Teachers’ selection of the literature they use in instruction frequently depends on how they interpret, in other words whether or not they accurately take in the authors’ perspectives. This point presents a particular challenge in the selection of international literature. International literature reflects a country’s and a region’s unique cultural values and practices and is usually not written for people outside the country of origin. Therefore, it is possible that readers in other countries may not understand/be aware of those values and misinterpret the stories. Since Asian and the Western countries, including the U.S., hold maximum sociocultural differences and the perceived cultural distance has remained significantly wide, reading and interpreting literature from Asia can present tremendous challenges to Americans.
The book addresses the challenges teachers face when interpreting and teaching with international children’s literature from Asia. The book engages readers with comprehensive coverage on theories, concepts, pitfalls, and applications when endeavoring to use international children’s literature from Asia in classrooms. The book should be used to teach how interpretations/worldviews vary by cultures, and how power influences such interpretations/worldviews. Strategies and frameworks will be provided relating to how teachers can be more culturally conscious of their own biases and develop culturally authentic interpretations.
Industry Reviews
Yukari and Daniel Amos have produced a crucial addition to the teaching of language arts with (Mis)Reading Different Cultures: Interpreting International Children’s Literature from Asia. This edited collection of essays invites and obliges teachers, parents, teacher educators, and specialists to broaden their scope of children’s literature by encompassing into the curriculum iconic titles written by Asian authors. Even the most veteran and experienced literacy educators will be find nugget after nugget of practical and theoretical gems to assimilate into their practice and classrooms. This book addresses a glaring void in teacher training, professional development, and overall pedagogical understanding – namely awareness and appropriate utilization of literature written by, and in the language of Asian writers of children’s books. I expect this text to show up on many syllabi of children’s literature courses in teacher education programs.
