At Read Your World, we envision a world where all children have equal access to literature that reflects the diversity of human experiences. By promoting and distributing diverse books and highlighting diverse authors, we strive to create a future where every child feels seen, valued, and inspired by the stories they read, leading to a more empathetic and inclusive society. Help us keep kids reading with Read Your World Day!

Together, we can change the world one book at a time.

Our Read Your World fundraiser has gifts for different levels of giving:

$35 donation Receive a signed children’s picture book + book swag.*

$50 donation Receive a Read Your World tote bag and help us fund a book donation to a teacher's classroom library!

The beautiful artwork on our Read Your World tote bag is created by author/illustrator Colleen Kong-Savage from the poster she designed for Read Your World 2025. The tote bag is made of 100% cotton and is lightweight and durable. The 20" x 15" x 5" size makes it perfect for books or groceries and the squared-off bottom means it has more stability.

$100 donation Receive 2 Read Your World tote bags. Keep One. Gift One. This helps us fund a book donation to two teachers' classroom libraries!

$150 donation Receive 3 Read Your World tote bags. Keep One. Gift Two. This funds a book donation to three teachers' classroom libraries!

$250 donation Receive or donate* a collection of 10 children’s books to a teacher. You will also receive a Read Your World tote bag with a signed children's book + swag.

$500 donation Fund 5 Ig Live interviews with diverse children’s book creators. You will also receive a Read Your World tote bag with a bundle of children's books including two signed books + swag.

$1000 donation Fund our NEW 2025 Classroom Kit, consisting of a book list, activities, discussion guide, and poster. Each kit takes 100 manhours to create and is downloaded more than 1000 times each year. You will also receive a Read Your World tote bag with a bundle of children's books + swag including three signed books and help us decide what topic to do this year.

$1500 donation Fund diverse book packages to 15 teachers for their classroom library.* You will also receive a Read Your World tote bag with a bundle of children's books including four signed books + swag.

$2500 donation Fund a virtual event on a topic that spotlights diverse children’s and young adult book creators. In the past, we have created panels on Autism Acceptance, Bilingual Children's Month, Pride Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month focusing on Sustainability and Environmental Justice. You will also receive two Read Your World tote bags, each with a bundle of children's books including five signed books + swag.

*Read Your World will handle the book donations to teachers by sending them to teachers who have signed up for free diverse books through our Free Books for Teachers program. Each book package will be a unique collection of books chosen by Read Your World to meet the needs of each teacher.

Learn More About Read Your World

Read Your World is a non-profit whose mission is to ensure that every child has access to diverse and inclusive children’s literature. By providing a wide range of books that reflect various cultures, identities, and experiences, we aim to foster literacy, empathy, and inclusivity in young readers.

We believe that every child deserves to see themselves in the stories they read and to understand the world through the perspective of others.

We do this by:

Donating books to reviewers and classroom libraries.
Providing book lists and classroom kits to help parents, guardians, teachers, librarians, and readers find the diverse children’s books that they need.
Spotlighting children’s book creators with our weekly IG Live Interview series.

Access to diverse children's literature is crucial for fostering literacy, empathy, and inclusivity in young readers. As Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the UK's newly appointed Children's Laureate, advocates, it is imperative that "every child—from their earliest years—has access to books, reading, and the transformative ways in which they improve long-term life chances."

Unfortunately, library closures, book bans, and limited access to diverse literature are widening the equality gap, making it more challenging to encourage reading among children. By promoting and distributing diverse books, creating book lists and classroom kits to spotlight diverse children’s books and authors, we strive to create a future where every child feels seen, valued, and inspired by the stories they read, leading to a more empathetic and inclusive society. We also advocate against book bans and censorship, believing that all children should have the freedom to explore a wide range of stories and perspectives.

In the USA, publishing data by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center shows that in 2018, there were more children's books about animals and other non-human characters than all people of color (POC) combined (27% vs. 23%). Over half of all books featured white characters, with only 1% featuring Indigenous characters, 5% Latinx characters, and 7% Asian-Pacific Islanders. Book bans further restrict access to these important stories, depriving children of the opportunity to see themselves and others reflected in literature. Research shows that children exposed to diverse books are not only more likely to develop better literacy skills but also show a significant reduction in biases and racism.

Studies also show that diverse books can play a significant role in promoting empathy among young readers. Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that exposure to diverse characters in books can significantly reduce implicit biases in children, fostering a more inclusive and accepting attitude toward people from different backgrounds. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk found that children who have access to culturally relevant texts are more engaged and motivated to read, leading to higher literacy rates and academic achievement. Diverse books also help children develop empathy and emotional intelligence by exposing them to various life experiences and challenges faced by characters from different backgrounds. It is essential to address these disparities and ensure all children have access to diverse, inclusive stories that represent and value their experiences.

Please help us keep kids reading by donating to our fundraiser. Thank you for your support!

Here's what people said about our 2024 Virtual Party:

Thank you!! I enjoyed listening and reading everyone’s ideas!
Thank you so much for this great event, good night everyone.
Thank you! Great information sharing!
Thanks, great experience!
Congratulations everyone! Great information and conversation:)
Thank you! Looking forward to next year’s party!
It’s so helpful!
It was frantic on Twitter.
The virtual party had a great pace.
Loved it!!
I like it more in Zoom, too! 👍
It was too hard to keep up on Twitter. Fun, but frantic!
Thank you all…this was FUN and even better when one wins something 😀
Thanks so much!
Thank you for hosting such an amazing party!
You all did a great job organizing this event. Thank you!
Thank you for a fun event!
Thanks for all you do!
So glad to have been a part of this event this year!
Thank you for a lovely event!
Great job Mia, Frances, and Leanna!!!
You all are a great team. Thanks for your hard work.
Yay! Thanks for organizing this and everything!
Great experience!
Thank you! I really enjoyed this time. I’m happy to know that there is a book about our Puerto Rican parrot.
Thank you for helping to put diverse books in the hands of students!
Proud to be part of #ReadYourWorld
Thank you for helping to put diverse books in the hands of students!
Thanks for organizing this event! I know it’s a lot of time.
Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks for organizing this event! I know it’s a lot of time.
Thank you for my bundle!
Fabulous job!
Great job!
I loved the closed captions and questions on the screen! I was listening/watching while my partner was making dinner, and it got a little noisy, but I was still able to participate.
Thanks for the opportunity to be a book reviewer! I’m so excited that I won a prize! Woohoo!
Such an amazing event! I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to get more involved!
Thank you for all your hard work!
Loved it! I’m glad I stayed up past my bedtime. Ha ha 😀

p.s. Sources:

Keep Kids Reading with Read Your World Day

Help Us Change the World One Book At a Time!

Team Members