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Literacy Challenge / Community Service Reading Event

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This interactive reading challenge encourages students to read books and complete activities to earn “stars,” which they can donate to causes like clean water, school supplies, and healthy meals. It motivates reading through real-world impact, increases engagement, and promotes citizenship. School librarians can use this to create a month-long reading challenge, display donation progress, and celebrate classroom goals.

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Join the Star Donation Challenge | Learning A-Z

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The Learning A-Z Star Donation Challenge is a month-long event that gives students the opportunity to help communities in need through reading and completing Learning A-Z activities.

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Scholastic Book Fair

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Día de los niños (April 30) / Hispanic Heritage Month

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National Read Across America Day / Yearlong Reading Celebrations

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World Read Aloud Day (February)

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Ongoing Monthly Reading Promotion

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Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15)

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Summer Reading Kickoff and Ongoing Summer Literacy Engagement

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Book Tastings to Launch 3rd–5th Grade Book Clubs

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Reading Month Kickoff or Schoolwide Reading Promotion

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Use colorful flyers, posters, and graphics from Scholastic’s toolkit to advertise the book fair, decorate the media center, and send reminders home. These visuals increase excitement and help promote reading by building anticipation.

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This resource from the American Library Association provides a rich collection of bilingual ideas and tools to help school librarians celebrate Día, a literacy initiative founded by author Pat Mora. The celebration emphasizes honoring children, promoting literacy in multiple languages, and encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Activities include a Parade of Books, bilingual storytime, Latin American crafts, multicultural food shows, and themed book displays. Libraries are encouraged to create inclusive events that reflect the cultures of their community and to use the provided toolkits and lesson ideas to promote books that honor diversity.

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This NEA-hosted site supports yearlong reading celebrations by offering monthly calendars, diverse book recommendations, classroom tips, author spotlights, and printable resources. It can be used to plan thematic displays, promote author studies, or incorporate literacy activities into monthly schoolwide events.

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This site offers free resources including activity packets, booklists, live events, virtual read-alouds, and printable materials to celebrate World Read Aloud Day in schools and libraries. These can be used to plan a schoolwide celebration or a simple classroom literacy event that promotes the power of reading aloud and storytelling.

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This campaign provides fun, engaging posters of celebrities, authors, and characters “caught” reading. The posters can be printed and used to build a bulletin board or wall display in the media center. Additionally, students, teachers, and staff will be invited to submit photos of themselves "caught reading" in unexpected places around campus or at home. A new collage can be featured monthly, helping build a schoolwide culture that celebrates reading all year long.

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This resource includes curated booklists, classroom activities, multimedia links, author interviews, and award-winning titles that highlight Hispanic heritage. The materials can be used throughout Hispanic Heritage Month to promote diverse voices in literature. In the library setting, this resource can support themed displays, read-alouds, and cultural appreciation activities that engage students across grade levels.

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This county-wide program encourages children, teens, and adults to read over the summer by tracking their reading and activities using Beanstack. The media specialist can promote this program in the library by hosting a kickoff event with sign-up stations, highlighting Beanstack on the library website, and sharing monthly reading goals and prize updates on schoolwide news or social media. Materials and performances listed in the newsletter (like live animals, crafts, and themed parties) can inspire school-based versions of similar events or promote public library collaboration.

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This fun surprise activity helps build excitement around reading across grade levels. A Mystery Reader, such as a teacher, staff member, or administrator, secretly observes students who are independently reading during natural moments throughout the day. When a student is caught reading, they receive a small recognition such as a certificate, sticker, or entry into a classroom drawing. Their name can also be shared on the morning announcements or posted on a themed reading wall to celebrate their efforts. This activity encourages students to read for enjoyment and helps foster a positive reading culture throughout the school.

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Book Fair Host Hub | Scholastic Book Fairs

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Access the Scholastic Book Fair Host Hub for all the information you need before, during, and after your next book Fair.

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by Pat Mora and Rose Zertuche Treviño

Preschool through high school

Part I-Día's Beginnings

by Pat Mora

What might sound lighthearted-planning a literacy celebration that involves children and their diverse families-has serious motivations. Can we dream big enough to want a nation of readers? Can democracy thrive in a country with serious literacy challenges? Are
all the children in our schools and libraries discovering that books are fun, comforting, and also serve as sources of information, ways to make sense of the world?

These questions matter deeply. "Bookjoy," the private pleasure that true readers savor, is something to share, and every child deserves to find a good home in books. This desire prompted the founding of El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Children's Day / Book Day) more than 10 years ago. Along with energetic and committed librarians and teachers, I wanted kids and their diverse families to experience literacy in all their home languages as fun and welcoming.

On a sunny, desert day in March 1996, while visiting the University of Arizona in Tucson, I learned about an annual tradition of celebrating April 30 as El día del niño, the Day of the Child.
Hmm, I thought, remembering my own children's question: "Why do we have Mother's Day and Father's Day and not Children's Day?"
Hmm, what if literacy advocates linked a celebration of children with a celebration of literacy, and together we created El día de los niños / El día de los libros?

With the support of librarians, especially members of the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA), by 1997 cities including Santa Fe, El Paso, and Tucson held their first, now annual, celebrations.

Día is currently housed at the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and administered in cooperation with founding partner REFORMA. Thanks in part to additional support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, ALSC's
Día Web site offers librarians complimentary tip sheets and bilingual brochures as well as the opportunity to register their events or search for events in their area. In addition, the Texas Library Association received funding for an online tool kit. (For links to these resources, see
Día Web Connections).

Día's Goals

Aware that we have many fine literacy celebrations throughout the year, organizers from around the country wondered if all our children and their families were feeling included, especially families who don't speak English, that haven't themselves had public or school library experiences, and children who aren't seeing themselves in books. Such families from all over the world, living and working here, want their children to do well in school. Día can be a bridge.

We quickly realized what you already know, of course. Día isn't just April 30-it's every day of the year, and it honors every child. Día's goals include a daily commitment to honor children and childhood; to promote literacy, the importance of linking
all children to books, languages (
all languages), and cultures; to honor home languages and cultures; to involve parents as essential members of the literacy team; and to promote library collection development that reflects our plurality.

Put Día on your planning calendar, and next April 30, connect with old and new friends, with all kinds of wonderful families coming together to celebrate children and books.

Part II: Celebrating Día

by Rose Zertuche Treviño

Looking for ideas to celebrate children and books? Look no further. El día de los niños / El día de los libros, or Día, is the perfect event to connect the two. Children are our future, and those of us who serve them know how important it is to bring books into their lives. Books bring enjoyment, excitement, drama, mystery, and much more. Here's your invitation. Please RSVP
yes for April 30!

The Books

Día is a celebration of children and books, so don't forget the books! A display of children's books is an important component of the program and should be prominent. At the start of your celebration, highlight the books and remind children that they can be checked out. Select a variety of books for children of all ages and in different languages. Bilingual books are an important addition to your display. (See
Día Web Connections for links to suggested book lists.) Check your new books section as well for titles just published.

The Celebration

A Día celebration can consist of one or several activities. Below are a few ideas to get started:

Día's Parade of Books: For this activity geared toward young children, you'll need to prepare a few flags in advance using colorful tissue paper and crepe paper streamers attached to wooden dowels. Children can take turns holding a flag or a favorite book from a display you've prepared and will follow you through the library on a Día march. After the march, read a few stories, recite rhymes, sing a few songs, and do some fingerplays. If your group is made up of Spanish speakers, you may want to try a storytime in Spanish or in English and Spanish. (See
Día Web Connections for links to a Spanish storytime lesson plan.

Latin American Arts and Crafts Program
: Engage in a Latin American craft using ideas from books in your collection. Display these books and encourage children to check them out.

International Food Show
: Mimic a popular TV Food Network show using cooks from the community. Presenters could be parents or other community members who prepare a simple treat showing ingredients and steps along the way. A display of cookbooks would be ideal.

Latin Dance
: Teach children how to dance the Mexican Hat Dance,
La raspa, or more popular Latin dances. If you have two left feet, contact someone in the community to lead the group. If possible, have a stack of books, CDs, and DVDs about Latin dance ready for checkout.

Cuentos y más
: Invite a Spanish-speaking storyteller to join you in a bilingual storytime featuring stories, games, music, and more.

Even More Ideas

Blend local culture into your celebration. Here's a short list of what libraries in cities across the country did last year:

The Maricopa County District Library hosted performances of Childplay's adaptation of Pat Mora's book
Tomás and the Library Lady.

In a south Texas school, the high-school band took part in a Parade of Books, and classrooms decorated AV carts with the theme of a favorite book.

The Kalamazoo Public Library in Michigan hosted a Mexican dance troupe.

In a New England school, a schoolwide rally was held, and children chanted cheers about literacy. Children then "planted" poems they had written in front of the school.

At the Santa Fe Public Library, a theater group spun tales of fun and fancy while teaching kids and adults about the art of puppetry.

In Virginia, Salvadoran singer-songwriter Lilo Gonzalez and his trio performed at the Arlington Public Library.

Berkeley Public Library featured musician Asheba and the splendid clown Chiquy Boom.

Broward County Libraries in Florida held festivals that featured children's performers, storytellers, authors, hands-on crafts, and free books.

Día Web Connections

Pat Mora, Día's founder, is a poet and author of books for children and adults.
Rose Zertuche Treviño is the youth services coordinator of the Houston Public Library in Texas and a member of the ALSC Board of Directors and the REFORMA Board of Directors.

Originally published in
Book Links Jan. 2007 (vol. 16, no. 3)

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Celebrating Children and Books: El día de los niños / El día de los libros

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by Pat Mora and Rose Zertuche Treviño Preschool through high school Part I-Día's Beginnings by Pat Mora What might sound lighthearted-planning a literacy celebration that involves children and their diverse families-has serious motivations. Can we dream big enough to want a nation of readers? Can democracy thrive in a country with serious literacy challenges?

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Chapter Books for Early Readers

Create enthusiastic readers with Magic Tree House (MTH) early chapter book choices for beginning independent readers that are fun, accessible, and help improve comprehension and the habit of reading.

Ready to use these MTH books and more in your classroom? Visit MTHClassroomAdventures.org for downloadable MTH resources or head to www.MagicTreeHouse.com. Eligible educators can join First Book's Network to bring new books and resources to the classroom.

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Let's read and grow together with 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion.

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is almost here, and we can't wait to share what we have in store this year! Mark your calendars for February 7th, 2024, and get ready to join us for a full day of excitement as we celebrate the joy of reading aloud.

Let's make this year's World Read Aloud Day the best one yet!

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Get Caught Reading is a year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books. Brought to you by Every Child a Reader, an award-winning charity. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and now managed by Every Child a Reader.

Get Caught Reading provides teachers, librarians, and booksellers with bulletin-board-sized posters of authors, artists, athletes, musicians, and beloved book characters "caught" reading a favorite book.

Sponsored by Every Child a Reader

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Get Caught Reading is a year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books. Brought to you by Every Child a Reader, an award-winning charity. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and now managed by Every Child a Reader. Get Caught Reading provides teachers, librar

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Colorín Colorado celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with dynamic booklists, classroom activities, and multimedia resources. These are great materials for the curriculum year round!

For more great ideas, see our resource section on "Día," or Children's Day/Book Day ( El día de los niños/El día de los libros).

Booklists & Awards

Booklists for Children and Teens

Our Hispanic Heritage collection features more than 50 booklists for kids and teens, including lots of award winners!

Meg Medina's novel Merci Suárez Changes Gears won the 2019 Newbery Award and Matt de la Pena won in 2016 for the picture book Last Stop on Market Street.

Book awards celebrating Hispanic Heritage

To see additional books that have won other recent major awards, see the following lists:

Meet the Author Interviews

Take a look at the interviews with the following authors, poets, and illustrators in our Meet the Authors section!

Many of their books are available in Spanish or in bilingual formats.

Classroom Activities and Lesson Plans

Resource collections

Grades K-5

Grades 6-12

Multimedia Resources

Related Headlines

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Colorín Colorado celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with dynamic booklists, classroom activities, and multimedia resources. These are great materials for the curriculum year round! For more great ideas, see our resource section on "Día," or Children's Day/Book Day ( El día de los niños/El día de los libros).

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Click here to view our Summer Reading Newsletter! Summer Reading Sponsors The Hall County Library System Summer Reading Program would not be possible without the help of our sponsors.

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Reigniting the Joy of Reading With Book Tastings

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Offering students a chance to sample new genres and styles of books in the school library can help them break out of a reading rut.

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Mystery Reader: A Sneaky Reward for Pleasure Reading | Programming Librarian

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Nobody likes to get in trouble at school; getting caught by a teacher doing something you are not supposed to is never fun. But getting caught reading by a Mystery Reader? That’s a different story.