We are excited to announce KidLit TV is partnering with the National Education Association to celebrate a nation of diverse readers for Read Across America.

Together, alongside so many of the kid lit titans, we are supporting the mission of the
Read Across America initiative: Creating a Diverse Nation of Readers.

You can browse our specially selected read-aloud titles for
Read Across America HERE.

Read Across America

Read Across America‘s goal is to support you with books and resources year-round to help you motivate kids to read. Furthermore, the goal is to bring the joys of reading to students of all ages and make all children feel valued and welcome.

The titles and resources featured by NEA’s Read Across America include books that students can see themselves reflected in, as well as books that allow readers to see a world or a character that might be different than them.

Readers who feel included, recognized, and a part of the world are engaged readers. We hope that you’ll be able to share these recommended titles—and many others—to celebrate Read Across America in March and throughout the year.

How To Participate

1. Read books with kids and use Read Across America’s resources to daily promote the message there is room
   in our community for all readers. The world—and books—are filled with many different kinds of people.
   Getting to know them is interesting, exciting, and fun!
2. Use Read Across America to help kids enjoy and relate to what they read by linking books and reading to other experiences in their lives and on the school year calendar. Consequently, when everything from your Hispanic Heritage Month celebration to the 100th day of school to the science fair to Memorial Day includes books, guest readers, activities, and conversation about reading, you raise awareness about the importance, value, and fun of reading throughout the year.
3. Make your community the place where Read Across America is on everyone’s calendar. Most noteworthy, when people take the time to read with children, children get the message that reading is important. Parents, members of your community, as well as local celebrities who make time to read at monthly or annual Read Across America celebrations help motivate kids to read and celebrate the diversity in their community and our country.

Read Across America Calendar

Recommended Books

Use these lists from NEA and Colorín Colorado to connect children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures as well as spread the joy of reading. Due to that NEA lists are created on WorldCat, the world’s largest network of library content, to help you find these titles in your local library.

2020 Read Across America Events

Events are held around the country to celebrate Read Across America, but here are a few highlights. Visit the NEA website for other events in your area.

• Connecticut Education Association’s week-long Reading Bus Tour has a colorful, 38-foot bus is decorated with a variety of popular book characters. It is outfitted with bookshelves, benches, carpeting, and hundreds of books. Finally, the bus will roll into a different school district each day of the week to promote literacy and share the joys of reading.

• Missouri National Education Association is working closely with the Missouri State Library to bring a “Read-On Missouri” tour of guest readers, books, and resources to schools across the state.

• In Colorado, the Colorado Education Association is bringing new books to Title I students with visits from illustrator Dow Phumiruk (Counting on Katherine and Maya Lin, Artist-Architect of Light and Lines) and author Andrea Wang.

• The Indiana State Teachers Association will be celebrating at the Statehouse and the Indiana State Museum with legislators, the Governor. Additionally, the state superintendent of public instruction will be invited to participate as guest readers.