Read Your World 2026 (1/29/26) is in its 14th year! Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen founded this non-profit children’s literacy initiative; they are two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural diverse books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.
Read Your World’s mission is to raise awareness of the need to include kids’ books celebrating diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission and history HERE.
In this adorable novelty format perfect for tiny hands, readers will have fun celebrating all of the wonderful―and sometimes hidden―things that make each baby special and unique. With seven full-sized flaps that lift up, down, and sideways, and surprise mirror at the end, this sweet book is an ideal gift for baby showers!
It’s a wonderful way to welcome a new baby while introducing a little bit of Jewish joy and tradition. The book feels both personal and universal—great for parents, grandparents, or anyone looking for a meaningful (and adorable!) baby gift. Mazel Tov, Baby! Is an adorable board book that celebrates that milestones in a baby’s life — from tummy time, to crawling to walking. A congratulatory refrain of “Mazel, Tov Baby! will delight readers as will the mirror included at the end where they get to check out their own reflection and see how they have grown. It’s especially nice to see a book that uses “Mazel tov” in such an inclusive, joyful way — it feels rooted in Jewish tradition but welcoming to everyone.
Passing the Mic: Building a Poet-Athlete City represents thirty years of poetry from the poet-athletes of DC SCORES. For the last three decades, through soccer, poetry, and service, these young people have made their marks on history, claimed their power, and brought to bear their visions for improving this city’s future. This book honors their pain, celebrates their joy, and crystallizes the many ways in which they grew, both on the field and on the page.
In a celebration of diversity (eg, "Our skin is like a box full of crayons..."), this book features the voices of young students living in Washington DC. They discuss their challenges, resiliency, and experiences as young black adults growing up in the city. The poets are part of a community-building program featuring soccer and service-learning, and this book is a testament to the growth and success of the program in fostering self-worth among the community members.
Barbed Wire Between Us is a powerful reverso poem that tells two deeply resonant stories across time. It begins with a Japanese American girl sent to an internment camp in Oklahoma during World War II. Read in reverse, it reveals the journey of a Latina girl detained in the very same camp decades later, during the U.S. policy of migrant family separation. Harrowing and emotionally charged, this poetic narrative compels us to confront a haunting question: What have we truly learned in the past 80 years about how we treat the most vulnerable among us? With haunting symmetry and striking parallels, Barbed Wire Between Us is a moving meditation on justice, memory, and the echoes of history that still shape our present.
A reverso poem tells a story and then uses the same words, but in reverse, to tell a completely different story. In this book, Wenjen tells the stories of Japanese immigrants who were detained during World War 2 in the first part. In the second part, it also tells the story of a modern day immigrant girl being detained. Both of these groups were detained in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The book takes some very heavy issues and couples them with illustrations and age-appropriate context to share their stories with a younger audience. It is also worth noting that the author is Japanese American and the illustrator is Latina (Cuban) American to further reflect the backgrounds of the girls portrayed in the book.
--> Snag the FREE Read Around the World booklist below <--
Bring modern history to life with living literature that represents several different groups! Includes eight unit studies covering cultural stories from around the world. Each unit addresses a historic era from a new perspective, and these are told in living history format. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.
Product sample: The Button Box
Includes:
- The Year of the Panda
- The Button Box
- Men of the 65th: Borinqueneers of the Korean War
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Genius Under the Table
- Anna Strong & the Culper Spies
- Inoyo of the Congo Forest
- The Forgotten Finca
Read Your World is honored to be Supported by these Medallion:
FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Pragmaticmom) and Valarie Budayr (Audreypress.com)
🏅 Super Platinum Sponsor: Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media
🏅 Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 60 Languages and Jeanne Walker Harvey
🏅 Gold Sponsors: Publisher Spotlight
🏅 Silver Sponsors: Red Comet Press
🏅 Silver Corporate Sponsor:
🏅 Bronze Sponsors: Fabled Films Press
🏅 Corporate Sponsor: Crayola Education
Read Your World is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!
Authors: Audrey Barbakoff, Federico Erebia, Stephanie M. Wildman, Maritza M. Mejia, Authors J.C. Kato and J.C.², Eugenia Chu, Dorktales Storytime Podcast, Josh Funk, Frances Díaz Evans, Gaia Cornwall, Maria Wen Adcock, Diana Huang, Gwen Jackson, Gea Meijering, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Karin Fisher-Golton, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Tami Lehman-Wilzig, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Nancy Tupper Ling, Teresa Robeson, Crystal Z. Lee, Karen Leggett Abouraya, Elly Swartz, Shifa Safadi, Lisa Stringfellow, Sylvia Liu, Kimberly Biddle, Robbin Miller, Eric Clock, Tonya Ellis, and Lisa Chong.
Read Your World is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts and by our Partner Organizations!
Check out RYW’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!
📌 FREE RESOURCES from Read Your World Day
📌 Register for the Read Your World Virtual Party: https://readyourworld.org/virtualparty
Join us on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 8 pm EST celebrating 14 years of Read Your World Day Virtual Party! Register here.
This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.
We will be giving away a 10-Book Bundle during the virtual party plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants are welcome. **
Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, and connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. We look forward to seeing you all on January 29, 2026, at our virtual party!
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