International Literacy Day, observed worldwide on Sept. 8, highlights literacy as a fundamental human right and a foundation for building more inclusive, just and sustainable societies. Explore our curated booklist to celebrate the power of literacy.
Global Baby Playtime by Maya Ajmera
Junior: Features babies from around the world in traditional clothing with simple text, helping even the youngest readers appreciate global cultures.
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman
Junior: A celebration of diversity in schools, where children of all cultures, backgrounds and languages are embraced.
Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina
Junior: A heartwarming story of a girl and her Spanish-speaking grandmother learning to communicate and bond.
The Word Collection by Peter H. Reynolds
Junior: A poetic story about a boy who collects words in all languages, emphasizing the beauty and power of words and communication.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Junior: A gentle story about feeling different and finding your voice.
Knowing What Sources to Trust by Meghan Green
Junior: Learning how to be critical of what is being presented has become one of the most important skills a person can cultivate. This volume utilizes informative sidebars and detailed graphic organizers to discuss the steps readers can take to verify the information they read, hear or see.
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
Teen: Lilah feels stuck. She's not "deaf enough" to fit into the Deaf community, but she also doesn't meet the hearing world's expectations. When she becomes a counsellor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, she finds her community... and maybe romance.
What the Fact by Seema Yasmin
Teen: Dr. Seema Yasmin, an award-winning journalist, scientist, medical professional and professor, traces the spread of misinformation and disinformation through our fast-moving media landscape and teaches young readers the skills that will help them identify and counter poorly-sourced clickbait and misleading headlines.
Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What to Believe Online by Mike Caulfield
Adult: Information literacy expert Mike Caulfield and educational researcher Sam Wineburg provide this approachable guide to finding quality information on the internet. With this illustrated tool kit, readers will learn to identify red flags, get quick context and make better use of common websites like Google and Wikipedia.
Lies that Kill: A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation by Elaine C. Kamarck and Darrell M. Wes
Adult: In Lies that Kill, readers learn about the world of disinformation campaigns to show concerned citizens how to recognize disinformation, understand it, and protect themselves and others. Using case studies of elections, climate change, public health, race, war and governance, Elaine Kamarck and Darrell West discuss how our political, social and economic environment makes disinformation believable to large numbers of people.
