Established in 1998, the National Education Association (NEA) celebrates Read Across America Day on March 2, designed to help motivate kids to read, promote the joys of reading to students of all ages, and make all children feel valued and welcome.
The titles featured by NEA’s Read Across America Day include books that students can see themselves represented in as well as open the reader’s eyes to see a character or world different from their own. The NEA also features monthly book picks through Read Across America.
For this month, books of the month are focused on cultivating compassion. Elementary, middle grade and teen selections feature diverse themes and characters:
Elementary: Tiara’s Hat Parade by Kelly Starling Lyons
Middle Grade: Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya
Teen: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott
Visit the Read Across America website (readacrossamerica.org) to find featured picture books, middle grade and young adult titles; go to the R.H. Stafford Library for title rentals.
