BY MELINDA CASEY

DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT

“Though the wind is howling, I am rooted like the trees.”
—Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera

This year, we are inviting readers of all ages to grow curious about their roots with stories that ground us in place, in purpose, and in connection. Our 2025–26 theme, Grow Where You Are Planted: The Stories That Root Us, explores the powerful links between literacy, the natural world, and our individual and shared identities.

We are celebrating books that explore our relationship with nature, place, identity, and community, and we invite young readers to explore the idea that stories, like people and plants, take root when nurtured.

Read Aloud Program reader sharing their curriculum-backed learning kit craft

WHY STEM AND STORYTELLING BELONG TOGETHER

Children are naturally curious! They wonder why the sky changes color, how a bear survives the winter, and what lives under a rock. When we combine this natural wonder with stories that explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), we help children develop not only literacy skills but also the tools to understand and care for their world.

At Words Alive, we know that when children, youth, and families feel connected to the world around them, whole communities thrive. This is why we’ve integrated a curriculum-backed learning kit into every program at our 26-year-old organization. Ensuring readers have fun while they engage with our books and materials is forefront of every decision we make - small and large.

Words Alive’s STEM themed learning kit template for the book Dig, Dig, Digging

A 2024 study in the International Journal of the Whole Child found that authentic STEM experiences in early childhood support creativity, observation, and long-term academic growth.

Dr. Sally Moomaw’s “Teaching STEM in the Preschool Classroom” (2023) shows that children thrive when science and storytelling are connected through rich language and hands-on exploration.

BOOKS THAT HELP US GROW

The stories in this year’s program help readers explore both the world around them and the world within. Centered in nature, identity, or resilience, each one shows how growth is shaped by connection to place, people, and purpose.

For young readers:

The Earth Book by Todd Parr (2010)

A bright and engaging book that helps kids understand why protecting the Earth matters and shows easy actions they can take to make a difference.

Counting Lions by Katie Cotton (2015)

A beautifully illustrated counting book that blends poetic language with portraits of endangered animals, encouraging both awe and advocacy.

Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder (2012)
A quiet invitation to pause, observe, and connect with the small, often overlooked parts of nature all around us.

Early reader shares a book with her caregiver in the Let’s Read family literacy program

For youth and teen readers:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2014)
A memoir in verse about growing up Black and female in the American South, and finding power through words and memory.

El Deafo by Cece Bell (2014)
A graphic novel that explores disability, identity, and belonging through the lens of childhood and superhero imagination.

The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur (1999)
A collection of poems about struggle, survival, and beauty rooted in unexpected places.

These books remind us that growth is not only about stretching upward. It is also about where we’re planted, how we connect, and the stories we carry with us as we grow.

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS YEAR

This theme will guide every part of Words Alive’s work this year. You will see it in our curated reading lists, in the way we train volunteers to ask open-ended questions, and in the hands-on activities we offer participants to deepen engagement with text. Our readers will be invited to observe the world like scientists, reflect like poets, and respond with care and curiosity.

When we grow where we are planted, we honor our environments, our stories, and our communities. And when we do that together, through shared reading and learning, we help young people grow strong, rooted, and ready for anything.

Are you interested in building the movement to make reading matter? Visit www.wordsalive.org/becomeavolunteer.

Young readers explore *The Very Impatient Caterpillar* after receiving the book and learning kit to keep

References

Stone, B. (2024). The impact of authentic early childhood STEM experiences on cognitive development. International Journal of the Whole Child. ERIC
Moomaw, S. (2023). Teaching STEM in the Preschool Classroom: Exploring Big Ideas with 3- to 5-Year-Olds. Teachers College Press.
Movahedazarhouligh, S., et al. (2023). STEM Integrated Curriculums in Early Childhood Education: An Exploration of Teachers' Pedagogical Beliefs and Practices. Research Gate.