Preparing students to be global citizens is foremost among teachers' educational goals and is central to the teaching of social studies. High quality trade books with multicultural and international themes can promote cultural and global awareness, which in turn advocates for peace and social justice. Such literature allows teachers to select content about cultures and provide rich opportunities for students to analyze literature from multiple perspectives. In this article, the authors discuss how teaching through multicultural and international literature in the classroom can bridge cultural gaps. The authors also suggest several tips on evaluating and selecting multicultural and international literature. Several books that promote multicultural awareness are presented. (Contains 19 notes.)