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. The Worlds of Words Center is located in the University of Arizona College of Education, Room 453.

WOW News
Cepeda Stories: Everyone Has a Story to Tell is the Spring 2025 exhibit of original art by award-winning illustrator, Joe Cepeda, who challenges visitors to share their stories. This exhibit provides viewers with understandings around the decisions an illustrator makes to influence story in the event of reading.

See our complete listing of all WOW News announcements.

WOW Currents
A hand coming out of the ground reaches for tree roots.Almost every book allows for a different perspective, and many books give readers something to ponder, but books that afford both pondering and perspective-taking are a bit more rare. For the month of April, Holly Johnson discusses Border Patrol by Joseph Bruchac in WOW Currents. This middle grade novel-in-verse invites readers to ponder the intersection of United States history and current events while also providing a new perspective through the main character Lily, a middle grade Mohawk girl.

See our complete listing of all WOW Currents entries.

WOW Dozen
Big round Earth watches young girl with placardPrepare for Earth day with this WOW Dozen that presents titles that highlight youth taking action to address local issues that impact the environment. This set of books inspires, informs and empowers young readers by telling how youth from around the world have creatively recycled waste, invented ways to minimize or reuse waste and taken a stand to prevent further damage to the environment.

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.