Diverse Books Project

The goal of the Diverse Books Project is to supplement classroom libraries in our partner schools with high quality picture books that represent the experiences of the students in those classes as well as expose the students to cultures, experiences, and stories different than their own.

Twice during the year (Fall and Spring), we share a list of 15 books with educators in prek-2nd grade, special education, and TESOL classes in our partner schools in South Baltimore:

    • Arundel Elementary School
    • Bay Brook Elementary/Middle School
    • Curtis Bay Elementary School
    • Lakeland Elementary/Middle School
    • Maree G. Farring Elementary School

Each educator can then choose up to six copies of three different titles. Books will then be ordered and delivered to the teacher’s respective school/classroom at no cost to the teacher or school.

Book Order Deadlines for the 2024-2025 School Year
    • Fall: October 5th
    • Spring: January 31st

If you work in one of our partner schools, please check your email for the next ordering form.

Choosing the Books

When the Diverse Books Project started, a list of over 100 books was curated by a team of UMBC experts in the areas of early childhood literacy and early childhood education. When choosing the books, they tried to make sure they were covering a variety of age groups, genres, and subjects. Through the years, books have been added after careful consideration by UMBC faculty and staff members. When choosing which books to offer teachers each semester, we take into account the books that have been offered in the past as well as any requests teachers have given us from the previous semester (for example, “I would like to see more books about: Difference in family, for example adoption, divorce”). Book offerings are also affected by availability.

We are currently in the process of reviewing our process for adding books to the list of those we offer to teachers. If you have a suggestion for a book to add to our list or you would like to help in this review process, please send an email to ShermanSchoolPartnerships@umbc.edu.

Our Partnership

The Diverse Books Project aims to do more than simply provide books to classrooms. We also want to provide resources to teachers and caregivers to help them effectively use these books both in and out of the classroom. To accomplish this goal, we’ve teamed up with WEE Nation Radio.

WEE Nation Radio understands that the messages children hear every day can truly affect a child’s development. Wee Nation Radio and the Diverse Books Project work together to bring stories to children through read alouds and author interviews. Uncle Devin and his Team take the most popular books from our semester selections and reach out to authors to interview them. These read alouds and interviews are then aired weekly on Wee Nation Radio and saved in their online archive.

Listen or watch our selected authors on WEE Nation Reads Diverse Books Project.

What is WEE Nation Radio?

“WEE Nation aka Watoto Entertainment and Education, keeps the education of children and our future generation as our primary focus, as Watoto is the Swahili (African) word for ‘Children!'” – WEE Nation Radio

WEE Nation Radio, created and produced by Uncle Devin, curates age-appropriate music that “culturally affirms and nurtures our future generation.” “Children’s award-winning Drumcussionist, Uncle Devin…is the former host of Uncle Devin’s WEE Nation syndicated radio station on WPFW 89.3 FM in Washington, DC, which was also syndicated on KBOO 90.1 FM in Portland, OR. He is also a former host of a children’s music education program on Radio One’s WOL 1450 AM, also in the Washington, DC area.”

 

Did you know? Uncle Devin is a UMBC alum! Read more here.

 

 

To learn more about this live stream, click on the expansion arrow next to “WEE Nation Radio” above. 

 

UMBC’s Diverse Books Project started in April 2018 when The Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities responded to an overwhelming amount of research that demonstrated children’s need to hear and see stories different than their own. Not only is DBP the Center’s first program, but, to date, it is also its longest running program.

For more information on the history of the project, please see The Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities’ webpage on the Diverse Books Project.

 

For more information, please email ShermanSchoolPartnerships@umbc.edu.

 

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