An accomplished poet, biographer, and anthologist as well as a respected educator, Arnold Adoff is recognized as one of the first--and finest--champions of multiculturalism in U.S. literature for children and young adults. Described by Jeffrey S. Copeland in Speaking of Poets as "a writer on a mission," Adoff, whose works most often reflect the African-American experience, was among the first authors to consistently, accurately, and positively portray black subjects and concerns in a manner considered both specific and universal. Several of his books, most notably the anthologies I Am the Darker Brother and City in All Directions, the illustrated biography Malcolm X, and the picture book Black Is Brown Is Tan, are acknowledged as groundbreaking titles in their respective genres. Since the mid-1960s, noted Copeland, Adoff "has been influencing how young readers view such matters as equality of races, sex-role stereotyping, individual rights, and ageism. . . . [He...