Worlds of Words Center of Global Literacies and Literatures

Open a book . . .

Open a mind . . .

Change the world!

Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures builds bridges across global cultures through children’s and adolescent literature.

Book the WOW Center for field trips, tours or event hosting! Use the green navigation bar to find field trips for more information.

WOW News
A young boy holds a hanging sign from the Black White Grey Exhibit that depicts a tiger with a sloth in its mouth.The traveling exhibition Black White Grey from the International Youth Library (IYL) in Munich, Germany is on view for the first time in the U.S. in the Worlds of Words Center. The books in this exhibit show how illustrators use the expressive power of lines, shapes, contours and contrasts to create captivating pictures.

See our complete listing of all WOW News announcements.

WOW Currents
A young girl reaches up to touch the olive at the end of a branch.Children’s books can provide children with perspectives on global conflicts, such as the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. This month’s two WOW Currents highlights books that reflect Palestinian perspectives as part of a larger conversation in the field of the many perspectives, including Israeli voices, related to this conflict.

See our complete listing of all WOW Currents entries.

WOW Dozen
Two boys hold wooden blocks“Fall down seven times, stand up eight,” a proverb that encourages us to never give up, is the focus of this month’s WOW Dozen. Michele Ebersole and Avis Masuda introduce twelve titles that range from biographies of meaningful people who have overcome challenges to whimsical fictional stories to inspire children to persevere through hardship.

See a complete list of Dozens in our WOW Dozen archive.

∞ WOW Stories, WOW Review and WOW Libros are accepting submissions. Our online journals are available to you without subscription, membership or fee requirements. We are proud to offer these journals and want to hear from you. E-mail us with questions, feedback and submissions.

WOW Stories
Image of a group of four young children rolling balloons in a tray of flour. In the back are two red balloons, while the children closer to the camera ar eusing green (left side) and white (right side).WOW Stories: Connections from the Classroom is a regular on-line publication of Worlds of Words containing vignettes written by educators about children’s experiences reading and responding to literature. If you would like to submit to WOW Stories, please see our current call and guidelines. ISSN 2577-0551

See our complete listing of all WOW Stories issues.

WOW Review
A child walks behind a cat, and a large white blob walks behind the child.WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures is a regular on-line publication of Worlds of Words containing reviews of selected books to be published quarterly. The reviews are careful examinations of the books, primarily focused on the cultural authenticity of the text and illustrations. If you would like to submit to WOW Review, please see our current call and guidelines. ISSN 2577-0527

See our complete listing of all WOW Review issues.

WOW Libros
Cover of Maria la dura en: no quiero ser ninja depicting a girl with short brown hair in a yellow karate gi, one hand extended to chop the viewer. She is in space and in the background behind her is a large ball of fire.WOW Libros: Leyendo entre palabras is a regular on-line publication of Worlds of Words containing Spanish-language reviews of Spanish-language books. If you would like to submit to WOW Libros, please see our current call guidelines.

See our complete listing of all WOW Libros issues

Journey through Worlds of Words during our open reading hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exceptions include holidays and UArizona closures.

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.