Skip to Main Content

Teaching Materials Center

This guide is starting point for anyone seeking to learn about the resources available in the Teaching Materials Center. This includes: what general resources are available, how to find specific resources, and how to access materials.

What is Global Awareness?

Multicultural children's books can often act as books that help to build global awareness. 

"...Global awareness is a conceptual understanding of global and cultural perspectives with social, political, economic, cultural and environmental components. Global awareness is key to the understanding of commonalities and differences among people." [Source]

To discover books that help students build global awareness: 

1. Start with a keyword search using terms like:

  • "multicultural"
  • "Cross-cultural"
  • "Manners and customs"
  • "Customs and Practices" 
  • multiculturalism
  • religion
  • multicultural education
  • food habits
  • festivals/celebrations

2. You can also isolate a specific aspect of a culture that you would like to explore, or you can search more broadly with a keyword search for a country, ethnicity, or geographic region (keyword search for Japan or Japanese, Vietnam/Vietnamese for example).

Always remember to limit your search to the TMC 

Watch this video to find out how

3. If you find a book that you like, look at the subject headings that are used in the catalog and click on them for more books within that subject.

Examples of Global Awareness Children's Books

grandmother school

Grandmother School

TMC Easy SIN

Indigo dreaming

Indigo Dreaming

TMC Easy JOH

Nana Nenek and Nina

Nana, Nenek & Nina

TMC Easy FER

bindus bindis by supriya kelkar

Bindu's Bindis

TMC Easy KEL

book cover for freedom soup by Tam Charles

Freedom Soup

TMC Easy CHA

This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World (Easy Reader Books, Children Around the World Books, Preschool Prep Books)

This Is How We Do It

TMC 305.23 LAM

powwow day by traci sorell

Powwow Day

TMC Fiction SOR

binnys diwali  by thrity umrigar

Binny's Diwali

TMC Easy UMR

book cover for  Room for everyone by Naaz Khan

Room for Everyone

TMC Easy KHA

Just a Minute!

Just a Minute!

TMC Easy MOR

book cover for  The people remember by Ibi Aanu Zoboi

The People Remember

TMC 394.2612 ZOB

book cover for  In my mosque by Yuksel

In My Mosque

TMC Easy YUK

All Are Welcome

All Are Welcome

TMC Easy PEN

The Proudest Blue

The Proudest Blue

TMC Easy MUH

book cover for bilal cooks daal by Aisha Saeed

Bilal Cooks Daal

TMC Easy SAE

book cover for  G my name is girl by Dawn Masi

G My Name is Girl

TMC Easy MAS

Little Treasures

Little Treasures

TMC 808.88 OGB

Examples of Global Awareness Young Adult Books

book cover for  Other words for home by  Jasmine Warga

Other Words for Home

TMC Fiction WAR

book cover for   While I was away by Waka T. Brown

While I Was Away

TMC 305.895 BRO

book cover for  Poisoned water : how the citizens of Flint, Michigan, fought for their lives and warned the nation by Candy Cooper

Poisoned water

TMC 615.9 COO

book cover for  Halal if you hear me by  Fatimah Asghar

Halal if you hear me

TMC 811.008 HAL

Book cover for  E-waste by David Barker

E-Waste

TMC 363.738 BAR