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young girl in the library reading a copy of The Night Before Pride

create & celebrate a nation of diverse readers

Let's read and grow together with 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion.
Marley Dias
“Diverse stories provide kids with different perspectives and help them see how others think and feel. Put reading to kids on your calendar all year round. Take NEA's Read Across America Diverse Books Challenge and help kids of all ages discover their own voices as they learn from the stories of others.”
Quote by: Marley Dias, Read Across America Ambassador 2021-23, and Founder, #1000BlackGirlBooks
Take the challenge

February 2024

Advance Racial Justice

Books of the month:

Books of the month:

Elementary

Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement

Love is Loud

Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement

by Sandra Neil Wallace

This picture book biography of Civil Rights Movement leader Diane Nash shares her experiences leading lunch counter sit-ins and peaceful marches and her decision to fight to stop segregation not with anger or violence, but with love.
Learn more

Middle Grade

We Are Your Children Too: Black Students, White Supremacists, and the Battle for America's Schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia

We are Your Children Too

We Are Your Children Too: Black Students, White Supremacists, and the Battle for America's Schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia

by P. O’Connell Pearson

A detailed nonfiction account of the students and families who pushed for educational equity in Prince’s Edward County, Virginia, in the 1950s and the five years its citizens were denied public education.
Learn more

Young Adult

The Sum of Us (Adapted for Young Readers): How Racism Hurts Everyone

Sum of Us

The Sum of Us (Adapted for Young Readers): How Racism Hurts Everyone

by Heather McGhee

An examination of how racism affects and harms all of us and how we need to face it head-on, together.
Learn more

Ready, Set...Read!

Celebrate the joy of reading this month with these featured articles and resources.
screenshot of video of author Laekan Zea Kemp

Laekan Zea Kemp's Read Across America Greetings

A Crown for Corina author has a message on the power of having a diverse bookshelf and how her book can help readers take pride in their culture and traditions.
Watch the video
Illustration of 5 kids and one dog sailing through the air on a large open book

The Magic Tree House Series Inspires Curiosity at Any Age

Educators share tips for using Mary Pope Osborne's classic children's series in their classrooms.
Read more
Simon & Schuster Featured Authors
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Simon & Schuster Featured Authors

Author interviews, reading group guides, videos, and more are available for free on Simon & Schuster’s featured author archive! Learn more about tons of authors like Jason Reynolds, Sharon M. Draper, Stuart Gibbs, Jamie Sumner, Margarita Engle, Hena Khan and more with the Book Pantry!
Check out the Archive!
Set of 5 read across america color-in bookmarks

Planning for March 2nd?

Download our “color me” bookmarks, certificates of participation, social media graphics to share, and more from our promotional toolkit.
Bookmarks for young students Other bookmarks Access the toolkit
cropped cover of the book Hair Love

African American Authors Booklist

This list featuring the books of 100 wonderful Black authors, illustrators, and poets is meant to help introduce readers to some of the many African American creators who are celebrated in the field of children’s literature and tell important truths and stories that captivate kids. Some you may already be familiar with, and some are newer voices. Many create books for all ages of readers. Getting to know them all gives readers the opportunity to find favorite writers to grow with.
View the list Find titles in your local library
Kaleidoscope

Simon & Schuster’s Kaleidoscope

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Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing is dedicated to shining light on our incredible authors, illustrators, and stories. The Kaleidoscope program is one way we can make sure diverse books are seen, discovered, read, and loved.
  • Discover More

NEA strives to make sure that every student has access to age-appropriate books that show they are reflected and respected, and opposes efforts to limit students’ access to such books. Nevertheless, NEA urges educators to comply with state and local laws and policies that may limit what books they may teach and recommend to their students. 

Here’s What We’re Reading...

Click on a month below for our recommended books, plus suggestions for discussions and activities.
August 2023

August 2023

Share Your Story

September 2023

September 2023

Tackle Challenges Together

October 2023

October 2023

Champion the Freedom to Read

November 2023

November 2023

Gain New Perspectives

December 2023

December 2023

Recognize Our Connectedness

January 2024

January 2024

Engage in the World

February 2024

February 2024

Advance Racial Justice

March 2024

March 2024

Celebrate Diversity

April 2024

April 2024

Discover the Power of Poetry

May 2024

May 2024

Focus on Family

June 2024

June 2024

Promote Respect for All

July 2024

July 2024

Foster Inclusiveness

Chapter Books for Early Readers

Magic Tree House book covers for Pirates Past Noon and Fact Tracker Pirates

Create enthusiastic readers with Magic Tree House (MTH) early chapter book choices for beginning independent readers that are fun, accessible, and help improve comprehension and the habit of reading.

  • Magic Tree House Book #4: Pirates Past Noon 

    Nonfiction: Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Pirates 

Ready to use these MTH books and more in your classroom? Visit MTHClassroomAdventures.org for downloadable MTH resources or head to www.MagicTreeHouse.com. Eligible educators can join FirstBook's Network to bring new books and resources to the classroom.

Become a FirstBook Member

Hear from Read Across America Authors

We've interviewed several authors on our School Me podcast. Donna Barba Higuera discusses El Cucuy is Scared, Too! and why she is so passionate about writing books that feature multiracial children, families, and identities. Wendy Shang, author of The Secret Battle of Evan Pao talks about why representation matters. Andrea Davis Pinkney, author of Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It, discusses the power of storytelling. And Duncan Tonatiuh, author of A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters, makes the case for the freedom to read.

Black NEA RAA logo

About Read Across America

What is NEA's Read Across America? Find answers to your frequently asked questions about the National Education Association's year-round celebration of diverse books and meet the people behind it.
Learn more
A woman and her son use a laptop together

Join Our Community of Readers

Are you a teacher, librarian, educator, author, or devoted book worm? Join the Read Across America Facebook group to share resources, ideas, and experiences as we celebrate a nation of diverse readers.
Visit our Facebook group
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.
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