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Ekstrom Library

Barbara S. Miller Multicultural Children's Literature Collection : Home

About the Collection

The Barbara S. Miller Collection is a collaboration between the University Libraries and the College of Education and Human Development, and supports the teaching and research needs of faculty and students in related fields. It is comprised of works of fiction and non-fiction for all ages, from young children to young adults, with an emphasis on fiction for young and middle-grade children. These books acknowledge and celebrate differences -- including race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, and religion -- and efforts are also made to identify and purchase materials written by diverse authors. This collection also supports the University’s commitment to building an inclusive educational community that encourages all to achieve their highest potential without fear of prejudice or bias.

Picture books

A young black girl holds an acoustic guitar toward the reader, she stands in front of a colorful brick wall
Young woman crushing orchids with mortar and pestle
Four drawings of advocates of justice on a lightly patriotic background.
Four drawings of advocates of justice on a lightly patriotic background.
Two children stand on top of a mountain wearing capes and holding a flag that reads the skys the limit
Six cartoon representations of famous Latina women
A child of mixed race contemplating, his towering orange curly hair covers three-fourth of the page
Six famous Muslim women standing in a group
Two black persons floating in water look toward the right into the distance
A snuggled black baby wearing a sunflower onesie is passed from one set of hands to another
Young buddha meditating in front of a lily pond with a frog on his shoulder
Children of various genders playing in front of a floral background

Middle grade and YA

Young black woman with lip piercing and overalls holds a paintbrush and smirks at the reader
Four people look disappointingly into the distance while the sun sets behind them and plants grow around them
Two young boys walk arm in arm under a glowing starry sky
A sandy foreground with clouds in the distance. An American flag image over the sand
A young woman in a snowy barbed wire enclosure looks behind her at another woman holding a musical instrument case.
Three girls of different races hug together in a pose for a photograph.
Young black boy floating in water with top of his head out of water
Tiny threaded beads making an image of a cattail, flowers, and the title
Colorful silhouette of woman with long hair
Smiling young black boy
Hilly background with sun rising
Native American with arms outstretched in a dancing position, with a beautifully embroidered cape