Reviews three contemporary movies, "Sleepers,""Girls Town," and "Slingblade" in which the common thread is abuse of helpless children by patriarchal authorities, adult white men who assert power over young people. In all three movies, the anger of the young people and their friends suggests respect for the…

Reviews six films about issues related to multicultural and social justice education in the United States: "It's Elementary: Talking about Gay Issues in School"; "Starting Small: Teaching Children Tolerance"; "In Whole Honor?"; "Children Talk about AIDS"; "Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary";…

Reviews documentary and ethnographic films that examine gender-related issues, summarizing each film and analyzing its relevance to multicultural and social justice education. The films are: "The Fairer Sex?"; "Macho, 2000"; "The Pill"; "Step by Step: Building a Feminist Movement"; "I am a Man";…

Two contemporary films, "Braveheart" and "Rob Roy," depict Scottish ethnicity from a rather narrow perspective. The positions that are sentimentally admired when attributed to white natives of Scotland are horrifying when expressed by contemporary peoples of color. These films raise interesting questions about the true nature…

Discusses the failure of filmmaker Spike Lee to grapple with the real politics of Malcolm X before and after he left the Nation of Islam. Acknowledging the complexity of the man and his context would avoid creating a mythical figure similar to Oliver Stone's movie "JFK." (SLD)

Presents five reviews of McLaren's 1997 book, with comments on critical pedagogy, multicultural education, capitalism, social justice, and remarks about student responses to "Revolutionary Multiculturalism." (SLD)

Reviews "One Eight Seven," a film about a teacher working with at-risk students. The film is an indictment of U.S. schooling and a portrayal of the dangers teachers and students face in school with increasing frequency. The misrepresentations in this film reinforce the prevailing myths of urban education. (SLD)

This collaborative review finds much to criticize in this fictional portrayal of the experiences of a young girl at the Carlisle Indian School, including a lack of clarity about the fictional nature of the story. Stereotyping and historical inaccuracies make this book add to the great body of misinformation about Native-American life in the United…

Discusses the importance of including interracial storybooks in today's diverse classrooms, explaining the benefits of using such literature (e.g., building a sound personal identity for children with mixed ancestors, promoting knowledge and skills for a global society, and developing an appreciation for diversity). Reviews eight books with…

Reviews a collection of high-quality books in Spanish which can help encourage Spanish-speaking children and adolescents to read. From creative books for the very young to the lives of famous women, to fantasies and animated traditional tales, these recently published books are designed to appeal to Spanish speakers and those wishing to learn…

Discusses a book which describes through poetry, essays, and personal life reflections on how it was to grow up as a Black American. Offers information on the author, an educational administrator and 30-year veteran of the music and recording industry; presents the book's introduction; and includes comments about the book by two educational…

Reviews two books on white identity in multicultural education, examining trends toward linking white race consciousness to effective multicultural pedagogy (which multicultural proponents either embrace or ignore) and discussing whether this discourse advances the field. Suggests that if these texts are designed for preparing white teachers for…

Multicultural literature can help elementary students learn about cultural differences and racial bias and examine their prejudices and stereotypes. Critiques five children's books that emphasize the African American experience. These books do not challenge racism or provide critical explanations about why characters were treated in a racist…

Reviews four books by respected scholars in the field of multicultural education. These works present conceptual resources and pedagogical strategies to help explain the importance of understanding the language, community, and culture of students. Also presents four other multicultural resources reviews by other authors. (SLD)