Walter Dean Myers would be considered an author of realistic fiction.  Gary Soto's Baseball in April and Other Stories is a collection of short stories about everyday life of Mexican American kids  Joseph Bruchac's Skeleton Man, a story based on Mohawk legend, is considered a YA supernatural title. 

Adolescents tend to select books that they can identify with, characters much like themselves, situations that mirror their lives.  It is important to encourage reading that gives them a look at life outside of their own. Readers may seek out books that feature multicultural characters, themes or settings. 

Library media specialists must know YA authors who write as members of mainstream cultures and from other perspectives as well.  In our increasing diverse society, it is important to introduce young people to various cultures and groups so that they can come to understand and accept cultural differences. 

It is also important to have literature available that depicts young people in a variety of cultures, with diverse beliefs, or with different physical and mental abilities so that they can read about people that are similar to themselves, either from their own culture, or with similar beliefs or capabilities. 

The Cooperative Children's Book Center designates books by and about people of color as multicultural literature. In CCBC Choices, information about multicultural literature and publishing may be found under four main ethnic groups: 

CCBC Choices is a great way to keep up with outstanding new titles published each year by authors in these four main ethnic groups. 

Another way of looking at multicultural literature is as "literature that reflects ethnic and regional groups whose cultures have been less represented than European cultures in the past." (Children's Books in Children's Hands, 2002)

Some Authors Writing About African Americans 

Author Writing About Asian Americans

Authors Writing About Hispanic/Latino-Americans

Authors Writing About Native Americans 

Cultural diversity is not limited to ethnic groups.  It can also encompass other parts of US culture include literature about groups that have been marginalized in children's and YA literature such as people with disabilities, gay and lesbian youth, and religious communities.

International literature brings a global perspective and literature written about other countries. Australia, Great Britain and Canada are all well represented in the YA literature and librarians must make an effort to know what is being published in these and other countries. 

Characteristics of YA Multicultural Books (Adapted from Reaching Adolescents, Reed, 1994)

Purpose

Character

Adolescent Protagonist

Antagonist

Other Characters

Plot

Point of View

Protagonist

Voice

Setting

Theme

Evaluating and Selecting Multicultural Material

Awards for Outstanding Multicultural Literature

More On Multicultural Literature

Print Resources