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. Reservation requests sent between July 1 to July 12 will not be seen until July 15. Please ensure all reservations are sent at least 48 hours before the preferred reservation date.

WOW News
This summer, the Worlds of Words Center re-shares two previous exhibits. Stitching Stories: Hmong Customs and Symbols as Told through Storycloths highlights the oral and textile storytelling traditions of the Hmong people and is available for viewing in our studio. The current display has been limited to Hmong storycloths and pa ndau, which incorporate weaving, appliqué, reverse appliqué, cross stitch, chain stitch, batik and embroidery. Visitors can request access to our special collections room to view illustrations from Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America. Hands-on activities are offered with Stitching Stories and on request for Paper Son. The center does offer guided tours and field trips over the summer months. Please note, we will be closed the first two weeks of July.

See our complete listing of all WOW News announcements.

WOW Currents
This month Mary Fahrenbruck compares the Worlds of Words Center to LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) to emphasize the similarities between the two, such as valuing readers and reading, using reading cues and processors to engage with text, and in the second WOW Current of the month, the ways read alouds are utilized by educators.

See our complete listing of all WOW Currents entries.

WOW Dozen
A Black woman on a running track.Olympic athletes, past and present, are often celebrated for their physical achievements, but their journeys to the medal podium are also filled with inspiring stories of overcoming adversity. This month’s WOW Dozen features stories about past Olympic athletes who overcame significant obstacles including racism, sexism, poverty and illness to reach the peak of their sports.

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.