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A father reads to his two daughters outside

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
The poetry of [‘Black Girl Dreaming’] gave me a mirror: I saw myself, and it felt like a book told my story for the first time.
Quote by: Marley Dias, Founder, #1000BlackGirlBooks
Share your reader story: What books have impacted you?

Book Talk

Activist, author, and NEA’s Read Across America Ambassador Marley Dias discusses Zonia’s Rain Forest (Candlewick Press), getting to the book's main ideas around home and encouraging young readers to talk, reflect, and express their thoughts in writing about Juana Martinez Neal's work. Zonia's Rain Forest is a recommended Read Across calendar book for July.

July 2022

Determine Destiny

Books of the month:

Books of the month:

Elementary

Zonia's Rain Forest

Zonia's Rain Forest book cover

Zonia's Rain Forest

by Juana Martinez-Neal

Zonia, a young Asháninka girl whose home is with those she loves in the Peruvian Amazon, spends carefree time with her animal friends of the rain forest until one day she visits a place where the forest has been destroyed. (Also available in Spanish as La selva de Zonia.)
Learn more

Middle Grade

The Girl and the Ghost

The Girl and the Ghost book cover

The Girl and the Ghost

by Hanna Alkaf

Suraya, a twelve-year-old Malaysian girl, inherits her grandmother’s pelesit and becomes best friends with the ghostly demon, whom she names Pink.
Learn more

Young Adult

After the Rain

After the Rain book cover

After the Rain

by Nnedi Okorafor adapted by John Jennings

While visiting her grandmother's village, Chioma, a Nigerian-American police officer, answers the door during a storm to find a boy with a severe head wound whose touch burns like her fire and who pulls her into the world of Igbo spirits.
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Ready, Set...Read!

Celebrate the joy of reading this month with these featured articles and resources.
A girl reads a book while lying in the grass

Get Serious About Summer Reading

Use these ideas and resources to put good books into kids’ hands and connect them to vibrant summer learning adventures.
Learn more
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Free Materials

Need help finding books to put into the hands of readers? Check out these resources and bring print and online books to qualifying schools and students.
Learn more
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Here’s What We’re Reading...

Click on a month below for our recommended books, plus suggestions for discussions and activities.
August 2021 Read Across America

August 2021

Spread Your Wings

September 2021 Read Across America

September 2021

Embrace New Beginnings

October 2021 Read Across America

October 2021

Create Change

November 2021 Read Across promo

November 2021

Explore Ancestry and Identity

December 2021 Read Across promo

December 2021

Lend a Hand

January 2022 Read Across promo

January 2022

Try Something New

February 2022 Read Across promo

February 2022

Explore Families and History

March 2022 Read Across promo

March 2022

Play With Stories

April 2022 Read Across Promo

April 2022

Nurture a Sense of Belonging

May 2022 Read Across promo

May 2022

Build Together

June 2022 Read Across promo

June 2022

Gain Perspective

July 2022 Read Across promo

July 2022

Determine Destiny

YA Author Chat

Four young adult authors—J. Elle (Wings of Ebony), Margarita Engle (With a Star in My Hand), Loan Le (A Phở Love Story), and Britteny Morris (The Cost of Knowing)—discuss why diverse books matter for all students as part of a moderated conversation led by educator Tanya Johnson Martin.

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
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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
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