Sharing the love of Multicultural Books via Classroom Donations
Guest post from Pack-n-Go Girls®
All of us in the diverse kidlit world know the importance of not only the need for young readers of color to see themselves in the books they read but to also get those types of books into the hands of these same readers. Taking extra steps to make this happen via partnerships with literacy-based non-profits like Multicultural Children’s Book Day or the donation of our new books to classrooms and libraries are two very good ways to turn words into action.
Why Does Diversity in Books Matter?
What if 97 percent of children’s books only had boy characters? It wouldn’t be just the outrage we’d feel. It would also be what we’d be missing by having a single-sex dominate all the books. What would boys understand about girls if they never read books with female characters? I wonder, too, would I be a reader today if I’d only read books with male characters?
Little girls dream of true-blue friends, mysterious adventures, and far away places. In the eleventh book of the Pack-n-Go Girls® Adventures, Mystery of the Naga at Night, author Lisa Travis takes the readers there. In this case, “there” is Thailand, where 9-year-old Jess Johnson travels back to visit with 9-year-old Nong May Wattana. In this second book of the Thailand series, something creeps by Jess’s window in a Thai hill tribe village. Whatever it sounds like sounds close enough to touch. The wind blows. Pebbles scatter. A shadow slithers through the moonlight. What is this mysterious creature doing slipping into the jungle every night? Jess and Nong May are determined to find out.
How The Pack-n-Go Girls is Taking Action
The Advanced Readers Edition was launched in November at The American Association of School Librarians national conference in Louisville, KY. Now, WorldTrek Publishing and Pack-n-Go Girls are celebrating its public release and have donated 50 books to Multicultural Children’s Book Day on January 31, 2020
“The Pack-n-Go Girls® Adventures include multiple series, each focused on a new country. With Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures, you can tour haunted castles in Austria, paddle through spooky lagoons in Mexico, save dolphins and turtles in Brazil, search for clues in the jungles of Thailand, and chase aliens in Australia,” shared Travis. “At the same time, you are inspiring your kids to embrace adventure, be curious, value what unites us and celebrate the differences that make us unique. You are inspiring them to take on our boundaryless world and become global citizens. Each book includes a “What to Know Before You Go” section with cultural information, language glossary, recipe, and trip planner.”
The company’s website, www.packngogirls.com also features a Teacher’s Resource page with free classroom activity downloads.
About Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Learn more about MCCBD and find links to loads of diverse children’s books at https://readyourworld.org/.
About the Author
Lisa Travis and Janelle Diller of Pack and Go Girls
Lisa Travis has always dreamed of faraway places. Her childhood days of exploring old National Geographic magazines in her attic led her to the world beyond. She studied in Germany, traveled the USA in a Volkswagen camper, and lived and worked in South Korea. She currently finds ways to pack and go by designing global leadership programs. Her experiences around the world inspired her to write Pack-n-Go Girls stories that deliver positive messages around independence, adventure, and global awareness. Lisa lives, bikes, and skis in Colorado with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.
About Pack-n-Go Girls®
Diverse Early Chapter Books for Girls | Pack-n-Go Girls
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, Pack-n-Go Girls engages the imagination of children ages 6-9 by introducing them to different countries around the world. Pack-n-Go Girls early chapter book adventures are packed with spooky mysteries, international friendships, and lots of fun and easy multicultural learning. The travel adventure book series, launched in 2013, has won numerous awards including the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in 2014 and 2017, the 2017 Literary Classics Award for Best Series – Young Reader, and 2016, 2017, and 2019 CIPA Evvy Award for Children’s Story Books. Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures have also been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, MidWest Book Reviews, and reviewed and featured in Publishers Weekly.
For additional information please visit our website at www.packngogirls.com.
ONE MORE THING
Show some social media love while marketing your book (or an author you admire) in a creative and far-reaching way!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Social Media Shout-Outs
Our Social Media Shout-Outs has escalated in popularity over the last few months because folks see that it an affordable way to show some online love to their own work, an author they admire, or a book they admire. MCBD Social Media Shout-Outs also acts as a fundraiser for this non-profit.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Social Media Shout-Out =$25 (sale price good until 2/28/20)
Anyone with a PayPal account can gift an online “shout-out” to an author friend who has a kid’s or YA book with a diversity theme OR use it as an effective tool for their own book marketing and book promotion.
Using a custom image created by the MCBD Team, we will provide one share/post our Twitter feed (over 13.7K followers) on our Instagram Feed (over 10.500 followers), within our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Private Facebook Group (over 1500 Members) and our Facebook page (over 4K followers) as well.
That’s a LOT of eyeballs!
AND, right now, everyone has a chance to lock in a Social Media Shout Out at the $25 rate before the price goes up on March 1, 2020. (Purchasers have 30 days from the date of the Shout Out purchase to redeem their purchase).
GO HERE to get more details, see more samples of past Shout-Outs, and to purchase your own Social Media Shout Out to honor someone in the world of diverse books for kids and teens! #ReadYourWorld