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    • Sexual Misconduct in Children’s Book Publishing #MeToo #TimesUp
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    • BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US gets Kirkus Starred Review!
    • FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE Geography Game featuring WWII Internment Sites!
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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
    • The Traveling Taco gets a SONG!
    • The Traveling Taco Unboxing!
    • 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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Best Dog Story Books for Kids

23 Children’s Books with Wonderful Dog Characters

Posted on October 6, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Dogs try to win your heart much more so than a cat, and these dogs in children’s books have won untold hearts the world over. Even if you are not a dog person, these dogs will convert you! These dogs are either rescuing someone or being rescued, getting kidnapped or preventing robberies, or just a dog-about-town. Please meet some dogs to fall in love with!

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Books for Back to School Issues

16 Picture Books for Back to School Issues: Bullying, Nut Allergy, ADHD and more

Posted on October 6, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I was just booking a long overdue orthodontic consultation for my middle child when the front desk lady and I both remarked about how quickly the school year is flying by! October already?!! Now that we are back in the swing of school, here are some new picture books on specific school issue topics.

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Best Books on Breastfeeding

Top 10: Best Books on Breastfeeding

Posted on October 5, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I’m not an expert but I did breastfeed all three of my kids until they were nearly two-years-old and had a terrible time (each child successively worse) weaning them! But I did love nursing them! I leave you in hands of an expert.

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Life-Changing Librarians in Children's Books

21 Life-Changing Librarians in Children’s Books 

Posted on October 5, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Librarians are amazing people and it’s time they are recognized for their super hero qualities: an encyclopedic knowledge of everything, ability to open doors to new worlds, cultures and civilizations, and finally the keeper of a safe and inclusive sanctuary. In this way, librarians change lives and make the world a better place. Hooray for librarians… the unsung heroes of our communities!

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How To: Teach Your Children About Islam

How To: Teach Your Children About Islam (and tolerance in the process!)

Posted on October 4, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

With standardized tests looming large and budget cutbacks, can we really expect our education system to teach our children tolerance and understanding? Probably not. Perhaps it is best brought up at home, with these books and references to help build a bridge of understanding. This list of excellent materials is courtesy School Library Journal. The article is intended for teachers and you can read it in its entirety here.

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Best Picture Books Celebrating Autumn

7 Exceptional Picture Books for Fall

Posted on October 2, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Please welcome return guest author Sarah Pinneo. I love her picture book selections and many are new to me. They all have a wonderful autumnal, rustic-living-in-the-country feel. Are you ready for Fall? It’s come so fast! What are your favorite picture books that you are reading that evoke this time of year? Please share!

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12 Surprising Benefits of Play

12 Surprising Benefits of Play by parenting guru Dr. Michele Borba

Posted on October 1, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I actually found this post on The 12 Surprising Benefits of Play (and really, the crucial importance of unstructured play time for children) through The Goddard School and asked her for permission to post. Her exact words, “Thanks for asking. Please post. Trying to get the word out – poor deprived kids. Sigh.” You just gotta love a expert that is so easy to relate to! I met Dr. Borba on Twitter and she’s my “go to” for all things parenting and education including cyberbullying & bullying, special education, and hot button issues including biting, tantrums, cheating, bad friends, inappropriate clothing, sex, drugs, peer pressure, etc. What is different about Dr. Borba from other parenting and education experts is that she’s grounded in the real world talking constantly to parents about the issues they face every day.

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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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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

Online GED test at Excel

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How to Get Kids Reading

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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

  • Activities for We Sing From the Heart December 12, 2025
  • Woody’s Words by Lisa Rogers Picture Book Launch December 10, 2025
  • 8 Books That Promote Empathy for Young Readers + GIVEAWAY! December 8, 2025
  • My NCSS Schedule in DC December 3, 2025
  • Read Your World Giving Tuesday Fundraiser is LIVE today! December 1, 2025
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