Multicultural fiction is an essential part of the American literary landscape. This reference includes entries for 51 writers of multicultural fiction for young adults. For the purpose of this volume, multicultural literature is defined as writing in English about North American ethnic, cultural, and religious minority groups. Each entry includes a biography, a discussion of the author's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies.

Authors included range from the nearly forgotten, such as Laura Adams Armer, to the newly discovered, such as Graham Salisbury, winner of the 1994 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. The breadth of authors covered ensures a historical context for the issues raised by multiculturalism, and the sections on the critical reception of each author address such important issues as the authority and authenticity of the writer to comment on a different culture.

Contributors are of many different ethnicities and include important scholars of children's literature, lending authenticity and authority to the volume itself.