September is National Literacy Month. This is also the month that we recognized Read A Book Day (September 6th) and International Literacy Day (September 8th). Read A Book Day, originally called National Book Lover's Day, was created by the Library of Congress in 1996 as a way to encourage the reading of all kinds of books. It was built on the premise that reading increases your knowledge, expands your vocabulary, improves writing skills, and opens you to other cultures, perspectives, and ways of thinking. In contrast, International Literacy Day was originated by UNESCO in 1967 as a means of encouraging literacy and access to books for people all over the world. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated literacy challenges by limiting access to classrooms, education, and books. According to UNESCO, "In low- and middle-income countries, the share of 10-year-old children who could not read and understand a simple text with comprehension has increased from 57 per cent in 2019 to an estimated 70 per cent in 2022." In today's article, we share 10 book lists that will help you recognize these holidays.
Image Description: A child leans against the trunk of a tree on the left side of the image. They are silhouetted by a yellow orange sunset fading into the right side of the photo. Silhouetted grass runs across the bottom of the photo. The child holds a book in their hand and appears to be reading intently.
Credit: Aaron Burden / Unsplash via Webador
Resources for Celebrating Literacy
- African American Literature & History: The Library of America curates a list of books by African American authors that have been influential in American History. Check out the list here to expand your reading list and rediscover classics.
- Bilingual Titles for Kids in Spanish and English: Looking for bilingual Spanish-English books for children? The New York Public Library has you covered. Check out their list here.
- Braille Literacy: The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled works to increase access to braille literacy education, audio-books and other resources for people with print-related disabilities. Learn more about the resources they offer here.
- Center for the Book: See what your local Affiliate Center for the Book is doing. 56 states and territories work with the Library of Congress to organize programs around books and authors that honor the culture and heritage of the affiliate's region. Find out what your affiliate center is up to by clicking here.
- Classic Books: The Library of Congress curates a list of classic books for recommended reading. The next time your "to be read" list is getting short, dig through the Library of Congress' lists to find new books to fill out your own reading list. Find the classic books list here.
- First Nations Book List: FirstNations.org has compiled a book of essential reading on the Native American experience. This list is uniquely powerful because it was designed by Native American readers with the interests of indigenous peoples in mind. Find the First Nations Book List here.
- Library of Congress Book Lists: Pick your next book from one of the Library of Congress Book Lists. Lists are available for all ages and focus on US history and culture. Check out this year's lists here.
- Literacy and Multilingualism: Worldreader celebrates International Literacy Day by pulling together books of many languages to uplift literacy across languages and cultures. This list includes books written in Spanish, English, Swahili, Arabic, Hindi, and French. Check it out here.
- Read Around the States: Check out the Library of Congress' Read Around the States video project. In these videos, members of Congress read their favorite children's books aloud. Interviews with the authors of these books are included. Visit the archive here.
- Reading for Change: Booklist Online in association with the American Library Association shares this list of Antiracism Titles for All Ages. Divided into fiction, nonfiction, children, youth, and adults, this list has a little something for everyone. Check it out here.
Sources
- 12 books you should read this International Literacy Day (Worldreader): https://www.worldreader.org/now/12-books-you-should-read-this-international-literacy-day/
- African American Literature & History (Library of America): https://www.loa.org/books/topics/28-african-american-literature-history?sort=author_desc&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0bunBhD9ARIsAAZl0E3f3kQBl6U5JF-0hxWb4r8YB5pDJ5t2Fv1qVbuwJ6iuNEUqPPFVsRIaAhR-EALw_wcB
- Antiracism Titles for All Ages (Booklist Online and the American Library Association): https://www.booklistonline.com/Reading-for-Change-Booklist-Recommended-Antiracism-Titles-for-All-Ages-Briana-Shemroske/pid=9751593?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0bunBhD9ARIsAAZl0E3mbQECUrJZHn7LM_1kbWlbce3BL921Fizv-5ambPrA0OrRSDBnA4QaAoU5EALw_wcB
- Book Lists (Library of Congress): https://read.gov/booklists/
- Braille Literacy (The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled): https://www.loc.gov/nls/
- Center for the Book (Library of Congress): https://www.loc.gov/programs/center-for-the-book/about-this-program/
- Celebrating Latinx Authors (New York Public Library): https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/national-hispanic-heritage-month/book-list/en-es
- Classic Books (Library of Congress): https://read.gov/books/
- First Nations Book List (FirstNations.org): https://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/books/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0bunBhD9ARIsAAZl0E12QE-tiBr_Vy0LCtT5De_cwt2YhMtYLa91HXHA9c1ICeful6t9XU0aAs-4EALw_wcB
- International Literacy Day (UNESCO): https://www.unesco.org/en/days/literacy
- National Read A Book Day (National Days Today): https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-read-a-book-day/#google_vignette
- Read Around the States (Library of Congress): https://www.loc.gov/search/?fa=partof:read+around+the+states
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