tools to convey vivid messages and elicit responses from children. Culturally authentic literature help us engage children in a culturally sentsitive and competent way.

Database (xls) - Look for links to lesson plans in the database!
Annotated List (Word) (pdf) (booklet format pdf)

What is “culturally authentic” literature?

Some say you can’t define it, that “you will know it when you see it.”
Others say that when a cultural insider (i.e. someone raised in a particular cultural group or someone with lots of experience in that culture) feels and says “Yes, that’s exactly how it is” then you are talking about authentic literature.
“…an authentic book is one in which a universality of experiences permeates a story that is set within the particularity of characters and setting.” (Elizabeth Howard in Authentic multicultural literature for children: An author’s perspective).
“…authentically and engagingly portray” life – there is deep cultural contextualization – illustrations vividly present colors and images that ring true to an insider.
Stories that affirm the range of social and cultural influences on a person's life.
The portrayal or representations of people are accurate, engaging, and avoids stereotypes. Paraphrasing from the Tomás Rivera Award website.

Is there a need for this literature?

Yes!
According to the 2012-2013 Fingertip Facts published by the Utah State Office of Education, the 2011-2011 Public School Enrollment Demographics showed 93,166 Hispanic/Latino students in Utah or 16% of the total
Ogden School District: 54% of students are of ethnic minorities and 48% are Hispanic/Latino.
Salt Lake School District: 58% of students are of ethnic minorities and 41% are Hispanic/Latino.
Granite School District: 44% of students are of ethnic minorities and 31% are Hispanic/Latino.

So, what can I do about it?

We cannot be insiders to every culture represented in our schools and communities.
Start with books in English that are culturally authentic.
Turn to experts! Three major awards are listed below. These are excellent sources!

THREE MAJOR LATINO CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS

Américas Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

Established in 1993.

The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.

The award is sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) and currently hosted at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

The award winners and commended titles are selected for their (1) distinctive literary quality; (2) cultural contextualization; (3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and (4) potential for classroom use.

The winning book is honored every year at a ceremony in September at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Pura Belpré Award

Established in 1996. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library.

The Pura Belpré Award, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.

It was given as a biennial award from 1996 through 2008.

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award

Established in 1995 and named in honor of Dr. Tomas Rivera, a distinguished alumnus of Texas State University, College of Education.

The Tomas Rivera Award is given annually to honor the author/illustrator of the most distinguished book for children and young adults that authentically reflects the lives and experiences of Mexican Americans in the United States.