Read Across America Day is on Tuesday, March 2, 2027, and it falls on March 2 every year. The National Education Association created it to get kids excited about reading. Schools across the country mark it with guest readers, book swaps and dress-up days.
When Is Read Across America Day?
It’s always March 2. Many schools stretch it into Read Across America Week, typically the school week around March 2. Districts set their own dates, so check your school’s calendar.
How Did Read Across America Start?
The first Read Across America Day was March 2, 1998. The NEA chose that date because it’s the birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, School Library Journal reports.
For years, the week was built around Seuss books. In 2018, the NEA began shifting toward diverse, contemporary authors, with the theme “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers.”
Why the focus moved beyond Dr. Seuss
Scholars criticized racist images in some of his work. On March 2, 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises stopped publishing six titles for that reason, including If I Ran the Zoo. Many schools still read other Seuss books on his birthday.
What Is Read Across America?
It’s a reading program run by the NEA, the country’s largest teachers’ union. March 2 is the main event, but the program now runs all year with monthly book picks and themes.
For March 2027, the NEA’s theme is “Notice and Nurture,” featuring the picture book Together We Are Sunshine. Its site also offers free reading tips, book club guides and event ideas.
How to Celebrate Read Across America Day
In classrooms
- Invite a guest reader each day of the week, such as a firefighter, the principal or a local author.
- Run a “book tasting”: set tables like a café and let students sample the first page of five books.
- Hold a book swap where every student brings one book and leaves with another.
- Pick one book for the whole school and decorate classroom doors to match it.
At home
- Build a blanket fort and read by flashlight.
- Get your child a library card, or let them check out a book on their own card.
- Read a story aloud on a video call with grandparents or cousins.
- Start a family “first chapter” night, where everyone reads the opening chapter of a new book.
- Let kids pick a book purely for fun, even a comic or a joke book; any reading counts.
Tips for Guest Readers
- Ask the teacher about the class’s age, and pick a book that takes 10 minutes or less to read.
- Read the book aloud at home first, so you can look up from the page.
- Hold the book open to the side so everyone can see the pictures.
- Bring something tied to your job, like a stethoscope or a hard hat, and leave time for questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do kids wear on Read Across America Day?
Many schools hold a dress-up day where students come as a favorite book character. Pajama days with bedtime stories are popular with younger grades.
Which Dr. Seuss books are no longer published?
Six titles, including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo. Dr. Seuss Enterprises stopped publishing them in 2021.
Who runs Read Across America?
The National Education Association. Its website lists each month’s featured books and free resources for teachers and families.