Activity Guides to My Books Can Be Found HERE!
Cover Reveal!
The Traveling Taco: The Amazing and Surprising Journey of Your Favorite Foods by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong
It comes out May 6, 2025, through Red Comet Press!
Kirkus reviews The Traveling Taco!
Read the full review here.
Fortune Cookies for Everyone, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage and published by Red Comet Press! It comes out October 21, 2025!!
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
It will be released in 2026 through Red Comet Press.
A Place to Call Home by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Mary Atwood, and published by Sleeping Bear Press will release in Fall 2026.
Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
I am thrilled to be making a picture book biography with Red Comet Press! Keith Henry Brown will illustrate! Publication is slated for release in January of 2027 through Red Comet Press.
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
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
School Library Journal Reviews We Sing From the Heart!
We Sing From the Heart: H! is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
Kirkus reviews We Sing From the Heart!
Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Kai Gietzen
Mom is counting on Dad to get Boxer Baby down for her nap, but Boxer Baby is the G.O.A.T. of sleep avoidance. This hilarious face-off mimics a three-round boxing match, as Boxer Baby is no lightweight when it comes to staying awake.
Dad has a few tricks up his sleeve, but will it be enough in this epic battle against nap time?
Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! uses figurative language to show how many common idioms have boxing origins. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Reader reviews for Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! here. and here.
{Campaign is over but books available here} I’m running a Kickstarter campaign for my newest picture book, Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime, illustrated by Kai Gietzen. Please go here to check it out.
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World wins Nautilus Silver Book Award!
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World has made the Massachusetts Book Award Longlist!
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Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen
Meet 17 Asian Pacific American Female Athletes in this book who excel at a range of sports and represent many Asian ethnicities:
- (Eun Jung) EJ Lee Smith (Korean American) is thought to be one of the greatest point guards ever to play women’s college basketball.
- Chloe Kim (Korean American) is the youngest snowboarder to win Olympic Gold.
- Miki Gorman (Japanese American) is the only female marathon runner to win both the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon, twice!
- Victoria Manalo Draves (Filipino & European American), a diver, is the first woman to win two Gold Medals in both springboard and platform in the same Olympics games, the first Asian-American to medal at an Olympics game, and the first Filipino to win a Gold Medal.
- Evelyn Tokue Kawamoto-Konno (Japanese American) learned to swim competitively in a ditch through Soichi Sakamoto’s Three-Year Swim Club and is the first Japanese-American female to win an Olympic Medal.
- Julie Chu (Chinese & Puerto Rican American), a hockey player, is the first Asian-American female to compete for the United States in the Winter Olympics for a sport other than figure skating. She took home three silver medals and one bronze medal from five Olympics.
- Natasha “Tasha” Kai-Marks (Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese & European American) is the first player from Hawaii to make the full U.S. National Women’s Soccer team. In 2008, she helped the team earn an Olympic Gold medal.
- Michelle Wie (Korean American) is the youngest female to compete on the PGA Tour and the youngest USGA champion in an adult event.
- Kristi Yamaguchi (Japanese American) is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal ice skating champion, a two-time singles World Champion, and a two-time pairs National Champion.
- Amy Chow (Chinese American) is the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal in gymnastics.
- Anona Naone Napoleon (Native Hawaiian) won the International Makaha Surfing Competition.
- Michelle Waterson (Thai & European American) is a Mixed Martial Arts champion.
- Liane Lissa Sato (Japanese American) took home a Bronze Medal for the United States Women’s Volleyball Team at the Olympics held in Barcelona.
- Catherine Mai-Lan Fox (Vietnamese & European American) is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner for swimming.
- Megan Khang (Hmong American) is the first Hmong American to play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.
- Mohini Bhardwaj (Indian & Russian American) is the first Indian-American gymnast to medal at the Olympics.
- Naomi Osaka (Japanese & Haitian) is the first female Asian player to hold the number one ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
Scholastic Purchased my Kickstarter book, CHANGING THE GAME: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FEMALE ATHLETES!
This is what Scholastic said:
“I’m pleased to say that we are interested in school market paperback reprint rights to Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes.
We are working on a new classroom program entitled Rising Voices: Amplifying AANHPI Narratives (the latest in our line of Rising Voices libraries, which have covered African American and Latino Boys, Girls of Color, and Latino Stories), and we think this title would make a great addition.”
CHANGING THE GAME will be available in June of 2023 through Scholastic Book Fairs and flyers.
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Sumo Joe by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Nat Iwata
Sumo Joe makes Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list!
In this sweet and funny story, Sumo Joe and his friends enjoy pretending to be sumo wrestlers. But when his little sister wants to join their boy-only game, what should Sumo Joe do?
On Saturday mornings, Sumo Joe is a gentle big brother to his little sister. But on Saturday afternoons, he and his friends are sumo wrestlers! They tie on makeshift mawashi belts, practice drills like teppo, and compete in their homemade dohyo ring. They even observe sumo’s ultimate rule: no girls allowed! But when Sumo Joe’s little sister wants to join in the fun, Sumo Joe is torn between the two things he’s best at: sumo, and being a big brother. Published by Lee and Low Books. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
How To Coach Girls is a comprehensive guide to help coaches keep girls in sports!
How To Coach Girls wins Silver Award!
How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley is available for purchase HERE and at Amazon.
eBook version with 3 bonus chapters here.
Want to learn more? Two free chapters here.
Our book events are here.
Free stuff for coaches here.
Sports nonprofits here.
PR coverage here.
We won a Silver Award at the 31st annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ in the Sports & Recreation category!
How to Coach Girls provides the most comprehensive guide available to the many issues associated with coaching girls’ teams across the spectrum of sports, from soccer to lacrosse, field hockey to softball. Volunteer parents and experienced coaches alike will find invaluable advice on the process of making a successful team, encouraging girls to stay in sports beyond the middle school years. Twenty-two chapters cover all the major issues, including how to pick captains, the importance of growth mindset, issues around body image and puberty, as well as the intricacies of coaching your own daughter.
For more information, check out our website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide co-authored with Alison Foley
Did you know that 80% of parents put their kids in sports with the hopes they can attend college on an athletic scholarship? But, without knowing the facts and strategies behind attaining the elusive full-ride scholarship, only 7% of high school athletes move on to college sports.
For those looking to go to college on a sports scholarship, the recruiting process can be both daunting and overwhelming. The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide breaks down the process step-by-step to help parents and athletes navigate the system and find the right college fit. Inside the pages of this book, readers will discover the answers to essential questions, such as: how do I get recruited, what are coaches looking for, and when does recruitment start? The book also covers crucial topics including recruiting Do’s & Don’ts; ways to communicate with coaches, teams, and schools; how academics play into the recruiting process; how to build a recruitment kit; the role parents play, and much more. This guide lays out all the advice needed to maneuver through the recruiting and scholarship process successfully – and with minimum stress. Order here.
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Asian Pacific American Heroes published by Scholastic
Meet 18 Asian Pacific American leaders from yesterday and today! From musician Bruno Mars and Olympian Chloe Kim to Chef Niki Nakayama, these real-life heroes inspire us to learn about Asian Pacific American history, language, and culture. Order here.
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BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12
As a mom, dedicated KidLit reader, author, and co-founder of the non-profit Multicultural Children’s Book Day, I’ve been on a decade-long journey to discover the best diversity books in children’s literature. With a determination to change the world, one book at a time, I created BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 as a way to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
Inside the pages, readers, parents, caregivers, educators, and librarians will find extensive book recommendations for Native American Heritage Month #OwnVoices, Muslim #OwnVoices, Holocaust #OwnVoices, African American #OwnVoices, Asian American #OwnVoices, Latinx #OwnVoices, LGBTQ #OwnVoices, Sensory Issues #OwnVoices and much more. While change is a long time coming, it starts with a single book.
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Read Your World: A Guide to Multicultural Children’s Books for Parents and Educators edited by Mia Wenjen
This is a fundraiser book for Multicultural Children’s Book Day with well-known children’s book bloggers contributing diverse book lists. All proceeds go to nonprofit Multicultural Children’s Book Day.
Read Your World: A Guide to Multicultural Children’s Books for Parents and Educators brings together booklists from blogging and author contributors who have participated in Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Each list is created around a topic or theme. Themes include Diversity as every day, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Middle East, South America, World Religion, LGBT, Special Needs, Latin America, Asian American, African American, and much more.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Traveling Taco:
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
