Multicultural Books for 2nd Grade Students

Multicultural books are an important part of any classroom library and language arts program. Not only do they introduce children to the diversities of our society and world, they also help those who may feel different know that they are welcome.

Below is a list of ten multicultural books appropriate for a 2nd grade classroom. As any good booklist should, they include a variety of reading levels to meet the diverse learning needs likely to be found in a 2nd grade, all of which could serve as classroom read-alouds or readers. With no two books on this list alike, included are a biography of Sacagawea, an adoption story, a historical account of Jewish children during World War II, an African folk-tale, and a variety of other topics that young learners will enjoy.

The book annotations below include the reading levels recommended by 3 common sources: School Library Journal, Amazon, and Scholastic. A Fry-Readability rating has been assigned to two books for which these ratings were limited or not available.

1. Families are Different by Nina Pellegrini

Pellegrini, N. (1991). Families are different. New York, NY: Holiday House.

• Reading Level
• School Library Journal Recommended Level Grade K-1
• Amazon Ages 4-8
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (K)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 4.2
• Topic: Family; Adoption
• Genre: Fiction
• Cultural category: Korean-American

Nico knows she is adopted, but she does not like to be different. After her mom tells here that there are different kinds of families, each glued together by love, Nico begins to look around at other children and their families discovering no two are the same.

This multi-cultural book includes not only sketches Nico and her sister, including one in traditional Korean dress, but also a variety of family compositions to include mixed-race, divorced, single parent, etc.

2. Hats, Hats, Hats by Ann Morris

Morris, A. (1989). Hats, hats, hats. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

• Reading Level
• School Library Journal Recommended Level Grade K-4
• Amazon Ages Baby-Preschool
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (E)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 2.3
• Topic: Clothing; Multicultural
• Genre: Non-fiction; Photography Collection
• Cultural Category: Multicultural

Photojournalist Ken Heyman provides the photography for this collection of hats seen around the world. An index is included at the end of the book, identifying where each hat was photographed and including information about the laws, customs, and traditions regarding head coverings.

3. The Crane Wife retold by Sumiko Yagawa

Yagawa, S. (1979). The crane wife. New York, NY: Mulberry Books.

• Reading Level
• Amazon Ages 4-8
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (M)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 3.3
• Topic: Japanese Mythology
• Genre: Mythology
• Cultural category: Japanese

When a beautiful young woman comes to be the wife of a poor Japanese sail maker, his life is changed. Filled with beautiful and delicate imagery, this retelling of a well-loved Japanese folk-tale teaches a lesson on love.

Includes a pronunciation guide of Japanese words preserved in the text.

4. Raven by Gerald McDermott

McDermott, G. (1993). Raven. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

• Reading Level
• School Library Journal Recommended Level Grade 1Up 
• Amazon Ages Baby-Preschool
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (J)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 2.8
• Topic: Native American Mythology
• Genre: Mythology
• Cultural category: Pacific Northwest Native American
• Caldecott Honor Book

This is a written account of the shape-shifting raven mythology that teaches Pacific Northwest Native Americans about where the sun came from. It is filled with imagery depicting tribal art, traditional dress, and lifestyle.

5. A Picture Book of Sacagawea by David A. Adler

Adler, D. A. (2000). A picture book of Sacagawea. New York, NY: Holiday House.

• Reading Level

• School Library Journal Recommended Level Grade 2-5
• Amazon Ages 4-8
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (M)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 4.6
• Topic: History; Sacagawea; Lewis and Clark
• Genre: Non-fiction; Biography; History
• Cultural Category: Native American

A biography of Sacagawea written for young readers, this story provides an overview of this young women’s life. It provides great insight into the relationships between Native Americans and the European Americans of the time, complimented by colorful illustrations.

Includes a selective bibliography for readers interested in knowing more about this story.

6. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema

Aardema, V. (1981). Bringing the rain to Kapiti Plain. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

• Reading Level
• Amazon Ages 4-8
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (J)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 3.7
• Topic: African Plain; Animals
• Genre: Fiction; Folk-tale; Myth; Rhyme
• Cultural Category: African

This is a poetic folk-tale of an African boy who brings rain back to the brown and dead plain where his cows lie hungry and thirsty. It is filled with colorful artwork depicting the African culture.

7. The Mystery of the Missing Dog by Gwendolyn Hooks

Hooks, G. (2004). The mystery of the missing dog. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

• Reading Level
• Amazon Ages 4-8
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (G)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 1.5
• Topic: Dog; Missing Pet; Brothers and Sisters
• Genre: Fiction; Emergent Reader
• Cultural Category: African-American

This engaging story of an African-American boy who loses his dog is an excellent choice for classrooms both with and without diverse populations, showcasing that boys and girls of all ethnicities have common interests and emotions.

8. Jamaica’s Find by Juanita Havill

Havill, J. (1986). Jamaica’s find. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company

• Reading Level
• Amazon Ages 4-8
• Scholastic Guided Reading Level (K)
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 3.7 
• Topic: Compassion and Honesty; Lost and Found
• Genre: Fiction
• Cultural Category: African-American

Filled with colorful, water-color imagery of a young African-American girl, this story of moral dilemma and social development reveals to young readers that doing right has great rewards.

9. Twenty and Ten by Clair Huchet Bishop

Bishop, C.H. (1952). Twenty and ten. New York, NY: Penguin Books Inc.

• Reading Level
• Amazon Ages 9-12
• Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 5.1
• Topic: World War II; Nazis; Jews; France
• Genre: Fiction; History; Chapter book
• Cultural Category: Jewish

This story is based on the true account of twenty French school children who take on the dangerous task of hiding ten Jewish children during World War II. This is an excellent selection for introducing children to the trials endured by the Jewish people during that time. This short chapter book is suspenseful and full of courage sure to keep the attention of a young audience.

*Fry Readability Rating:
Utilizing the Fry Readability Graph, I determined this book to be at a Grade 3 reading level. This was done by selecting three 100-word passages, counting the number of syllables per passage and the number of sentences, then finding an average. For the book Twenty and Ten, the average number of syllables per selected passage was 121 and the average number of sentences was 7.8.

10. Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore

Lattimore, E.F. (1931). Little Pear. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Inc.

• Reading Level
• Amazon Ages 9-12
• Topic: Childhood; China; 
• Genre: Fiction; Chapter Book
• Cultural Category: Chinese

This is the tale of a mischievous five-year-old boy living in small village in China. Though this book was written in the early 1900’s, it reveals to young readers that little boys are the same today as they a hundred years age, full of adventures.

*Fry Readability Rating:
Utilizing the Fry Readability Graph, I determined this book to be at a Grade 4 reading level. This was done by selecting three 100-word passages, counting the number of syllables per passage and the number of sentences, then finding an average. For the book Little Pear, the average number of syllables per selected passage was 122.3 and the average number of sentences was 7.6.

For more information about the Fry Readability Graph and directions for its use, visit Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/fry/fry.html

References

Aardema, V. (1981). Bringing the rain to Kapiti Plain. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Adler, D. A. (2000). A picture book of Sacagawea. New York, NY: Holiday House.

Bishop, C.H. (1952). Twenty and ten. New York, NY: Penguin Books Inc.

Havill, J. (1986). Jamaica’s find. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Hooks, G. (2004). The mystery of the missing dog. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Lattimore, E.F. (1931). Little Pear. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Inc.

McDermott, G. (1993). Raven. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Morris, A. (1989). Hats, hats, hats. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Pellegrini, N. (1991). Families are different. New York, NY: Holiday House.

Yagawa, S. (1979). The crane wife. New York, NY: Mulberry Books. 

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Post ID: WGU REAT8