Honoring family history leads
author Michelle Y. Green to awards

"When was the last time you read out of your comfort zone?"

—Michelle Y. Green

Michelle Y. Green is a freelance writer who lives, writes, and raises two sons in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park in Journalism and The Johns Hopkins University Masters Program in Writing, she teaches "The Art of Writing for Children" at The George Washington University.

Willie Pearl, Green's first historical fiction series for families, was nominated for the 1990 Newbery Award and Coretta Scott King Award for Children's Literature, and was awarded the 1991 CRABbery Award for Children's Book of the Year. It was also used as core curriculum for fourth grade in the Compton, California school district. The second book in the series, Willie Pearl: Under the Mountain, received the 1993 Children's Literary Award for Multicultural Publishing. A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson (Dial Books for Young Readers), was released 2002.

When Michelle Y. Green set out to write Willie Pearl, a historical fiction series based on the life of her mother, she thought to tell a simple family story. Ten years and tens of thousands of copies later, she realizes this award-winning series represents so much more. NEA's Read Across America talks to the author about the value of family stories, the decline of multicultural literature, and the importance of both for today's children.

How did Willie Pearl come about?

In the mid-1980s when "multiculturalism" was the buzzword, I'd heard a mainstream publisher was looking to create a historical fiction series based on an African American girl. I created the first four chapters of Willie Pearl merely as a writing sample. Once under way, I realized this was an opportunity to do so much more than preserve a personal family story from my mother's childhood. Here was a way of exposing a little-known slice of Americana -- life in a Depression-era coal mining camp; of tearing down cultural stereotypes; and of creating a positive role model for children embodied in the character of a gutsy 10-year-old girl, Willie Pearl.

Why are family stories so important?

It's natural for emerging writers to write about a subject that's close to the heart. That's what makes writing family stories so perfect for children because, good or bad, every child has a family experience that's unique. Ask any author: writing about what you know is empowering. Many children, who feel they otherwise don't have a voice, can be instant experts when it comes to telling others about their family.

Family stories are a great way for children to come together and explore culture: What do you eat for breakfast? How come you don't have a Christmas tree? Why is your hair like that? What do your brothers and sisters do together for fun? It's while sharing the family stories of others, through storytelling and authentic multicultural literature, that we learn not only about our differences, but how much we have in common. It's a non-threatening way for dialogue to begin.

You used "authentic" in describing multicultural literature. Why?

I'm a baby boomer, and like most of my generation I cut my teeth on Dick and Jane. As a young girl, my literary role models were Laura Ingalls Wilder and Nancy Drew. I can honestly say that I can't remember reading a book with a central character who looked like me until midway through high school. The Civil Rights movement of the 60s and the Black Power movement of the 70s, however, compelled people of color to focus on the importance of identity and self-awareness. At the same time, America was becoming more and more ethnically diverse. Multiculturalism became not only politically correct, it became its own market niche.

Sadly, many mainstream authors and publishers saw multiculturalism in the 80s as a publishing Gold Rush. Books by and about people of color suddenly became a priority in the marketplace as "multicultural materials" became line items in school and library budgets. Yet, there was no consensus as to what constituted quality multicultural literature. We saw everything from reissued classics with colorized characters, to animal folktales, to stereotype-laden stories by mainstream authors and illustrators with insufficient assimilation into the culture they chose to write about.

Authentic multicultural literature, I believe, suggests that the person creating it has an intimate, trustworthy knowledge of that culture because he or she is a member of that culture or has been immersed through assimilation. It's the quality of difference between a biographer who uses primary sources and one who uses secondary accounts, between an eyewitness and someone watching the evening news. It's what makes you trust the subtleties of Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club as opposed to the version I might write because I happen to be intrigued by Chinese culture.

Is the multicultural literature trend stalled?

The dismal statistics seem to speak for themselves: Out of 5,500 children's books published last year, only 300 were by and about people of color. When you realize that one out of five children in this country today speaks a language other than English in the home, and that by the year 2020, one of every two students in the United States will be a person of color, that's not good news.

Many feel the pendulum has swung the other way and that the need for multicultural books has already been satisfied. Yet, I'm hopeful. New voices are constantly emerging. Many in the publishing community -- mainstream publishers, multicultural publishers, small minority presses -- continuing to produce works of excellent quality. Educators, parents, and children themselves are making more knowledgeable choices.

What can educators and parents do to make multicultural literature a part of the fabric of everyday life?

Check the culture connection. Read author bios from flap copy, reviews, and publishers' web sites to see if the author/illustrator has more than a casual connection to the culture.

Cross cultural borders. Don't wait for Black History month to recommend a book about African American culture, or go looking for a book about Native Americans at Thanksgiving. Offer a child balanced reading that incorporates books about other cultures all year round.

Infuse multicultural books across the curriculum and in read-at-home activities. During math, try a counting book with an ethnic flair. Experience history from another's cultural standpoint. Have readers role play characters from cultures outside their own during social studies.

Broaden your own palate. Model reading on your own. As adults, we all have our favorite genres and authors. But when was the last time you read out of your comfort zone to explore another culture?

Buy and recommend multicultural books. For yourself, your kids, to donate, as gifts for others. Bottom line, publishing decisions are based on simple economics: If you buy it, they'll print more!

Befriend your school librarian. These children's book specialists can recommend quality multicultural books from authentic sources as well as share books reviews, catalogs from multicultural publishers, and other trade resources such as the MultiCultural Review, Horn Book, and School Library Journal.

Stay abreast of trends. Seek out professional forums, periodicals, online journals, discussion groups, book fairs, and trade shows to help expose you to the wide range of good choices that are available.

Visit Michelle Y. Green's web site for more information about this talented author and her works.