Finally

Question: How has your reading/understanding of diverse literature changed over the semester?

Answer: It has both changed and remained the same. My understanding of diverse literature has remained the same in that I still have the same inherent belief in the importance and necessity of diverse literature in libraries, classrooms, and my own personal collection. Diverse literature is something that is extremely vital in coming to understand and accept people that belong to cultures other than my own. I have always believed this, and this class has only reaffirmed what I have already known.
My understanding of diverse literature has changed in that my definition of diverse literature and my requirements for diverse literature have changed. Diverse literature to me now entails many more components and is much more complex. In TE 348, we studied children's picture books, which were seemingly simple and fairly easy to examine. With adolescent literature, the focus of these books covers much more complex and varied topics, which can be difficult to address. Sexuality, religion, violence, the list goes on and none of them get any easier. I now realize that books of quality that have a multicultural perspective are books that both positively and accurately portray a perspective. This perspective is whatever position the narrator takes, and it is important to realize that these books deal with many overlapping issues, not just the one culture, religious, or sexual issue. These are books about life, and they deal with it as it comes, which is all at once. Still, I feel it is important to look to the book to portray the diversity in a positive perspective, one that accurately reflects the narrator's position in life, views, and age appropriate feelings. The book itself should also be a piece of quality literature, including all the required writing conventions. If anything, I have learned that it is sometimes difficult to judge if a book is quality, but it is always important to check resources, look at primary sources, and be knowledgeable about the multicultural perspective before assessing quality. This way, whatever my decision will be about a book, I will have a strong opinion backed up by facts and guided by a rich knowledge of literature and culture to support my position.