With the birth of new K–12 standards in many states, curriculums are being written and rewritten. Whether as an effort to include all students and their cultures or to simply introduce different cultures to students, books can serve as a gateway into many different ethnicities. Multiethnic Books for the Middle-School Curriculum goes beyond integrating books into English or reading curriculums, offering titles for different subjects and topics.

Although the authors of the book acknowledge that they were unable to include every relevant book, they include a wide variety of titles in seven different categories with publication dates ranging from 2004 to 2010. The seven categories include health, language arts, performing arts, physical education, visual arts, social studies, and science and math. In addition to fiction, the authors include nonfiction materials, picture books, and graphic novels. The authors note that, because standards vary from state to state, they use the national standards for each book to classify it for use in teaching specific objectives. Appendix A provides the website for each subject’s standard and elaborates on the objectives included in each of those standards’ lists. For each book entry, the authors include author, title, publication date, number of pages, publisher, fiction or nonfiction designation, grade levels, a summary, and standards addressed. Appendix B includes a list of cultures, and appendix C provides a list of resources for additional information about multiethnic literature. The comprehensive index includes references by author, title, and ethnic groups.

This is an excellent resource for any educator or school librarian who wants to incorporate more books into the curriculum. Even though the book focuses on middle grades, some books are appropriate for elementary and high school. For a librarian, this book could be used as a collection development tool, a starting point for collaboration, and a list for professional enrichment. This well conceived and timely book should be an essential purchase for librarians and educators who wish to enhance their curriculum.