Reflecting four years of work with teachers and students in culturally and linguistically diverse classroom settings, this book discusses theoretical and practical issues surrounding the development of literacy in multicultural K-8 classrooms. Emerging from a longitudinal study implemented in three school districts, the book integrates the research and experience with the multicultural literacy program and its effect on learning. The book includes specific teaching strategies, vignettes that demonstrate how to implement the strategies, samples of students' work, comments and quotations from teachers and students, questions teachers frequently ask, and reviews and summaries that help readers follow the text. Chapters in the book are: (1) Multicultural Literacy for Today's Schools; (2) Sociocultural Issues in Multicultural Literacy; (3) Evaluating and Selecting Multicultural Literature for Children; (4) Creating Meaning through Reading Experiences with Multicultural Literature; (5) Generating Meaning through Writing Experiences with Multicultural Literature; (6) Using a Thematic Approach to Learning with Multicultural Literature; (7) Promoting Cultural Appreciation and Understanding; (8) Integrating Technology with a Multicultural Program; (9) Implementing a Multicultural Literacy Program: A Staff Development Model; (10) Involving Parents and Community in a Multicultural Literacy Program; and (11) Organizing and Managing a Multicultural Program. Appendixes present a sample student essay, answers to eight questions teachers ask, and a 375-item bibliography of children's books. (RS)