A huge world exists outside the family. When youngsters enter school, they meet children from diverse and unfamiliar backgrounds--regional, ethnic, religious, and racial. Often there is confusion, mistrust, and apprehension. In the eyes of a child, being different is not always a good thing. Parents and teachers bear the burden of discussing diversity within a climate of respect and appreciation. Likewise, children's book authors share this responsibility, for the power of words plays a significant role in shaping impressionable young minds. This column describes 30 children's books in which the authors illustrate the power of words to change misconceptions about differences into an appreciation of diversity.