Explore these resources to learn more about, celebrate, and include AAPI and Jewish cultural experiences any time of the year!

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

• Browse our Asian American and Pacific Islander cultural experience collections for titles and resources to use in your literacy work all year long.

• Explore additional titles on this Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Book List created by Knowledge Quest: Journal of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

• Learn about Hawaiian language and culture with this bilingual complete video reading for 'Ohana Means Family, narrated in Hawaiian and English by Kalei'okalani Matsui.

• Hear author Jyoti Rajan Gopal talk about the young Indian American protagonist in her book American Desi exploring her mix of cultures in this video book trailer.

• Dive deep into activities related to Eyes that Kiss in the Corners with author Joanna Ho in this blog post.

• Hear how Jessica Kim explored “toggling” between cultures as an Asian American in the Meet-the-Author Recording for Stand Up, Yumi Chung!.

• Try filtering our Meet-the-Author Recordings Collection by Asian, Asian American, South Asian or Pacific Islander cultural experience on the left to hear directly from AAPI authors and illustrators.

• Browse recipients of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which honors books that portray Asian and Pacific Americans and their heritage.

Jewish American Heritage Month

• Explore resources and titles recognized by the Sydney Taylor Book Award, which honors outstanding books for young people that authentically portray the Jewish experience.

• Listen to Aimee Lucido talk about the intersections of recipes, poetry, and her Jewish heritage in this Meet-the-Author Recording for Recipe for Disaster.

• Watch author Patricia Polacco talk about storytelling and her own family’s keeping quilt as the inspiration for her book The Keeping Quilt in this Meet-the-Author Movie.

• Find Jewish books and resources for all readers in this Love Your Neighbor list from the Association of Jewish Libraries.

• Hear author Susan Kusel share about Passover seder and the Jewish concept of “tikkun olam” as the inspiration for The Passover Guest in this Meet-the-Author Recording.

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Encourage your students to get active and be inspired by athletes!

• Inspire students to think about how sports can help build character and bravery by watching this video book trailer for Dragon Hoops.

• Discover titles and resources from these curated lists: Shooting, Scoring, Sparring, and More: Recommended Sports Novels and Sports Books.

• Show this complete book reading of Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams to view a narrative of the inspirational and iconic siblings.

• Listen to this audio excerpt for We Got Game!: 35 Female Athletes Who Changed the World to hear about two of the amazing women featured in the book.

• Explore our Reader’s Theater Scripts Collection and encourage students to act out the drama in the stories with physical expression!

• Check out titles from our Sports Collection and find additional ideas for resources to use in your work on our Physical Education Standards Support page.

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2 – May 6, 2022

We at TeachingBooks love educators and appreciate all that you do! Here are some teacher-focused resources for you to check out:

• Incorporate some of our printable Ready-to-Use Ideas into your lesson planning to lighten your load a little bit anytime!

• Get inspiration from fellow educators in our TeachingBooks For Teachers, By Teachers Blog Series.

• Discover titles selected by amazing teachers like you for the ILA Teachers' Choices Reading List.

May 31 is the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre

To acknowledge and encourage students to learn about this historical event:

• Prompt student reflection by watching the video book trailer and then listening to the Meet-the-Author Recording for Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre.

• Consult this educators’ guide for Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre for discussion questions and extension activities to learn and think about Greenwood and other similar historical events.