WNDB in the Classroom
We provide free diverse books to students at low-income schools and organizations around the country.
Since 2014, WNDB in the Classroom has donated over 110,000 diverse books to schools, libraries, and organizations in need across all 50 states. Our giveaways include our annual Walter Award-winning titles and books by the creators we’ve served. We also accept donations from publishers, authors, and other donors, to send to readers throughout the country.
Diverse books encourage literacy by providing up-to-date and engaging titles that students are excited to read. The educators in our network report that reluctant readers are more engaged and enthusiastic about reading when they can see themselves in books, boosting compassion and literacy.
We believe that our work putting diverse books into the hands of readers creates empathy and fosters literacy.
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Being able to gift them books gives them tangible undeniable examples of their race, culture and heritage that they can hold onto.”
Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center Library
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Why are diverse books important?
At WNDB, we believe that children need books that are windows and mirrors into the human experience, a philosophy pioneered by venerable scholar Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop.
A ‘mirror’ book will reflect a child’s life — their race, culture, or other identity — and allow them to feel seen. Conversely, a ‘window’ book will introduce kids to experiences outside of their own, encouraging them to empathize with characters from all backgrounds.
Readers need both mirror and window books to develop self-affirmation, build literacy, and find themselves within the larger human experience.
Hear from some of our book recipients:
Educator, Bethlehem Center High School
“As a rural school, with low diversity and socio-economic issues, these books were appreciated on so many levels. … Our English department was not budgeted money for new books this year, so I truly appreciate having a new book to put in their hands.”
This educator received a classroom set of 30 copies of the Walter Award-winning The Firekeepers Daughter by Angeline Boulley. Angeline was also a Walter mentee, before she was published!
Educator, Fort Belvoir Upper School
“My students really enjoyed the books and our conversations about representation were wonderful. I teach on a military post and have a class of students that is majority white, but with a number of Black and Brown students as well. These books helped my third graders have conversations about race and lived experiences that would likely have been more difficult in other settings.”
We donated a bundle of books authored by the Black authors we’ve served to this educator.
Educator, Salem, Oregon
“Wow - my students LOVED this book. This book opened their eyes to life in a refugee camp. Many students had never heard of refugee camps, or knew what a refugee was, even though we have many refugee families living in our town. This book brought forward great questions and conversations.”
WNDB provided this teacher with a classroom set (30 copies) of the Walter Award-winning graphic novel, When the Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Oman Mohamed
