From Penguin Random House, “Gorgeous, wealthy, and entitled, Ruby has just one single worry in her life—scheming to get the boy next door to finally realize they’re meant to be together. But when the California wildfires cause her privileged world to go up in flames, Ruby must struggle to find the grit and compassion to help her family and those less fortunate to rise from the ashes.”
The program includes a group discussion with the author and personal interactions.
Hailey Alcaraz began her writing career in the sixth grade as a kid reporter for Time for Kids magazine, and has been addicted to storytelling ever since. Born in California and raised in Arizona, she’s a Southwest girl through and through who loves stories about fellow multicultural girls finding their way in the world. She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband, two daughters and precocious German Shepherd. Her new novel, Up In Flames, released in October 2023.
Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. The Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education will cost $15 due to the UArizona basketball game that day. The WOW Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.
To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.
Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year and are open to the public. This free program for area middle and high school students encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.
Event details may change. More information to follow.
By Rebecca Ballenger, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Photo by Chris Summitt
Matt Mendez is the author of Barely Missing Everything and the short story collection, Twitching Heart. The New York Times says Matt “has an uncanny ability to capture the aimless bluster of young boys posturing at confidence.” His new novel, The Broke Hearts, also captures this bluster. In this profile, Matt opens up about this new novel, his writing process and meaningful reader interactions. Continue reading →
Meet Matt Mendez, author of the forthcoming The Broke Hearts. From Simon & Schuster, “A year after losing their best friend, JD and Danny are still brokenhearted. JD’s impetuous decision to join the Air Force only makes him yearn for ‘before’ more than ever. Danny, who’d rather paint murals than open a book and certainly never thought of himself as college material, makes the equally impulsive choice to do what Juan will never be able to and enrolls in a community college. When Danny is on the verge of flunking out and JD gets notified of imminent deployment, the two are forced to confront their shared grief that led them to these paths.”
The program includes a group discussion with the author and personal interactions.
Matt Mendez is the award-winning author of Barely Missing Everything, his debut novel, and the short story collection Twitching Heart. Like many of his characters, Matt grew up in El Paso, Texas and continues to love and live in the Southwest. He is a military veteran and earned his MFA from the University of Arizona where he has taught creative writing. Matt is the father of two daughters that he loves fiercely. His new novel, The Broke Hearts, is set for release on October 3, 2023.
Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Sometimes free parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. The WOW Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.
To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.
Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year and are open to the public. This free program for area middle and high school students encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.
Event details may change. More information to follow.
It’s not too late for 6th through 12th grade students to sign up for the WOW Reading Ambassador Program. Join us for the orientation and apply using the links below at any time.
WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors with author J.Elle at the 2022 Tucson Festival of Books. Photo courtesy of J. Elle.
At orientation, we will go over the permission forms and participation agreements. Parents are encouraged to attend this portion. Then the ambassadors will get a glimpse of what the discussions might look like and receive their first book. Parents can hang out or see if they can find the unicorn or Han Solo in carbonite on UArizona’s beautiful campus.
‣ You can find the application for Middle School Reading Ambassadors on the MSRAP page along with a preliminary schedule, past author visits, and a link to our podcast.
‣ You can find the application for the Teen Reading Ambassadors on the TRAP page along with their preliminary schedule, past author visits, and a link to our podcast.
Paid parking is available at the Second Street Garage just west of the UArizona College of Education. Surface lots and street parking should be free on Saturdays when no other UArizona event is occurring. The WOW Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Streetcar stop, which is also free.
To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.
This conversation focuses on Distress Signal. From Scholastic Press, “Lavender had been looking forward to her class field trip in Chiricahua National Park, AZ — until her best friend, Marisol, ditched her for mean-girl Rachelle. Now the prospect of being stuck in the wilderness with her class for two days is no longer so appealing. But things will only get worse. While the class is hiking through an arroyo, a flash flood strikes! As the water hurtles down the ravine, everyone sprints for safety. Lavender, Marisol, Rachelle and a boy named John end up running in the opposite direction as everyone else and scrambling up a tree while the waters rage by. When the waters finally recede, the four kids are left alone in the desert, separated from their class, shaken and disoriented. Between them, they have one pack of supplies left and only the most basic wilderness knowledge. Can they find their way back to safety? The four kids will have to learn to work together in spite of their differences-if they want to survive.”
The program includes a group discussion with the author and time for snacks and personal interactions. After this author event, the WOW Center hosts an end-of-year celebration for the Reading Ambassadors. All are welcome to stay for the party.
UArizona BookStores will be in the WOW Center with copies of Mary Lambert’s books for sale.
Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Sometimes free parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. The WOW Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.
To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.
Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year and are open to the public. This free program for area middle and high school students encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.
Event details may change. More information to follow.
Get lost in a good book with the Worlds of Words Center’s Reading Ambassadors as they host their 4th-annual Read-a-thon! The middle and high school reading ambassadors encourage booklovers of all ages to join them for focused reading paired with fun prompts. There is no physical location for the Read-a-thon, so participants can join on Instagram from anywhere they would like to read!
The WOW Reading Ambassadors will include Distress Signal by Mary E. Lambert on their reading lists. Read-a-thon participants can read this book or any books they are dying to read — tackle Mt. TBR (to be read) or ignore it all together! The titles on everyone’s reading list will be shared on Instagram as a way to build reading lists!
“Read-a-thons are so fun because we get reading prompts every hour where we answer questions about the book we’re reading as a group,” says Echo Sierra, a Teen Reading Ambassador. “Reading is fun on its own, but having little stuff thrown in helps visualize the story a bit more!”
Teen and Middle School Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year. This free program for area youth encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Teen Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.
Event details may change. More information to follow.
The Worlds of Words Center at the University of Arizona College of Education launched a new podcast called “WOW Reads” that centers the voices of teens and pre-teens around literature for young people. The podcast, which currently has four episodes of about 15 minutes each and a bonus episode, features WOW Center Reading Ambassadors discussing books after having met the authors of those books.
WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet Kathleen Glasgow.
This conversation focuses on The Agathas by Glasgow and Liz Lawson. From the publisher, “Who killed Brooke Donovan? It’s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks they know what happened. But they’re wrong. Two unlikely friends come together to solve the case in this fast-paced, fun, modern Agatha Christie inspired thriller.”
The program includes a brief presentation, a question and answer period and time for snacks and personal interactions with the author. The UA BookStores offers books for sale and autographing during this event. The workshop also includes one free hour of professional development, so invite your favorite teacher.
Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Sometimes free parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. The WOW Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.
To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.
WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet Joanna Ruth Meyer.
This conversation focuses on Into the Heartless Wood, a YA fantasy based in Welsh traditions. Deep in the wood lives a witch queen and her eight tree siren daughters. For centuries, they have harvested souls to feed the heartless tree. Owen Merrick lives at the edge of the forest, mapping the stars for the king in his father’s observatory. For years, he has resisted venturing over the garden wall, until one day he must enter the woods to find his missing sister.
The program includes a brief presentation, a question and answer period and a book signing. Guests are welcome to stay after the author presentation as the Teen Reading Ambassadors will receive recognition for their year-long participation in the program.
The UArizona BookStores offers books for sale during this event. The event also includes a professional development certificate, so invite your favorite teacher.
Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Paid parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. Located just off of the 2nd St. streetcar stop.
To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.
By Veronica Martinez, Worlds of Words Educational Guide Intern
Get lost in a good book with the Worlds of Words Center’s Reading Ambassadors as they host their 3rd-annual Read-a-thon! The middle and high school reading ambassadors encourage booklovers of all ages to join them for focused reading paired with fun prompts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 @WOWTeenAmbassadors on Instagram. There is no physical location for the Read-a-thon, so participants can join from anywhere they would like to read!
Worlds of Words Teen Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet Hailey Alcaraz, author of Up In Flames!
Hailey Alcaraz began her writing career in the sixth grade as a kid reporter for Time for Kids magazine, and has been addicted to storytelling ever since. Born in California and raised in Arizona, she’s a Southwest girl through and through who loves stories about fellow multicultural girls finding their way in the world. She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband, two daughters and precocious German Shepherd. Her new novel, Up In Flames, released in October 2023.
The program includes a group discussion with the author and personal interactions.
WOW Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet 
The program includes a group discussion with the author and time for snacks and personal interactions. After this author event, the WOW Center hosts an end-of-year celebration for the Reading Ambassadors. All are welcome to stay for the party.
WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet 
The program includes a brief presentation, a question and answer period and time for snacks and personal interactions with the author. The 
WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet Joanna Ruth Meyer.
The 