The 17 chapters in this collection of papers include: (1) "Frameworks for Understanding Multicultural Literacies" (Georgia Earnest Garcia and Arlette Ingram Sillis); (2) "Multicultural Belief: A Global or Domain-Specific Construct? An Analysis of Four Case Studies" (Jyotsna Pattnaik); (3) "Monocultural Literacy: The Power of Print, Pedagogy, and Epistemological Blindness" (Dawnene D. Hammerberg and Carl Grant); (4) "Liberating Literacy" (Margaret C. Laughlin, Herbert Martin, Jr., and Christine E. Sleeter); (5) "Taking Ownership of Literacy: Who Has the Power?" (Patricia A. Edwards, Jennifer Danridge, Gwendolyn T. McMillon, and Heather M. Pleasants); (6) "An African-Centered Perspective on Literacy: Promise and Possibilities" (Barbara J. Diamond); (7) "Reading, Language, Culture, and Ethnic Minority Students" (Jon Reyhner and Ward Cockrum); (8) "Best Practice(s)? The Cultural Discourse of Developmentalism in American Early Education: A Cross-Cultural Comparison" (Diane M. Hoffman); (9) "African American Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature: Realism for the 21st Century" (Randy F. Rush); and (10) "Rocks in the Brook: A Teacher Educator's Reflections" (Arlette Ingram Willis); (11) "English Language Learners' Reading: New Age Issues" (Jill Fitzgerald); (12) "Home-School Collaboration: Successful Models in the Hispanic Community" (Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown); and (13) "Getting the Most Out of School-Based Professional Development in Culturally Diverse Schools" (William M. Saunders, Gisela O'Brien, David Marcelletti, Kathy Hasenstab, Tina Saldvar, and Claude Goldenberg); (14) "Preservice Teachers Connect Multicultural Knowledge and Perspectives with Literacy Instruction for Minority Students" (Hong Xu); (15) "'Raccoon? Wass Dat?' Hawaiian Preservice Teachers Reconceptualize Culture, Literacy, and Schooling" (Margaret J. Maaka, Kathryn H. Au, Yvonne K. Lefcourt, and L. Pauahi Bogac); (16) "Understanding Culture in Our Lives and Work: Teachers Literature Study in the Book Club Program" (Taffy E. Raphael, Karen Damphousse, Kathy Highfield, and Susan Florio-Ruane); and (17) "The Power to Empower: Creating Home/School Relationships with the ABC's of Cultural Understanding and Communication" (Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt). (Chapters contain references.) (SM)