Rebekah Gienapp

The most controversial post I’ve ever written was about racist content in Dr. Seuss’ books. Because Seuss is such a beloved author, it’s hard for many folks to accept that racist stereotypes about Black and Asian people informed his work. The National Education Association, which sponsors Read Across America, rebranded the event in 2019 to focus on “celebrating a nation  of diverse readers,” rather than Dr. Seuss.

There are so many ways that teachers and librarians can encourage a love of reading during Read Across America events. And, there are so many wonderful children’s book authors we can celebrate.

Disclosure: For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

8 non-Seuss ideas for celebrate Read Across America

1. Use the updated logo and name for Read Across America

March 2 was originally chosen for Read Across America because it’s Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Some schools call their reading celebration week “Dr. Seuss Week.”

Schools can refocus their events on reading and diverse books by calling it Read Across America and using one of the new logos.

2. Celebrate all week with daily book themes

Use a daily storytime combined with a display of related books in your reading nook to focus on a daily theme. For example:

Monday: Read a book about families

A few of my favorite books about families include:

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal (for ages 3 – 7)

Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan (for ages 4 – 8)

Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith (for ages 7 – 10)

Related post: 12 comforting picture books about home

Tuesday: Read a funny book

Some of my favorite funny books are:

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look (for ages 6 – 9)

Dr. Potts, My Pets Have Spots by Rod Hull (for ages 3 – 7)

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan (for ages 4 – 8)

Related post:  17 funny multicultural children’s books

Wednesday:  Read a book about an inspiring leader

A few of my favorite books about leaders are:

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly (for ages 5 – 9)

Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez by Monica Brown (for ages 5 – 9)

She Stood for Freedom:  The Untold  Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland by Loki Mulholland and Angela Fairwell (for ages 7 – 11)

Related Post: 31 children’s books about women leaders

Thursday:  Read an #ownvoices book

The hashtag #ownvoices was created to highlight books which feature characters whose identities are diverse AND the author of the book shares the identity with the character. For example, a book with a Black heroine written by a Black author or a book with an autistic main character written by an autistic author.

Three of my favorite #ownvoices books are:

El Deafo by Cece Bell (for ages 7 – 11)

Looking for Bongo by Eric Velasquez (for ages 3 – 7)

Dear Juno by Sunyong Pak (for ages 4 – 8)

Related Post: Twenty #ownvoices books about Native Americans and First Nations peoples

Friday: Read a book that celebrates books

Why not finish Read Across America week with a story about the joy of reading? Here are a few suggestions:

The Book Tree by Paul Czajak (for ages 5 – 8)

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (for ages 7 – 10)

3. Invite a local author to visit

No one can bring a book alive like the person who wrote it! An author visit can also inspire creative kids to dream of becoming a writer themselves.

Some local and state chapters of the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators have a speakers’ bureau that can help you. An author who lives in another city may be able to arrange a virtual visit to your class through a Skype session.

If you can’t arrange for an author visit, an alternative is to watch an author reading their book on KidLitTV.

4. Put together a “book tasting” for children

There are many different ways you could organize this. You could transform the library or a portion of the cafeteria into a “reading cafe.” Children can fill out a “menu” of books they find that they’d like to read in the coming weeks.

Another variation plays on the idea of diverse books serving as both mirrors of children’s worlds and windows into other people’s worlds.

Set out a variety of books, along with a mirror and a window frame (or pictures of them.) Encourage children to find a book that reflects their culture or another aspect of who they are, as well as a book from a culture that is not their own.

5. Bring in “reading buddies” 

Encourage children to bring a favorite stuffed animal or doll to school one day so that they can read aloud to their buddy. Be sure to have some extra buddies on hand in case a child forgets to bring theirs.

6. Have a storytime that includes movement

Including dance, yoga, or drama in your storytime makes it engaging for children, plus it’s easier for children with attention issues to participate. Students could act out a familiar fairy tale that has repetitive elements, or you could use a book like My Daddy is a Pretzel, which has yoga poses built into the story.

Related Post: Best children’s books about yoga and mindfulness

7. Extend the story into the garden or the kitchen

My mother is a retired 3rd grade teacher. One of her student’s favorite activities was reading a book about bread (for example The Little Red Hen) and then making bread. She brought in her bread machine to make this a manageable classroom activity.

If your school has a garden, take your storytime to the garden. A book like Grandpa’s Garden or I Am Farmer would be perfect for a reading in the garden.

8. Do a deep dive into a particular author

Instead of having a daily theme, you could spend all week reading several books by one author, and learning about their life. I would love to spend a week reading Jacqueline Woodson’s books with children. Yuyi Morales is another great choice, as well as Lenore Look.