These kits do more than teach about diversity. They actively cultivate the next generation of compassionate, informed citizens who recognize their power to create a more just and inclusive world. By connecting children with authentic stories and meaningful activities, these resources help young people develop not only academic knowledge but also the social-emotional skills and ethical framework needed to thrive in our multicultural society.
Read Your World Classroom Kits bridge that critical gap by providing educators, parents, and students with tools that foster understanding, empathy, and action. They are entirely free! Just fill out the form below to subscribe and immediately get access to each digital file.
FACT: Thirty-seven percent of the US population consists of people of color or religious minorities. Yet only 10% of children’s books reflect these cultures and faiths.
Read Your World Classroom Kits bridge that critical gap by providing educators, parents, and students with tools that foster understanding, empathy, and action. They are entirely free! Just fill out the form below to subscribe and immediately get access to each digital file.
This comprehensive LGBTQIA+ classroom kit is an essential resource for educators, parents, and librarians committed to creating inclusive learning environments where all children feel seen, valued, and respected.
Despite 37% of the US population consisting of people of color and religious diversity, only 10% of children’s books published have diverse content. This kit helps bridge that gap by providing resources that:
Created by award-winning authors, educators, and LGBTQIA+ advocates including Federico Erebia (2024 Lambda Literary Award winner), C.K. Malone (bigender educator and author), and Michael Genhart, Ph.D. (licensed clinical psychologist and author).
This comprehensive classroom kit provides educators, parents, and students with essential resources to explore climate change through the lens of environmental justice — ensuring all communities have equal access to a healthy environment regardless of race, income, or geography.
Environmental justice recognizes that climate change doesn’t affect all communities equally. This kit helps students understand that:
Created by award-winning authors, educators, and environmental advocates including Meera Sriram (author of A Gift for Amma), Maritza M. Mejia (recipient of the Premio verso Dorado for environmental work), and Giselle Shardlow (founder of Kids Yoga Stories).
This comprehensive classroom kit from Multicultural Children’s Book Day provides educators and parents with practical resources to support children’s emotional wellbeing during challenging times.
As children continue to process the effects of social isolation, disrupted routines, and heightened anxiety, these evidence-based tools provide a foundation for building resilience and emotional intelligence.
Created by mental health professionals and award-winning authors including Aditi Wardhan Singh (multi-award-winning author and founder of Raising World Children), Deedee Cummings (therapist, attorney, and author of the Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess series), and Giselle Shardlow (founder of Kids Yoga Stories).
Equip your classroom with essential tools to address systemic racism and foster meaningful conversations about racial justice with students of all ages.
Systemic racism affects children’s access to quality housing, education, healthcare, and opportunities. This kit provides educators with practical tools to have age-appropriate conversations about race, help students recognize and counter racial injustice, and create more equitable learning environments. By addressing these issues early, we can help children develop the empathy and understanding needed to build a more just society.
Created by leading voices in multicultural education and anti-racism work including Deedee Cummings (therapist, attorney, and award-winning children’s book author), Dr. Valerie Williams-Sanchez (literacy expert and author), and Mia Wenjen (co-founder of Multicultural Children’s Book Day and diversity advocate).
Even the youngest voices can make a difference! By learning about diverse activists throughout history and engaging in hands-on activities, children discover that activism takes many forms—from art and music to community organizing and environmental stewardship.
Children need to understand that their voices matter and that they have the power to create positive change. This kit provides age-appropriate ways to introduce activism, helping students develop critical thinking skills about social issues while empowering them with practical tools to take action.
Created by passionate educators and activists including Rebekah Gienapp (The Barefoot Mommy, curriculum developer for children’s peace camps), Deedee Cummings (therapist, attorney, and award-winning children’s book author), and Bethany and Havana Edwards (mother-daughter team behind Biracial Bookworms).
This thoughtfully curated kit emphasizes that being different is not a bad thing and promotes disability awareness through respectful dialogue. The kit covers over 30 different physical and developmental challenges, from ADHD and autism to visual impairments and speech difficulties, offering age-appropriate book recommendations for each condition.
Understanding and celebrating differences is essential for creating inclusive classrooms where all students feel valued. This kit helps demystify disabilities by providing factual information, appropriate language, and engaging stories that feature characters with various challenges. By fostering empathy and awareness, students learn to see beyond disabilities to the whole person, recognizing that everyone has unique strengths and abilities.
Created by the MCBD team (Valarie Budayr, Mia Wenjen, and Becky Flansburg) with contributions from experts including Geek Club Books, Charlotte Riggle (children’s author), and illustrator SKlakina, who herself has Charcot Marie Tooth disease. The kit reflects both professional expertise and lived experience, making it an authentic and valuable resource for educators.
Explore global cultures through diverse children’s literature. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional field trips weren’t possible, this kit enables families to travel the world through books, activities, and cultural exploration from home.
Globally-minded children can appreciate differences and recognize our shared humanity. By incorporating multicultural literature into education, parents help children develop critical thinking skills about other cultures while fostering curiosity, empathy, and respect for diversity.
Created by the MCBD team with contributions from diverse educators and publishers including Language Lizard, Pack-n-Go Girls, Barefoot Books, and author Afsaneh Moradian. The kit reflects MCBD’s mission to raise awareness of diverse children’s books and get more of these books into homes, classrooms, and libraries.
This kit aims to foster empathy and awareness by helping children understand what poverty means, how it affects families, and ways to support those experiencing economic hardship.
Poverty affects millions of American children who experience food insecurity, housing instability, and lack of basic necessities. This kit helps students develop empathy by understanding that poverty doesn’t discriminate—it can affect anyone regardless of background. By exploring poverty through literature and activities, students learn to recognize economic hardship in their communities and develop compassion for those experiencing it. The kit emphasizes that poverty is often a systemic issue rather than an individual failing, helping students understand complex socioeconomic factors.
Created by the MCBD team: Valarie Budayr (children’s book author, publisher, and reading activist), Mia Wenjen (blogger at PragmaticMom and diversity advocate), and Becky Flansburg (project manager). The kit includes a special poster designed by illustrator Mehrdokht Amini and draws on expertise from various poverty-focused organizations.
Help students understand immigration and refugee experiences through literature and activities. This kit aims to foster empathy, compassion, and understanding among students. It provides resources to help children recognize the challenges faced by immigrants and refugees while celebrating their contributions to society.
This kit helps students comprehend the challenges faced by immigrants and refugees—from language barriers to leaving behind homes and possessions. By exploring these experiences through literature and activities, students develop compassion and learn to welcome newcomers. The kit emphasizes that America’s strength comes from its diversity and that immigrants have made significant contributions to our society.
Created by the MCBD team: Valarie Budayr (children’s book author, publisher, and reading activist who shares her personal refugee experience), Mia Wenjen (blogger at PragmaticMom and diversity advocate), and Becky Flansburg (project manager). The kit includes contributions from various educators and authors who specialize in multicultural children’s literature.
This kit equips educators with tools to foster kindness, empathy, and compassion — through great kid lit and activities.
By exploring kindness through the lens of multicultural literature, students recognize and appreciate differences while finding common ground in the shared human experience. These lessons extend beyond the classroom, helping to build a more compassionate and understanding society.
The kit was created by the MCBD team: Valarie Budayr (founder of Jump Into a Book and children’s book author), Mia Wenjen (founder of PragmaticMom and diversity advocate), and Becky Flansburg (project manager). The kit includes contributions from various educational resources including Ripple Kindness, RandomActsofKindness.org, and No Time For Flash Cards.
