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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.
Author Kwame Alexander in a large yellow button down shirt standing with hands clasped

NEA’s Read Across America Presents: Kwame Alexander's The Crossover: A Jazz-Infused Reading

Mark Your Calendar!

Celebrate Read Across America and the 10th anniversary of The Crossover with a story concert starring award-winning poet and author Kwame Alexander. Feel the rhythm and the beat of twin brothers navigating love, loyalty, and family on and off the basketball court in a whole new way!

Tune in for a new episode every day at 8:00 a.m. ET March 3 – 7, 2025.

February 2025

Pursue Passions

Books of the month:

Books of the month:

Elementary

Jimmy’s Rhythm & Blues

Jimmy's Rhythm and Blues book cover

Jimmy’s Rhythm & Blues

by Michelle Meadows

Before he became a writer, James “Jimmy” Baldwin was a young boy from Harlem, New York, who loved stories and found joy in the rhythm of music, family, and books.
Learn more

Middle Grade

One Big Open Sky

One big open sky book cover

One Big Open Sky

by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Eleven-year-old Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and eighteen-year-old Philomena, who is on her way to her first teaching job, tell the story of their perilous covered-wagon journey to Nebraska in 1879.
Learn more

Young Adult

American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

book cover for American Wings Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein

The thrilling and inspiring true story of the desegregation of the skies led by a group of determined Black Americans who created a flying club and built their own airfield on Chicago's South Side in the years between World War I and World War II.
Learn more

Ready, Set...Read!

Celebrate the joy of reading this month with these featured articles and resources.
elementary students in class using drumsticks in a rhythm activity

Celebrating Read Across America with Story, Sound, and Song

Like books, music and song create community, reflect culture and history, and tell powerful stories. Use these resources to strike the right note in your Read Across America activities.
Learn more
young girl in glasses sits and reads a picture book at library

African American Authors Booklist

This booklist of 100 wonderful Black authors, illustrators, and poets can 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.
View the list Find titles in your local library
Simon & Schuster’s Kaleidoscope
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Simon & Schuster’s Kaleidoscope

Simon & Schuster’s Kaleidoscope program is just one way we can make sure diverse books are seen, discovered, read, and loved. Check out these and many more titles in this year’s Kaleidoscope!
Discover More
science of reading

The “Multiverse” of the Science of Reading

With 40 states and D.C. establishing laws and policies around evidence-based instruction, the Science of Reading continues to be a trending topic in education.
Learn more
High school student reading graphic novel in the library

Classroom Resources to Celebrate the Freedom to Read

Find book recommendations, posters, bookmarks, stickers, and ways to show your support for banned books and freedom from censorship in the classroom.
Learn more
books can change the world

What Do Students Want to Read? It Might Not Be What You Think

Move over Dog Man! Make room for nonfiction books.
Read more
Simon and Schuster best children's books of 2024

S&S Children’s Best Books of 2024

Sponsored Content
This year has been stellar for Simon & Schuster Children’s titles, with these and so many more books receiving starred reviews all year!
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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 2024

August 2024

Compose Bonds

Safiyyah's War crop

September 2024

Speak Up and Make Change

October 2024

October 2024

Know Your Power

November 2024

November 2024

Engage with Community

December

December 2024

Foster Confidence

January 2025

January 2025

Find Your Way

February 2025

February 2025

Pursue Passions

Secret Library Crop

March 2025

Join In

April 2025

April 2025

Share Your Poetic Voice

Fake Chinese Sounds crop

May 2025

Revel in Your Heritage

Deep Dark Crop

June 2025

Build Others Up

July 2025

July 2025

Cultivate Compassion

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

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
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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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