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    • BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US gets Kirkus Starred Review!
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    • We Sing From the Heart wins Julia Ward Howe prize for children’s literature!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Carter G. Woodson Book Award Honoree!
    • Cover Reveal: Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
    • New Title … for my picture book A PLACE TO CALL HOME
    • My Book Announcements
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    • We Sing From the Heart makes Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco on Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco featured in Booklist
    • Origami French Fries: Activity for THE TRAVELING TACO
    • Book Announcement: A Place to Call Home! {and a new title …}
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE makes Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction!
    • Cover Reveal of my latest picture book … FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!
    • Picture Book Announcement! BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • Book Announcement! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist
    • Kirkus Reviews My Newest Picture Book: THE TRAVELING TACO
    • We Sing From the Heart is a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner!
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART wins California Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
    • Dorktales Podcast: Simon Tam, Hidden Hero of History
    • Food for the Future Wins Nautilus Silver Book Award
    • Food for the Future makes Mass Book Award Long List!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE Makes Green Earth Book Award Long List!
    • Food for the Future is a finalist for 2023 INDIES Book of the Year!
    • New! Food for the Future Activity and Discussion Guide!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
    • ‘Food for the Future’ selected for Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best books
    • Scholastic Purchased CHANGING THE GAME!
    • Starred Review for FOOD FOR THE FUTURE from School Library Journal!
    • Sumo Joe makes Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list!
    • How To Coach Girls wins Silver Award!
    • Posts on My Books
  • My Book Events
    • My NCSS Schedule in DC
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Author: Pragmatic Mom

I am a mom with three kids and a husband living in Newton, MA. I graduated from Harvard University with a degree in HIstory and Science. I went to The Anderson School of Management at UCLA for my M.B.A.My background is entrepreneurial. I started several companies and currently serve on three boards including for my elementary school and preschool. I was a SAHM for nearly 8 years, and went back to work part-time just recently. Now I work almost full time as a WAHM for a consumer electronics start-up in Boston.My blog is my outlet to read children's literature which is my great secret pleasure, and to document any interesting and/or useful information that I acquire as I parent. My kids are quite active and pursue many interests collectively including soccer, gymnastics, rhythm gymnastics, karate (Chung Kook Doh), ice skating, Chinese, Spanish, flute, piano, T-ball, book clubs, and art. In my free time, I have been doing kickboxing, vinyasa yoga, zoomba, and I am trying to learn Spanish as well.Learning about SEO and how to blog has been a really fun enterprise albeit very time consuming. I started a bloggers group that meets weekly called www.coffeeshopbloggers.com. The S.O.S. on SEO. We share our collective frustrations and knowledge from blogging.Now you understand the Type A parent I am...hence the tagline my blogger friends came up for me for my blog:Type A Parenting for the Modern World
NCSS 2025 Denver Mia Wenjen attending

My NCSS Schedule in DC

Posted on December 3, 2025December 1, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5: 3:00 pm: Notable Social Studies Trade Books Program, Room 204A. Samira Ahmed, author of This Book Won’t Burn   Mia Wenjen, author of We Sing From the Heart   SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6: 2:00 pm Book Signing: WE SING FROM THE HEART at Publisher Spotlight Booth, Booth 701 and 703   4:00 pm:…

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Read Your World Giving Tuesday Fundraiser starts tomorrow.

Read Your World Giving Tuesday Fundraiser is LIVE today!

Posted on December 1, 2025December 2, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

This year, Read Your World’s Giving Tuesday will support a Title 1 Elementary School in Waltham, MA. Imagine an elementary school that can’t have a book fair simply because the students are low income. Research has shown that owning books, especially books that reflect the reader, improves literacy rates. Our fundraiser will donate over 500…

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Boston Marathon 2025 in Newton MA

Boston Marathon 2025 in Newton MA

Posted on November 26, 2025September 12, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

This year, I was determined to watch all the leaders of the Boston Marathon as they passed through my town, infamous for Heartbreak Hill. I always missed the wheelchair leaders because they are so fast, but I find them the most compelling of the racers. I told my son that it was interesting to watch…

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I'll be at NCTE Denver!

I’ll be at NCTE Denver!

Posted on November 20, 2025November 25, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

If you are going to NCTE, I hope to see you! Here’s my schedule:   Friday, November 21 11:00am – 12:15pm Nerdy Book Club Mia Wenjen Mile High Ballroom 1A/1B 2:00pm – 3:00pm We Sing from the Heart (Book) Mia Wenjen RCP Booth #830   Saturday, November 22 8:15am – 9:30am Teaching with the 2025…

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My Author Visit for Urban Farming Summer Program in Columbus OH

My FOOD FOR THE FUTURE author visit in Columbus OH

Posted on November 19, 2025September 12, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

I had such a wonderful time visiting an Urban Farming Summer Program in Columbus, Ohio! The kids wrote me letters and made beautiful cards. They are all such wonderful artists! Thank you so much for having me!     p.s. Related posts: New! Food for the Future Activity and Discussion Guide! Food for the Future:…

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We Sing From the Heart Wins Social Justice Literature Award

We Sing From the Heart Wins Social Justice Literature Award

Posted on November 17, 2025November 13, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

We are thrilled that We Sing From the Heart received a Social Justice award from the International Literacy Association!   We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants®  Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Victor Bizar Gomez Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025…

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Princess Battle Royale by Phaea Crede and Jen Hill Book Launch at An Unlikely Story Bookstore

Princess Battle Royale by Phaea Crede Picture Book Launch

Posted on November 14, 2025September 28, 2025 by Pragmatic Mom

It is not surprising that a picture book launch by Phaea Crede would be a ton of fun! The illustrator of Princess Battle Royale, Jen Hill, joined in with a lively and hilarious reading of the book. Jen also did a drawing session with the crowd, letting them create their own Princess character for the…

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I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen by Jerry Russo
Mia Wenjen
(photo by Jerry Russo)

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog about diverse children’s books, co-founded Read Your World on Jan 29, 2026, and write children’s books.

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My Shop for My Signed Books + Art

Mia Wenjen watercolor figure painting

Activity Guides for My Books

Activity Guides to Mia Wenjen's Books

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Find Children's Books

Shop Read Your World: Discounted Book Bundles and Toys

Fortune Cookies for Everyone (click to purchase)

FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage, Published by Red Comet Press

Fortune Cookies for Everyone book trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9k6aOlMgCc

The Traveling Taco (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal for THE TRAVELING TACO by Mia Wenjen

The Traveling Taco Song created by Daria – World Music for Children

https://youtu.be/KWTuCwbWLXs

Pre-Order Barbed Wire Between Us

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación

We Sing From the Heart (click to purchase)

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

Dorktales Storytime Podcast: Simon Tam featured in We Sing From the Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlDdwUZpcNI

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

Food for the Future Song created by Daria – World Music for Children

https://youtu.be/uTw6y3EjeOA

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

I’ll Be at the Newton Children’s Book Festival 2025

Newton Children's Book Festival 2025

I’ll be at hosting a Roundtable at NCTE 2025 Denver

NCTE 2025 Denver Mia Wenjen hosting Roundtable

I’ll be at NCSS DC 2025

NCSS 2025 Denver Mia Wenjen attending

Heim Nest Kid Mattress Exclusive Deal

Heim Nest Kid Mattress
educational toys
educational toys from dhgate stores

Archives

Categories

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship (click to purchase)

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

How to Get Kids Reading

  • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
  • Getting Kids to Love Reading
  • Summer Reading Lists for Kids By Grade
  • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids

Purchase Read Your World Merch

LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch.

Buy it here!

HOW TO COACH GIRLS book trailer by Mia Wenjen & Alison Foley

https://youtu.be/j74M0bBxrGg

HOW TO COACH GIRLS (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley

ebook Version has 3 bonus chapters (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls ebook

My Websites

  • How To Coach Girls
  • I Love Newton
  • Mia Wenjen (My New Author Website)

The Traveling Taco Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf4tp9lffG0

We Sing From the Heart book trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJNcJd8dEPU

Recent Posts

  • My NCSS Schedule in DC December 3, 2025
  • Read Your World Giving Tuesday Fundraiser is LIVE today! December 1, 2025
  • Boston Marathon 2025 in Newton MA November 26, 2025
  • I’ll be at NCTE Denver! November 20, 2025
  • My FOOD FOR THE FUTURE author visit in Columbus OH November 19, 2025
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