Includes bibliographical references and index.

The metaphors we read by: theoretical foundations -- The historical construction of children's literature -- Reading literacy narratives -- Deconstructing multiculturalism in children's literature -- Theorizing critical multicultural analysis of children's literature -- Doors to the Diaspora: the social construction of race -- Leaving poverty behind: the social construction of class -- Genres as social constructions: the intertextuality of children's literature -- Cinderella: the social construction of gender -- Shock of hair: the endurance of hair as a cultural theme in children's literature -- Teaching critical multicultural analysis -- Further dialogue with Mingshui Cai, Patrick Shannon, and Junko Yokota.