Mary C. Austin

Curricula in literature have traditionally focused on the writings of the West. The influx of immigrants from Eastern and Southeastern Asia, and more recently from Pacific countries and islands, has brought to our schools children who deserve to be introduced to their own literary heritage. So too, as American society gains more members from Oceanic cultures, it is important that Americans of European ancestry become better acquainted with the literature of the Pacific.This bibliography includes annotated entries written in English for children's and young adult literature concerning the cultures of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Australia, and New Zealand. The volume begins with an introductory overview of Oceania's geographical features, people, and customs. The chapters that follow are devoted to specific regions of Oceania, and each includes an overview of the literature, an annotated list of books for children and young adults, and an annotated bibliography of secondary sources for adults. Within each bibliography, entries are organized alphabetically by author.

This work on children's literature about Asians and Asian-Americans is an exemplary bibliography for teachers, librarians, and others responsible for selecting and recommending suitable reading materials for children and young adults to increase their knowledge and understanding of Asian peoples and cultures. The presence of children of all ethnic groups in American schools has made reading about other cultures an essential part of the curriculum. Public libraries serving a multiethnic community will also find this bibliography a helpful readers' guide. ARBAThis bibliography devoted to literature for young people by and about Asians and Asian Americans, provides an overview of children's literature, both fiction and nonfiction, for each ethnic group, an annotated bibliography of books for children and young adults, and an annotated bibliography of books for adults, helpful in expanding their knowledge about selected groups. Separate chapters are devoted to each major group, in which Jenkins and Austin discuss and give examples of both its folklore and contemporary literature. Each discussion is followed by an annotated list of books in a variety of categories, such as Single Tales and Collections, Contemporary literature, Picture Books, Fiction, and Non-Fiction. Suggested grade levels for introducing each book are included, with the suggestion that children's interests and abilities should determine whether or not a book is also suitable for other grade levels. In addition, there are glossaries of unusual or special terms and historical highlights, designed to help relate stories to particular historical periods.