<![CDATA[Mainly intended for readers from birth to age twelve, according to Galda (2000), children’s literature is the major source to inform young learners about social norms, to teach them different subject matters and to help them develop an interest in pleasure reading. Drawn upon the socio-constructivist’s theoretical perspective, this article identifies several benefits of using children’s literature for young learners who study English as a second/foreign language, including 1) facilitating language and literacy development; 2) promoting intercultural understanding and 3) improving critical thinking skills. To maximize the strengths of children’s literature, language teachers must take into account students’ reading levels and carefully avoid books which reflect gender/ cultural biases. It is also strongly advised that teachers’ instruction encourages students’ personal connections, multiple interpretations as well as critical evaluations of a text. Keywords: children’s literature, critical literacy, ESL/EFL, multicultural children’s literature, reading instruction]]>
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