Intended for teachers of middle school, this book offers information and activities to help students appreciate and value world events from the perspective of diverse human cultures. The goals are to provide interdisciplinary and multicultural activities that integrate language, reading, and writing skills into the five content areas of social studies, and to foster in students an awareness of world cultures and a respect for all people, regardless of their ethnic background. The book features 11 novels for young people which may either be read to or by the students. The reading selections each focuses on a topic that connects global historic events and cultural traditions while integrating social studies concepts such as diversity, environment, human rights, change adaptation, and conflict. Each of the units includes a synopsis of the featured book, a list of vocabulary words, discussion questions, integrated activities, and two student activity sheets. A graphics section at the back of the book is designed to provide teachers with commonly used charts and diagrams, most of which can be used with any of the topics. Sections include: (1) Spanish Exploration in the New World; (2) Plymouth: A Colony Connecting Two Worlds; (3) Global Connections through Slavery; (4) Between Two Worlds: The Kwakiutl of the Pacific Northwest; (5) Ellis Island: Gateway to Freedom; (6) Pearl Harbor: A Day Remembered around the World; (7) Korea: A Land Connecting Giants; (8) Israel: A Homeland Connecting World Cultures; (9) Amerasians of Vietnam; (10) The Kurds of the Middle East; and (11) Between Calcutta and California: A Family Connection. (CR)