Talking twice: representations of language brokering in children's literature

(Johnston, 2001, unpaged) This vivid excerpt from Tony Johnston's (2001) award-winning picture book, Uncle Rain Cloud, speaks to a frequent occurrence in both schools and the larger society: students' engagement in and responsibility for language brokering. Given the range of feelings youth and adults experience with regard to language brokering, including children's literature that depicts such experiences in the classroom and curriculum will provide cultural and literary "windows and mirrors" (Galda, 1998) from which readers can discuss the strengths, struggles, and cultural sensitivities of language brokering.