WOW Currents titles with themes and links are listed below for your convenience. The latest blogs are listed first, with the earliest listed last.

The Magical Thinking of Wishing
The Wish List
I Wish I May, I Wish I Might . . .

Diversity in Latino Literature
Diversity within Children’s and Young Adolescent Latino Literature: Afro-Latinos and Afro-Caribbean Communities
Diversity within Children’s and Young Adolescent Latino Literature: Afro-Caribbean and Indigenous Communities
Diversity within Children’s and Young Adolescent Latino Literature: Afro-Latinos and Afro-Caribbean communities, Part II
Diversity within Children’s and Young Adolescent Latino Literature

Responsible Citizenship and Workers
Responsible Citizens, Workers and Activists: Uncovering Informational Text Trios
Responsible Citizens: Considering the Power of Words
Responsible Citizens and Workers: Tackling Informational Texts
Responsible Citizens and Workers: Nurturing Ethical Viewpoints in Seventh Grade

Notes from a Small Island:
The Unforgotten Coat
Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
The Lie Tree
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Examining Recent Award-Winning Books from the United Kingdom

Children and Poverty
Catastrophe or Opportunity?: Rethinking and Resisting Deficit Perspectives on the Language and Culture of Children Living in Poverty

Natural Disasters: Portrayals in Children’s Literature
Natural Disasters: What Should Children Learn?
Japanese National Trauma: Changing Trends in Japanese Picture Books Since the Tohoku Earthquake
Community Outreach Literacy Practices After the March 2011 Earthquake

Read-Alouds
Why Read-Alouds?
Characteristics of Read-Alouds
Books for Read-Alouds
Extending Read Alouds

Young Protagonists Searching for Their Place in the World
Enrique & Jacqueline – Young Protagonists Searching for Their Place in the World: An Introduction
Enrique: The Boy Who Beats the Odds
Jacqueline: The Girl Who Found a Home in Words

Indigenous Children’s Literature: Stories Matter
Indigenous Children’s Literature: Stories Matter
Indigenous Children’s Literature: Stories Matter, Part 2
Indigenous Children’s Literature: Stories Matter, Part 3
Indigenous Children’s Literature: Stories Matter Part 4

The Near Americas
Those “#$@&%*!” Expletives in Children’s Books
How Do We Choose Texts?
Providing Books for a School in Haiti
Suspending Disbelief

What YA Novels Can Teach Us About Coming of Age Online
Texting . . . An Unexpected Affordance for Inclusion
Games Are Ancient* and So Are the Reasons Teens Play Them
Two, Four, Six, Eight! Hit “Enter” Now to Participate
The Digital Tongue

Books that Chronicle Stories of Immigration
Immigration: Books to Enjoy
Immigration: Informative Texts that Satisfy
Immigration: Narratives to Expand Our Cultural Homes
Immigration: In Pictures for Any Age Group
Immigration: Stories about All of Us
Like Oil and Water: Unlikely Friendships

Highlights of the Tucson Festival of Books’ Children’s and Teen’s Panels
The Natural World in our Backyard: Authors of Nonfiction Science at the Tucson Festival of Books
The Soviet Connection: Cultural Influences in Our Text and Images
The Decision to Resist: Enough is Enough
Celebrating the Story of Stories

High Stakes Testing: High Stakes Consequences
We Are Not Alone: Teachers, Parents, & Educational Communities Push Back on Testing
To Test or Not to Test, This is Not the Question
Field Tested: Educators Speak Back to High Stakes Testing
Testing our Resolve: Opting Out as Activism

2015 Award Winning Books: A Selected Look
The Orbis Pictus Awards: Outstanding Nonfiction Literature
“Outstanding International Books 2015″: Part 2
Outstanding International Books 2015!

Science Fiction: Robots
Oh, My! Cyborgs!
Robots, Clones, and DNA—Oh, My! Part 2
Robots, Cyborgs, and DNA—Oh, My! Part 1

Historical Injustices
Russia Was Always There!: Reading World History through Russia Connections
Beyond the Nutcracker, Baba Yaga, and Ivan the Fool: Russian Children’s Books Mirror Ideology
Not-So-Happily-After: Russia’s Last Imperial Family and Broadening the Landscape of Children’s Russian Literary Experiences
Childhood & Politics: Children’s Historical Fiction set in the Soviet Union
Historical Injustices Revisited: New Stories for Young Readers

Global Explorations in Verse
Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War
Home of the Brave
Call Me María
Serafina’s Promise

English Language Learners
Choosing to Acknowledge the Many Different Facets of Our Common StoriesELL & NCLB: Let Me Count the Ways to Say “You Fail”
La Linea: Crushing Carefully Crafted Illusions
Who are our English Language Learners?

Haiti
Using Literature to Investigate Problems Focused on Social Justice
Children’s Books in the Language They Know
A Future for Li Li Li Read!
A Community Where There Are No Books for Children to Read

LGBT Characters in Children’s Books
Transgender Characters in Children’s Picture Books
The Implied LGBT Character in Children’s Picture Books
Representations of LGBT Characters in Children’s Picture Books
Picture Books with LGBT Characters

Diasporas
Diaspora in Recent Global Books & Identity Formation
Diaspora in Recent Global Books: Diamond Boy
Diaspora in Recent Global Books

Diasporas
“The Aftermath of Diaspora”
“World War II and Diasporas”
“The Sentiments of Diaspora”
“The Nature of Diaspora”

Children and Global Cultures
What It’s Like to be on the Caldecott Committee
Award-Winning Global Literature in the U.S.
Exploring the World through Cultural Community Story Boxes
Connecting to Family Funds of Knowledge through Story
Introducing Children to Global Cultures and Languages

Learning in the Disciplines
Global Inquiry and Content Teaching Through the “Stories of a Discipline”: Social Studies
Global Inquiry and Content Teaching through the “Stories of a Discipline”: Math
Global Inquiry and Content Teaching through the “Stories of a Discipline”: Science
First Person Plural: Storytelling as Learning in the Disciplines

Global Perspectives
Seeking Global Perspectives in Traditional Literature Picture Books: Part 5
Seeking Global Perspectives in Traditional Literature Picture Books: Part 4
Seeking Global Perspectives in Traditional Literature Picture Books: Part 3
Seeking Global Perspectives in Traditional Literature Picture Books: Part 2
Seeking Global Perspectives in Traditional Literature Picture Books: Part 1

And the Award Goes To  . . .
Nino Wrestles the World
Flora and Ulysses
Locomotive

Hearing Unheard Voices
Hearing Unheard Voices: New Mexico’s Children’s Literature
Hearing Unheard Voices through Global & International Children’s Literature

Exploring and Experience Art
My Name Is Sangoel
Sebastian’s Roller Skates
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match
Exploring & Experiencing the Art in Picturebooks

Validating the Experience of Black Children
Poetry as an Exploration into Children’s Lives and Cultures
Selecting Culturally Relevant Texts for Children in the African Diaspora
Using A Children’s Novel to Explore and Honor Black Children’s History
Children’s Literature and Poetry Depicting Children in the African Diaspora

Catching a Bug
A Different Kind of Bug: Epidemics Part 4
Catching a Bug: Reading about Pandemics, Epidemics, and Outbreaks, Part 3
Catching a Bug: Reading about Pandemics, Epidemics, and Outbreaks, Part 2
Catching a Bug: Reading about Pandemics, Epidemics, and Outbreaks

Muslim Voices
Strengths/Weaknesses of Picturebook Portrayals II
Strengths/Weaknesses of Picturebook Portrayals
Exploring the Authenticity of Muslim Voices in Elementary Grade Books

Story and Place
Discovering the Rio Grande Valley through Literature, Part 4
Discovering the Rio Grande Valley through Literature, Part 3
Discovering the Rio Grande Valley through Literature
Discovering the Rio Grande Valley through Literature

Gaining A Critical Perspective of Literature
Critical Literacy: Literature and the Reader’s Imagination
Taking Social Action: Social Media’s Relevance to Students’ Lives
Exploring social structures inside and out
Multiple Perspectives & Unpacking Notions of Immigration
Starting Points — Disrupting the Commonplace

Using International Literature in the Classroom
Being Inspired, Surprised and Transformed by Literature
Engaging with Literature on Immigration
International Literature in the Classroom: Tofu Quilt
Using International Literature in the Classroom

A Reader’s Relationships with Books
Reader to Reader: Cultivating Reading Relationships with Children’s Authors and Illustrators
Reader to Reader: Cultivating Reading Relationships with Spanish-English Bilingual Books
Reader to Reader: Cultivating Reading Relationships through Paired Books
Reader to Reader: Cultivating Reading Relationships One Book at a Time

Common Core State Standards
The Common Core State Standards: Misunderstandings about Response and Close Reading
The Common Core State Standards: Misconceptions about Informational and Literary Texts
The Common Core State Standards: The Complexity of Text Complexity in Global Literature
Common Core State Standards: Misconceptions about Text Exemplars

 Cultural Authenticity
Challenging Simplistic Cultural Views and Global Connections
“Stereotypocide”: Rethinking Cultural Traditions
Inviting Cultural Stereotypes: Using the Reader’s Funds of Knowledge
Between Trends and Reality: Revisiting Reviews and Discussing Cultural Authenticity

MashUps
MashUps: Beauty in Genre Blending

Read Alouds
Inside Out and Back Again: About Thanhha Lai
A Collaborative Read Aloud: Magic Windows/Ventanas Mágicas
Hurrican Dancers: The Power of the Read Aloud

An Exploration of Banned Books
Banned Books: Some Explanations
Banned Books Week: Old Favorites
Banned Books Week: Beverly Naidoo
What’s Your Banned Book Story

Using Children’s Literature: Different Aspects
An Ode to Children’s Literature: The Power of Reading for Fun
Pollyanna? Encyclopedia Brown? Which Reader Are You?
Intense Books, Dystopia, and the Guy Reader
The Internet: Connecting a Non-Fiction Reader to Fiction

Israeli Children’s Books
Israeli Children’s Books: Forming a Bridge Between Cultures?
Israeli Children’s Books: A Parent Perspective Beyond the Holocaust
Israeli Children’s Books – A Parent Perspective on the PJ Library
Israeli Children’s Books: A Parent Perspective on the Classics

Muslim Migrations
Muslim Migrants in Children’s Literature: Ask Me No Questions
Muslim Migrants in Children’s Literature: Boy vs. Girl
Muslim Migrants in Children’s Literature: No Safe Place
Muslim Migrants in Children’s Literature: Day of the Pelican
Muslim Migrants in Children’s Literature : Shooting Kabul

Graphic Novels & Confronting Cultural Issues
Becoming Americanized
Going, going…do students’ language and culture have to be gone?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian: Putting our students face to face with these issues
Graphic Novels and the English Language Learner

Codeswitching
English/Spanish Codeswitching: Tensions and Questions
Codeswitching: Translation and Linguistic Issues
Codeswitching: Why Do It?
English/Spanish Codeswitching in Children’s Literature

Session Spotlights from the Tucson Festival of Books
Session Spotlight: Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story III
Session Spotlight: Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story II
Session Spotlight: Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story
Session Spotlight: Monica Brown
Session Spotlight: Karen Lynn Williams

The Hero’s Journey in Global Literature
The Hero’s Journey from Another Point of View: Here Lies Arthur
Healing Hearts with the Hero’s Journey: Heartsinger
A Hero’s Journey Guided by Hindu Deities: Tiger Moon
The Hero’s Journey in Global Literature: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
A Hero’s Journey Guided by Hindu Deities: Tiger Moon

International Award Winning Books
International Awards: Who’s Being Recognized
International Awards: The Batchelder

Awards from other countries where English is the dominate language

Cambodian Children’s Literature
Cambodia: Children’s Literature?
Cambodian Children’s Literature: “Rising from the Ashes”

Using Children’s Books in the Secondary Classroom
They’re Not Just for Kids Anymore
Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom: Personal Connections, Creative Engagements, Critical Responses
The Secondary Curriculum: Adolescent & Young Adult Novels Add . . .
Giving New Life to the Classics:

Sometimes, Pacific is NOT Specific Enough
Hesitations About Using Native Language in a Children’s Book
The Emergence of “Fantastic” in Chamorro Literature
The Idea of Simplicity in Chamorro Children’s Literature
Sometimes, Pacific is NOT Specific Enough

El Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead: A Cultural Exploration
Los Gatos Black and the Courage of Children
A Critique of Pablo Remembers: the Fiesta of the Day of the Dead
‘Señor Calavera still isn’t scary’
The Spirit of Tío Fernando: A Day of the Dead Story
A gift for Abuelita: Our entrée into El Día de los Muertos

Adolescents, Adolescent Novels, and Authors Writing the Edges
Adolescents, Adolescent Novels, and Authors Writing the Edges By Holly Johnson
Adolescents & Adolescent Novels on the Edge: Survival By Holly Johnson
Adolescents, Adolescent Novels, and Authors Writing the Edges: Choices By Holly Johnson
Adolescents, Adolescent Novels, and Authors Writing the EdgesBy Holly Johnson

Inspirations for Children’s Books in Saudi Arabia
Inspirations for Children’s Books in Saudi Arabia: Part 5: In our children’s Hands! by Nojood ALsudairi
Inspirations for Children’s Books in Saudi Arabia: Part 4: A Part of a Whole by Nojood ALsudairi
Inspirations for Children’s Books in Saudi Arabia: Part 3, Thobe Recycling by Nojood ALsudairi
Inspirations for Children’s Books in Saudi Arabia: Part 2, Misho and His Laughter by Nojood ALsudairi
Inspirations for Children’s Books in Saudi Arabia: Part 1, Objects and Feelingsby Nojood ALsudairi

Reader Response to The Dreamer
The Dreamer, Part IV: The Political Nature of Writing
by Carmen M. Martínez-Roldán, University of Texas, Austin
Reader Response: Sketch-to-Stretch with The Dreamer, by Carmen M. Martínez-Roldán
Reader Response: The Dreamer Part II, by Carmen M. Martínez-Roldán
Reader Response: The Dreamer, by Carmen M. Martínez-Roldán

Responding to Literature
Responding To Literature as A Community: Transactions with When You Reach Me, by Andrea García
Responding To Literature as A Community: Transactions with Pictures of Hollis Wood, by Andrea García
Responding To Literature as A Community: Transactions with Feathers, by Andrea García
Responding To Literature as A Community: Transactions with Tofu Quilt, by Andrea García

Text Sets
Text Sets: An In-depth Look, by Lauren Freedman
Students and Scholars Respond: Text Sets & Inquiry Deepens and Strengthens Learning, by Lauren Freedman
Learning Centered Classrooms: Where Inquiry and Text Sets are Essential for Literacy and Learning, by Lauren Freedman
The Power of Choice, Voice, and Inquiry: Students and Teachers Talk about Text Sets, by Lauren Freedman
The Way School Should Be: Navigating Learning with Text Sets, by Lauren Freedman

Reading as a Collaborative Act
Reading as a Collaborative Act: Crossing Borders with Pam Muñoz Ryan, by Marie LeJeune and Tracy Smiles
Reading as a Collaborative Act: Sherman Alexie as Mentor, by Marie LeJeune and Tracy Smiles
Reading as a Collaborative Act: Interactions with Linda Sue Park, by Marie LeJeune and Tracy Smiles
Reading as a Collaborative Act: A Framework for Exploring Author Studies, by Marie LeJeune and Tracy Smiles
To be or not to be: Graphic Novels in the Classroom?, by Julia López-Robertson, Amber Hartman, Jennifer Judy, Lillian Reeves

Border Crossings
To be or not to be: Graphic Novels in the Classroom?, by Julia López-Robertson, Amber Hartman, Jennifer Judy & Lillian Reeves
Border Crossing: Children in the Cultural Crossfire, by Julia López-Robertson with Amanda Dunnigan & Rebecca Martin
Border Crossings & Tangled Threads, by Julia López-Robertson, Michelle Metts and Tracy Spires
The Space Between : A beginning journey into border crossing, by Julia López-Robertson & Lillian Reeves

The Importance of Paired Books
Strategies for Reading and Discussing Paired Books, by Kathy G. Short
Text Sets as Contexts for Understanding, by Kathy G. Short
Paired Books: Reading a Book in the Context of another Book, by Kathy G. Short
Never Read a Book Alone, by Kathy G. Short

Small Presses
What Makes Small Presses Successful, by Ann Parker
A Conversation with Just Us Books, by Ann Parker
A Conversation with Children’s Book Press, by Ann Parker
A Conversation with Lee and Low Books, by Ann Parker
A Conversation with NorthSouth Books, by Ann Parker

Confronting History with Historical Fiction
Confronting History: Using Realistic Fiction to Reflect on Historical Journeys, by Yoo Kyung Sung
Confronting History: Young Korean Diasporas During WWII and the Chinese Cultural Revolution, by Yoo Kyung Sung
Confronting History: Experiencing Historical Tragedy Through Stolen Voices, by Yoo Kyung Sung
Korean Rediscovery of the Power of Historical Fiction, by Yoo Kyung Sung

Responding to Literature
Responding to Literature in the 21st Century: Challenges and Resources, by Janine Schall
Responding to Literature in the 21st Century: Tools to Share Current Understandings, by Janine Schall
Responding to Literature in the 21st Century: Tools for Collaboration, by Janine Schall
21st Century Tools for Thinking About Literature, by Janine Schall
Moving Beyond the Graffiti Board, by Janine Schall

Children’s Books and Diverse Cultures
Children’s Books & Diverse Cultures in an Undergraduate Course, by Marilyn Carpenter
Visual Journeys with Immigrant Readers, by Marilyn Carpenter
Resilient Children in International Literature, by Marilyn Carpenter
Global Perspectives on Social Change in the World, by Marilyn Carpenter
Children’s Books & Diverse Cultures in an Undergraduate Course, by Marilyn Carpenter

Unthemed
Visual Journeys with Immigrant Readers, by Carmen M. Martínez-Roldán
Resilient Children in International Literature, by Janelle Mathis
Global Perspectives on Social Change in the World, by Kathy G. Short

Illustrations and the Reading Experience
Connecting Text and Illustrations, by Prisca Martens
Learning to Read the Written and the Pictorial, by Prisca Martens
Reading Multimodally, by Prisca Martens
Words Aren’t Everything, by Prisca Martens

Francisco Jimenez
Resources on the Life and Work of Francisco Jiménez, by Sandy Kaser
Part 4 – His words to you: quotes from Francisco Jimenez, by Sandy Kaser
Part 3 – Students’ Correspondence with Francisco Jimenez, by Sandy Kaser
Part 2 – Reading the words of Francisco Jimenez, by Sandy Kaser
Part 1 – Discovering the words of Francisco Jiménez, by Sandy Kaser

Illustrations and the Reading Experience
Visual Symbolism as Meaning-Making, by Cheri Anderson
Conveying Meaning through Visual Elements, by Cheri Anderson
Cultural Issues in Reviewing Illustration, by Cheri Anderson
Evaluating Illustrations in Reviews of International Picture Books, by Cheri Anderson

Families as Critical Partners in Reading
Families Matter: Combining Literacy Reflections – Part IV, by Charlene Klassen Endrizzi
Families Matter: Reaching Out to Reluctant Parents –- Part III, by Charlene Klassen Endrizzi
Families Matter: Expanding Our Community of Readers –- Part II, by Charlene Klassen Endrizzi
Families Matter: Family Stories and School Literacy — Part I, by Charlene Klassen Endrizzi

Invitations and Negotiations: International Literature in the Classroom
Invitations and Negotiations: Reflections on a Month of Mondays, by Marie LeJeune & Tracy Smiles
Invitations and Negotiations: Preservice Teacher Education, by Marie LeJeune & Tracy Smiles
Invitations and Negotiations: Informal Spaces, by Marie LeJeune & Tracy Smiles
Invitation and Negotiation: K-12 Classrooms, by Marie LeJeune & Tracy Smiles
Invitations and Negotiations, by Marie LeJeune & Tracy Smiles

Learning About Life Through Others
Those “Blank Stares”, by Mary Starrs Armstrong
Learning about Life through others’ Lives, Part 3, by Mary Starrs Armstrong
Learning about Life through others’ Lives, Part 2, by Mary Starrs Armstrong
Learning about Life through others’ Lives, by Mary Starrs Armstrong

Return to Sender , by Julia Alvarez
Living Between Two Cultures: A Digital Literature Discussion of Return to Sender , by Julia Alvarez, Part 5, by Andrea García
Living Between Two Cultures: A Digital Literature Discussion of Return to Sender , by Julia Alvarez, Part 4, by Andrea García
Living Between Two Cultures: A Digital Literature Discussion of Return to Sender , by Julia Alvarez, Part 3, by Andrea García
Living Between Two Cultures: A Digital Literature Discussion of Return to Sender , by Julia Alvarez, Part 2, by Andrea García
Living Between Two Cultures: A Digital Literature Discussion of Return to Sender, by Julia Alvarez, by Andrea García

Interview with Yuyi Morales
Interview with Yuyi Morales, Part 4, by Jeanne Fain & Julia López-Robertson
Interview with Yuyi Morales, Part 3, by Jeanne Fain & Julia López-Robertson
Interview with Yuyi Morales, Part 2, by Jeanne Fain & Julia López-Robertson
Interview with Yuyi Morales, by Jeanne Fain & Julia López-Robertson

Windows to the World
Windows to the World — Part 4, by Barbara Thompson-Book
Windows to the World — A Quick Look at Haiti, by Barbara Thompson-Book
Windows to the Worlds — Part 3, by Barbara Thompson-Book
Windows to the World — Part 2, by Barbara Thompson-Book
Windows on the World — Part 1, by Barbara Thompson-Book

Small Presses
The Role of Small Presses in Multicultural Children’s Books, by Ann Parker
Creating Book Brands, by Ann Parker
Independent Publishers Feature Bilingual Books, by Ann Parker
Publishing Bilingual Books, by Ann Parker

Books , by Xavier Garza
Children Respond to Xavier Garza’s Books, by Janine M. Schall
“Is the Chupacabras Real?” Xavier Garza Answers Questions from Children, by Janine M. Schall
Interview with Xavier Garza, Part 4, by Janine M. Schall
Interview with Xavier Garza, Part 3, by Janine M. Schall
Interview with Xavier Garza, Part 2, by Janine M. Schall
Interview with Author Xavier Garza, by Janine M. Schall

Immigrant Experiences
Immigration Literature: Bridging Global Cultures for Classroom Communities, by Andrea Baily, April Sanders, Patricia Sosa-Sanchez
After the Journey: Immigrants in a New Country, by Ragina Shearer & Mary Amanda Stewart
The Immigrant Experience in Children’s/Adolescent Literature, by Tami Morton, Lois Knezek, & Betty Reily
The Immigrant Experience in Children’s/Adolescent Literature, by Janelle B. Mathis

What Fairy Tales Tell us About Culture
Fairy Tales: Zero Tolerance?, by Marilyn Carpenter
Culturally Authentic Fairy Tales, by Marilyn Carpenter
Exploring Fairy Tales Part II, by Marilyn Carpenter
Exploring Fairy Tales Part I, by Marilyn Carpenter

Thoughts on International Literature
Geography & International Literature, Part II, by Holly Johnson
Geography & International Literature, Part I, by Holly Johnson
“Travel” and International Literature, by Holly Johnson
Social Responsibility and the Reader, by Holly Johnson
A Language for the Literature, by Holly Johnson

Neal Gaiman & Nick Glass
Nick Glass Interview – Part 4, by Judi Moreillon
Nick Glass Interview – Part 3, by Judi Moreillon
Summary of Gaiman’s Newbery Speech, by Judi Moreillon
Nick Glass Interview – Part 2, by Judi Moreillon
An Interview with Nick Glass, by Judi Moreillon

Book Reviews: A Need to Look at Culture
Details Matter—Especially if it’s my culture!, by Kathy G. Short
Stepping Back in Time in Contemporary International Books, by Kathy G. Short
A Book Never Stands Alone: Do Reviewers Have a Social Responsibility?, by Kathy G. Short
Reviewer’s Assumptions about Audience, by Kathy G. Short
The Lack of Culture in Book Reviews, by Kathy G. Short

Unthemed
Wishing for Books, by Ann Parker
Children’s Hope in the Midst of Despair, by Kathy G. Short
Wishes for the Necessities of Life, by Judi Moreillon
WOW: Wishes for the World