Unite Books FAQs
What is Unite for Literacy?
Founded in 2012, Unite for Literacy is a social enterprise with 30 years of roots in community publishing and book distribution, working with international organizations, civic partners, and Native American tribes to put original, locally relevant picture books in the hands of families with young children. Unite has also employed innovative digital mapping technologies to make the conditions of household book ownership and reading habits visible and actionable for communities working to grow Community Book Gardens.
What is the Unite for Literacy digital library?
www.UniteforLiteracy.com is a free, online collection of original picture books for emerging readers. Books span a wide range of topics and reflect the languages, cultures, and communities of families across the United States and around the world. All books are available at no cost, with no login or registration required.
Who is the audience for our books?
All emerging readers Our books are designed for children from birth to about age 8, but emerging readers of any age can enjoy them to build language and literacy skills and discover the joy and power of reading!
Families have access to more than 600+ free, published digital books with home language narration support in 60+ different languages. Friends and families who are supporting new readers may learn some new and interesting facts about various topics, as well. Most importantly, reading together can be fun and is a great bonding experience.
Educators have the same free access as families. Early childhood, elementary, and ELL/ESL educators use the digital library in the classroom for shared, guided, and independent reading times. Using smart boards or projectors allows educators to share books with the entire classroom at the same time. Tablets and desktops allow individual students to explore the library on their own during independent reading time or in reading labs.
Why picture books?
Picture books have the big advantage of giving extra context for understanding the text of the book, no matter the subject matter or age of the reader. Other features of our books include predictable, rhythmic language; images with clear, familiar subjects; and text that ranges from one word up to a few sentences per page. Children everywhere can "see" themselves and imagine their full potential through the images in our books. Pictures that reflect a child’s eye view of the real world, in all its rich complexity, encourage rich conversation and a personal connection with books.
Why print and digital books?
No matter the growth and speed of advances in technology, we believe that children’s print books should and will have a place in the home. Particularly for children under age 3, sharing a printed book with a trusted adult supports language and relationship building. Book ownership helps establish a scholarly culture in the home and also reinforces concept of print. Increases in internet access and smartphone ownership make digital books more relevant today than any time in history. Digital books are also a great way to provide abundant reading choices and audio support in multiple languages around the world.
Why have audio narrations in different languages?
Our books provide audio support so children and families can listen to books in English and 60+ other languages. For families reading in their home language, the narrations make the experience more natural and welcoming.
Our Narrators All narrations are recorded by first language speakers who bring warm, expressive voices to every page.
American Sign Language Our library also includes ASL video interpretations for select books.
Is the text available in other languages?
Our digital library has the choice to read the words in English, Spanish, or Ukrainian via the pencil icon at the top of the page. In addition, we are adapting books narrated in other languages, like Haitian Creole and Vietnamese, to have an eyeball icon under each page that makes the narration text visible.
Why are Unite books mostly nonfiction?
The goal is to provide books that provide great relevance to children’s lives and motivate readers by tapping into their interests. Our library contains books about family, neighborhood, community life, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and social-emotional topics. We round out our topics to also include art, play, poetry, and humor. We support reading fiction, as well, by sprinkling a few storybooks throughout the library.
How can my school, organization, or community partner with Unite?
We would love to hear from you to discuss a potential partnership! Please reach out to us at info@uniteforliteracy.com