2022 - 2023

School Year
Calendar

CULTURE, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

WITH YOUR STUDENTS!
 CULTURE, DIVERSITY
& INCLUSION WITH
YOUR STUDENTS!

The U.S. population is becoming more and more diverse, and the need to embrace the many cultures in our classrooms is more important than ever. When a
student’s learning environment respects their history, values, beliefs, and traditions, students and their families are better positioned to thrive in school.

This calendar was designed in response to First Book member feedback that revealed the challenges many educators face in finding time or resources to
regularly celebrate culture, diversity & inclusion with their students. Each month, you’ll find a suggested day to celebrate that includes recommended resources
from First Book and suggestions for a class, group, or family focused activity. You will also see month long observances, religious observances, and added dates
of cultural, historical, or inclusive significance that have been included for 2022-2023.

Being culturally competent—having the ability to successfully teach students who come from cultures other than one’s own—is critical to the success of our
increasingly diverse student population and society. Be sure to visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources for more resources to help you celebrate culture,
diversity & inclusion all year long with your students!

© 2022 First Book.

Follow us online year-round on @firstbookorg @firstbook @firstbook

AUGUST Sunday Monday
1
Tuesday

Isabel Allende was

2
Wednesday
3
Thursday
4
Friday
5
Saturday
6
The beginning of the school year is also born on this day in 1942. Barack H. Obama,
Sonia Sotomayor
Allende is a Chilean the 44th and first
was confirmed as the
the beginning of the season for many writer whose stories African American
first Supreme Court
honor the lives of women president of the
athletes and sports fans. Encourage and combine myth and United States,
Justice of Hispanic
descent on this day
was born on this
students to honor groundbreaking historical events. She
has sold more than day in 1961.
in 2009.

athletes like Althea Gibson. Gibson 75 million books.

excelled at tennis at a young age, but in

the 1940s and 50s, most tournaments 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
were closed to Black Americans. Gibson International Day Bon Festival
of the World’s (Feast of Lanterns)
kept playing and winning despite this Indigenous People (13th – 15th)
challenge and eventually became the is a day to protect and is a Japanese Buddhist
promote the rights of custom that honors the
first Black tennis player to compete at the estimated 370 – 500 spirits of one’s ancestors
million indigenous
the U.S. National Championships (1950) people worldwide.
and has been celebrated
for over 500 years.
and Wimbledon (1951).
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Navajo Nation National Liberation
TRY THIS! Code Talkers Day
In 1942, the U.S.
Day of Korea
celebrates the end of the
Marcus Garvey Day
celebrates the birthday
Roberto Clemente,
the first Latino in
Marines recruited professional U.S.
decades-long Japanese of the Jamaican politician baseball to reach
 Explore the Sports & Navajo men to transmit
messages in a code
occupation of Korea. and activist credited with 3,000 hits, was born
It is the only holiday starting the Back to
Recreation1 section on the based on the Navajo
celebrated in both Africa movement.
on this day in 1934.
language during WWII
First Book Marketplace for combat operations.
North & South Korea.

https://bit.ly/WSFGuide
inspiring books about athletes
and sports.
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
On this day in 1927, Women’s
 Learn creative ways to use tennis champion Althea Equality Day
Gibson was born in
books and sports to discuss South Carolina.
commemorates the
1920 adoption of the
confidence, body image, and

2
19th Amendment,
See sidebar for
which gave women

www.fbmarketplace.org/topic?cat=571
leadership skills for middle & details & activities!
the right to vote.

high school girls in First Book’s

Empowering Girls Through 28 29 30 31
In 1955, 14-year-old
Books & Sports.2 African American
Emmett Till was lynched
in Mississippi after
 Have students research an being falsely accused
athlete who overcame a social of whistling at a White
woman. His death was
or personal obstacle to achieve a catalyst for the 1955
Montgomery Bus
success in sports or ask Boycott and other
civil rights efforts.
them to write about their own

1
experiences playing sports.

For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.

SEPTEMBER Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

www.fbmarketplace.org/empowering-educators
1 2 Eileen Feng Gu—also
3
Welcoming Week (September 9 – 18) is
HISPANIC known by her Chinese

ATTENDANCE HERITAGE
name, Gu Ailing—was
born on this day in 2003.
an opportunity to ensure all students feel
valued in your classroom and school
AWARENESS MONTH
At age 18, she became
the youngest Olympic
champion in freestyle
community. The beginning of the year is MONTH (September 15 – skiing after winning two
gold medals and one
the ideal time to collaboratively create October 15) silver medal at the 2022
Winter Olympics.
classroom contracts and establish rules
and routines needed for a safe and 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
inclusive learning environment. Los Angeles was
founded in 1781 by Labor Day Welcoming Week
Spaniards, Latinos, An annual tribute to
Afro Latinos, and the contributions of (9th – 18th)
TRY THIS! indigenous people.

3
all workers toward the See sidebar for
L.A. currently has one

www.fbmarketplace.org/immigrant-and-refugee-experience
strength and prosperity details & activities!
of the largest Latinx of the U.S.
populations in the U.S.
 Visit First Book’s Creating
Welcoming Schools &
Communities 1 section to build 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Mexican
or refresh your classroom library Mae C. Jemison, Independence Day
with vibrant titles that reflect and an engineer, physician,
and astronaut, became
Honoring Priest Miguel
Hidalgo, who in 1810
explore many cultures. the first Black woman encouraged people
to travel in space, to revolt against the
aboard the shuttle Spanish regime. Mexico’s
 Back to school can be challenging Endeavor in 1992. independence from Spain
was secured in 1821.
for recent immigrants and
refugees. Visit the Immigrant & 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Refugee Experiences 2 section International National Voter International
for books that highlight not only Week of the Deaf Registration Day Day of Peace
the real challenges faced by (19th – 25th) This day encourages Established in 1981
Launched in 1958, this voter registration across and approved by all
immigrants and refugees but also

2
week highlights the all communities and UN countries, this

cultural contributions of
the joys, accomplishments, and members of the deaf
community and promotes
everyday moments. human rights.
www.fbmarketplace.org/welcoming-week
promotes awareness of day encourages all of
upcoming local, state, humanity to commit to
and national elections. a culture of peace.

 Check out First Book’s 25 26 27 28 29 30

https://bit.ly/EEChallenging
Elie Wiesel, a Romanian-
Empowering Educators 3 series Rosh Hashanah born American writer was

to learn how to create an anti-bias, (25th – 27th)

Serena Williams,
one of the greatest
born this day in 1928.
His most famous book, KINSHIP CARE
anti-racist (ABAR) classroom.
The Jewish New Year
begins at sundown on
tennis players of all time,
was born on this
Night, is based on his
experiences as a Jewish AWARENESS
See page 9 of Challenging September 25th. It marks
the first of the Jewish
day in 1981. prisoner in concentration
camps in Nazi Germany. MONTH
Conversations About Race High Holy Days.* He was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize
& Racism 4 for journal and in 1986.

4
discussion prompts like, What is *Note: Jewish holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not fall on the same dates each year.
your earliest memory of race?

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OCTOBER Sunday Monday

LEARNING
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
October 10th is World Mental Health LGBT NATIONAL
Day. The pandemic has negatively DISABILITIES BULLYING Nigeria achieved
HISTORY independence from
affected our physical, mental, and social AWARENESS PREVENTION Britain in 1960.
MONTH
wellbeing, and students, families, and MONTH MONTH
educators need more support and care.
Take time this month to discuss the
importance of mental health with your 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
International Day
students and incorporate preventative of Nonviolence & Yom Kippur Eid Milad Un Nabi,
strategies into your classroom routine. Gandhi’s Birthday (4th – 5th) (7th – 8th)
is the Muslim holiday
Let’s remove the stigma around mental Mahatma Gandhi was an
Indian citizen who used
is the holiest day of the
year in Judaism and is
marking the birth of
Muhammed and is
health and practice healthy habits! nonviolent resistance as
a method to gain India’s
also known as the
celebrated from
Day of Atonement.*
independence from sundown to sundown.*
Britain in 1947.

TRY THIS!

9 10
World Mental
 First Book’s new resource, Health Day
Taking Care: An Educator
See sidebar for encourages members of
Guide to Healthy Habits for details & activities!
_______________
Student Emotional Wellness,1
outlines a variety of healthy
Indigenous
Peoples’ Day
https://bit.ly/TraumaToolkit
11 12 13 14 15
National
Ada Lovelace Day
Coming Out Day celebrates women
Jesse LeRoy Brown
became the first African
American Naval Officer
in STEM and honors
the LGBTQ community
to be open about their
the 19th century in 1948, and the third
mathematician who African American to
sexuality with their have a navy ship
friends, family, and
is known as the first
computer programmer. named after him.
the world.

3
habits to support wellness, such

as mindfulness and gratitude.
Try placing a gratitude jar in your
classroom so students can focus
on and share what makes them
happy (page 10). Don’t miss the
tips for educator self-care on
pages 13-15!
www.fbmarketplace.org/sel-hub
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Celia Cruz,
World Food Day an Afro-Cuban singer
Make a
and the most popular
celebrates the founding
of the Food and Latin American music Difference Day
Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations in
artist in the 20th century,
was born on this day
is an national community
service event that
1945. It shines a light in 1925. Known as the
“Queen of Salsa,” she is
inspires millions to
on food security, world give back to their local
hunger, and sustainable an iconic symbol of Latin communities.
harvesting. culture worldwide.

2
23 24 25 26 27 28 29

https://bit.ly/FBTakingCare
 Visit First Book’s Social & Diwali* §

Emotional Learning 2 section to United Nations Day §

find great books focused on how

to promote positive mental health. 30 31
Día de los Muertos/
 Download First Books’ Trauma Day of the Dead
Toolkit 3 to learn how trauma (31st – November 2nd)

1
*Note: These Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not fall on the same dates each year.
affects a child’s ability to learn
and how you can support their §
Diwali is the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh festival of lights and celebrates the triumph of light over dark and knowledge over ignorance.
United Nations Day is devoted to raising awareness of the goals and achievements of the U.N., which was created in 1945.
development.
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NOVEMBER Sunday Monday Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Children’s Grief Awareness Day, Día de los Muertos/
November 18th, is an opportunity to give
PUERTO RICAN Author’s Day Day of the Dead
Consider reading stories
grieving students the support they need. HERITAGE from authors of various (October 31st – 2nd)
is a Mexican holiday that
cultural backgrounds to
MONTH celebrate this day. honors deceased friends
and family members with
celebrations and prayers.
TRY THIS!

www.fbmarketplace.org/native-american-interest
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
 See the Grief, Loss, and
Dalip Singh Saund Veterans Day
Healing 1 section of the First was elected to STEM/STEAM Day is a U.S. holiday
represent California honoring military
Book Marketplace for books to in the U.S. House of is meant to inspire kids
veterans and is also
to explore and pursue
build resiliency, offer comfort, and Representatives in 1956,
becoming the first Asian their interests in science,
celebrated internationally
as Armistice Day, or
technology, engineering,
introduce coping techniques. American to serve
in Congress. art, and math.
Remembrance Day,
commemorating the end
of World War I in 1918.
 Use First Book’s Supportive
Protocol for Educators2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
to understand what grieving International Day
students need and how to for Tolerance Children’s Grief
World Kindness Day Awareness Day
support them and their families.

3
was founded by the
is a day to celebrate

https://bit.ly/GriefProtocol
United Nations to
good deeds and commit See sidebar for
promote respect for
to acts of kindness. details & activities!
various religions,
languages, and cultures.

American Indian & Alaska Native

Heritage Month is a time to honor our 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
country’s diverse indigenous cultures. Transgender Day
of Remembrance In 1922, Anna May
Wong, the first Chinese

2
memorializes those who
American actress to
have been killed as a

TRY THIS!
 Learn about indigenous cultures
and people in our Native
American & Indigenous
Characters and Cultures 3
section.
 Have students research the
indigenous people who lived in
their city or state and answer
these questions: Who were the
result of transphobia
and raises awareness
of the continued
violence endured by the
transgender community.
27
www.fbmarketplace.org/grief-loss-and-healing
gain international fame,
starred in Toll of the Sea,
the first color feature film
made in Hollywood.
28 29 30
AMERICAN INDIAN &
ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH
See sidebar for details & activities!

1
original people in this area? What
are 3 aspects of their culture
(beliefs, customs, practices)?
For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.
DECEMBER Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

World AIDS Day

1
Friday
2
Saturday
3
December 21st is the winter solstice, is an international day
dedicated to raising
the shortest day of the year. It is also a

www.fbmarketplace.org/lego-future-without-waste 4 https://bit.ly/FutureWithoutWaste 5 www.fbmarketplace.org/ecology-and-the-environment

awareness of the
prevention, care, and
reminder that in the U.S., and worldwide, treatment of HIV and
winter is getting warmer. Changes in AIDS, and mourning
those who have died of
climate impact the environment, water the disease.

supply, agriculture, and public health.

4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Bodhi Day

www.fbmarketplace.org/lego-build-the-change-biodiversity-and-climate-change-course 2 https://bit.ly/ClimateChangeFB
Dr. Gladys Mae West
Human
TRY THIS!
is an African American is a Buddhist holy day
mathematician known
for work that made the
Octaviano Ambrosio
Larrazolo, the first
commemorating the
day that the historical
Rights Day
accuracy of today’s GPS Mexican American to commemorates the
Buddha, Siddhartha
UN’s 1948 adoption
 Download the Biodiversity and possible. On this day in
2018, she was inducted
serve in the U.S. Senate,
was born on this
Gautama (Shakyamuni),
of the Universal
experienced
Climate Change Course Pack,1 into the Air Force Space day in 1859. enlightenment, also
Declaration of
Human Rights.
and Missiles Pioneers known as bodhi in
a FREE resource that features Hall of Fame. Sanskrit and Pali.
ten 45-minute sessions, with
presentations, videos, polls, and 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
quizzes. Use the course pack
and First Book’s resource about
Climate Change in the U.S. 2
to teach students about the
effects of climate change in their
communities.

 Download A Future Without 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Waste Course Pack,3 a resource
about reimagining how we
design, produce, and distribute
products to reduce waste and
pollution. See the accompanying
guidebook, A Future Without
Waste,4 for additional activities.
Share the take-home recycling
tip sheet (pages 20–21) with
Jean Michel-Basquiat,
Hanukkah an influential artist of
(18th – 26th) Yule Winter Solstice Haitian and Puerto Rican
is the 8-day Jewish is the shortest day of the descent was born on
year and is celebrated by this day in 1960. The
“festival of lights,”
celebrating a victory over Pagans and Wiccans. children’s book Radiant
Child: The Story of
foreign rulers by sharing See sidebar for Young Artist Jean-Michel
food, games, gifts, and details & activities!
lighting the menorah.*
Basquiat, by Javaka
Steptoe, is about his life.
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Kwanzaa,
(26th – Jan. 1st) Nichelle Nichols was
Christmas is a 7-day celebration of
born on this day in 1932.

caregivers.
is an annual Christian
celebration of the birth
African heritage, culture,
Her role as Lieutenant
Uhura in Star Trek New Year’s Eve
and unity. The holiday
of Jesus Christ. inspired many people
gets its name from the
of color to pursue
 Find books for your budding phrase matunda ya
kawanza, meaning “first
careers in science.

environmentalists in the Ecology fruits” in Swahili.

and the Environment 5 section

3
*Note: Jewish holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not fall on the same dates each year.
on the Marketplace.

For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.

JANUARY
Happy New Year! On January 16th, we
celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s
birthday as a day of service. Dr. King
was a changemaker who showed that
every voice matters and everyone has
the power to make a difference.
TRY THIS!
 Explore First Book’s Time for
Change resources1 to learn how
to incorporate changemaking into
your teaching and support young
changemakers in your classroom
or program. The introductory
guide, Time for Change,2
explains the key changemaking
abilities (empathy, teamwork,
leadership, and changemaking
action) with relevant activities
and connections to standards.
 Start the year off on the right
foot by reviewing empathy—the
first changemaker ability. Have
students practice conscious
empathy with the Stop, Breathe,
Listen, Respond exercise in the
Empathy Time Saver.3
 Find books that model
changemaking skills and
celebrate famous and fictional
changemakers in the Inspire
Changemakers4 section.
Sunday
1
Monday
2
Tuesday
In 2021, the 117th
3
Wednesday
World Braille Day
4
Thursday
5
Friday
Epiphany or
6
Saturday
Zora Neale Hurston,
7
Día de los Reyes
www.fbmarketplace.org/time-for-change\
The Emancipation Congress became the author, anthropologist,
Proclamation was issued is observed on inventor
by Abraham Lincoln
most diverse in the
history of the United
Louis Braille’s birthday to
raise awareness of the
(Three Kings Day) and key figure of the
Harlem Renaissance
on this day in 1863,
freeing slaves held in
States. The current
Congress is the sixth to
importance of braille as a
is a Christian holy day
that recognizes the visit
was born on this day in
1891. Her most famous
means of communication
Confederate states. Ellis
Island opened in 1892.
break the record set by
for blind and partially
of the three wise men book is Their Eyes Were
the one before it. to the baby Jesus Watching God.
sighted people.
12 days after his birth.
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Rigoberta Menchú,
a K’iche’ human rights
activist from Guatemala
and recipient of the Nobel
Peace Prize for her work
promoting indigenous
4
& women’s rights in
https://bit.ly/empathytfc
Guatemala was born on
this day in 1959.
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
World Religion Day
encourages interfaith MLK Jr. Day
of Service
3
understanding and
https://bit.ly/changemakingintro
asks people worldwide
to recognize that all See sidebar for
religions have common details & activities!
spiritual goals.
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
International
Chinese New Year Holocaust
is China’s most important
holiday, and celebrations
Elizabeth Blackwell
became the first woman Remembrance Day
2
last 15 days. According to to earn a medical degree Is a day to honor victims
of the Holocaust and to
www.fbmarketplace.org/time-for-change\
tradition, 2023 is the in the U.S. in 1849.
Year of the Rabbit. work toward preventing
future genocides.
29 30 31
Black Lives Matter
at School
A Week of Action
(30th – Feb. 3rd)
is a nationwide effort to
affirm and empower all
Black students.*
#BlackLivesMatterAtSchool
1
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FEBRUARY Sunday

BLACK
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
1
Thursday
The 1848 Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo was
2
Friday
3
Saturday

Rosa Parks,
4
We observe Black History Month by signed at the end of the named one of the most

celebrating African American history HISTORY Mexican-American War.

The U.S. gained many
influential people in the
20th century by Time

and achievements. In addition to MONTH of today’s southwestern

states. Mexican citizens
Magazine and best
known for her role in the
living in those areas 1955 Montgomery Bus
teaching about civil rights milestones See sidebar for
could become U.S. Boycott, was born
details & activities!
and the contributions of Black leaders, citizens or move within
Mexico’s new borders.
on this day in 1913.

use this month to expand your teaching

to include current political and social 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

https://bit.ly/FBTakingCare
issues affecting the Black community,
Inventor’s Day
Black mental health, and the science celebrates the
behind bias, stereotypes, and contributions of inventors
and honors Thomas
microaggressions. Edison, born on
this day in 1847.

TRY THIS! 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

3
www.fbmarketplace.org/stories-for-all-project
 Visit the Black History  and
1 Nirvana Day, Toni Morrison,
On this day, we the Buddhist holy day
Diversity & Inclusion 2 sections celebrate the legacy that celebrates the
the first African American
of abolitionist, orator, woman to be awarded
day Buddha achieved
of the First Book Marketplace for and writer Frederick nirvana—the final goal
the Nobel Prize for
Douglass, who was Literature, was born on
books written and/or illustrated born in 1818.
of Buddhism—upon
the death of his
this day in 1931.
by African Americans and physical body.

books featuring diversity that

encourage empathy and self- 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
confidence. In 1942, President
Franklin Roosevelt
W.E.B. DuBois,
authorized the
the first African
 Self-care is important for incarceration or
deportation of over
American to hold a
PhD from Harvard,
communities that regularly 110,000 Japanese
was born on this

2
Americans by issuing
day in 1868.
experience discrimination,

www.fbmarketplace.org/us-black-history
Executive Order 9066
during World War II.
which can negatively affect
mental health. First Book’s
26 27 28
Taking Care: An Educator
Guide to Healthy Habits for
Student Emotional Wellness 3
has wellness advice, including
self-care tips for Black families
and other communities of color
(page 12).

1
For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.
MARCH Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
1
Thursday
2
Friday
3
Saturday
4
March is Women’s History Month, a
WOMEN’S MUSIC IN In 1917,
time to celebrate the social, economic, Puerto Rico became a

cultural, and political achievements

HISTORY OUR SCHOOLS U.S. territory, and its
citizens were extended

of women and work for gender parity MONTH MONTH U.S. citizenship.

worldwide. Research shows that gender

bias in schools can have long-lasting
effects for students as young as three, 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
who quickly absorb bias and stereotypes
from their environment. International
Women’s Day
See sidebar for

TRY THIS! details & activities!

 Read about bias in First Book’s

Unconscious Bias: An 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Educator’s Self-Assessment 1 Tammy Duckworth Simone Biles,
the most decorated Freedom’s Journal,
was born on this day
and take a free, confidential bias in 1968. In 2017, she American gymnast the first African
became the first Thai in history (32 World American newspaper
assessment (page 4). Championship medals in the U.S., was first

www.fbmarketplace.org/topic?cat=823
American woman, and
the first woman with and 7 Olympic medals) published on this
a disability, to be was born on this day day in 1827.
 Explore the Empowering elected to Congress. in 1997.

Stories About Women and

Girls 2 section for books that 19 20 21
feature women writers and
Nowruz/
illustrators and well as female- Persian New Year
identifying characters who dream (21st – 22nd)
big, overcome challenges, and is a day of joy,
leave their mark.
celebration, and renewal.
It is held annually
on the spring equinox.
22 23 24 25
Ramadan International Day of
In 1934, the Philippine
(22nd – April 20th) Islands in the South
Remembrance of the
Pacific were granted
is a month-long Islamic
observation celebrating
independence by Victims of Slavery
the first revelation of the
President Franklin D.
Roosevelt after
and the Transatlantic
Quran and includes strict
fasting observed from
nearly 50 years of Slave Trade
American control. honors the victims
sunrise to sunset.*

2
of the slave trade.

https://bit.ly/BiasSelfAssessment
 Have students research an
influential woman and write a 26 27 28 29 30 31
poem or speech about her life
Cesar Chavez Day
and legacy. is a U.S. holiday
celebrating the birth
and legacy of the
Mexican American
civil rights and labor
movement activist.

1
*
Note: Muslim holidays do not fall on the same dates each year.

For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.

APRIL Sunday

NATIONAL
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
In April, we celebrate National Poetry
Month. Whether a sonnet, haiku, free POETRY
verse, or other style, poetry has the MONTH
power to elevate ordinary moments and See sidebar for
details & activities!
help us see the world in a new light.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
TRY THIS! Passover

www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources
World Autism (5th – 13th)
 Visit First Book’s Poetry 1 section Awareness Day is a sacred Jewish
holy day that celebrates
for a great selection of stories recognizes the rights
and spreads awareness Jewish liberation
from slavery in
written in verse and books of of people with autism.
ancient Egypt.*
poetry by diverse authors.

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Easter The Songkran
Yom HaShoah commemorates the is a sacred and widely Festival,
observed Christian (13th – 15th)
Warsaw Ghetto uprising (1943) and is holy day that celebrates
marks the Thai

3
the resurrection of
the day the Jewish community honors the New Year and is

www.fbmarketplace.org/jewish-interest
Jesus Christ from
celebrated by a
the dead.*
6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. three-day water fight.

16 17 18 19 20 21 22
TRY THIS! Holocaust
Remembrance Day Eid al-Fitr,
 Explore the Jewish Characters (21st – 22nd) Earth Day
(Yom HaShoah) is one of the most is an annual celebration
& Cultures 2 section for books (17th – 18th) significant Muslim to promote environmental
protection across
that spotlight the diversity, See sidebar for
holidays, marking the
end of Ramadan.* the world.

histories, and experiences of details & activities!

those who identify as Jewish,

2
www.fbmarketplace.org/poetry
culturally and/or religiously. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
National
Library Week §

Gathering of Nations Global Youth

 Look for a new resource about Service Day
(23rd – 29th) (27th – 29th)
Holocaust education on the the largest Native (28th – 30th)
Free Resources page.3 The 30 American Powwow in mobilizes youth
worldwide to improve
North America, with
guide will help you teach Children’s Day/ 500+ nations celebrating their communities

students about the Holocaust Book Day § Native American culture. through service.

with foundational lessons and

1
*Note: These Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holidays do not fall on the same dates each year.
other resources.
§
National Library Week celebrates the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians.
Children’s Day/Book Day, also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día) is an annual celebration of children,
families, and reading that emphasizes literacy for every child regardless of their language(s) and culture(s).

For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.

MAY Sunday Monday
1
Tuesday
2
Wednesday
3
Thursday
4
Friday
5
Saturday
6
May is Asian American and Pacific JEWISH Teacher Cinco de Mayo
The Chinese
Exclusion Act
Islander Heritage Month. May was chosen AMERICAN Appreciation Day commemorates the is signed into law
honors and celebrates Mexican defeat of the on this day in 1882,
to commemorate the immigration of the HERITAGE the lasting contributions
teachers make in the
French army at the
Battle of Puebla
prohibiting immigration
of Chinese laborers into
first Japanese to the U.S. on May 7, MONTH lives of students in 1862. the U.S. The act was
and society. repealed in 1943.
1843, and to mark the anniversary of the
completion of the transcontinental railroad
on May 10, 1869—an achievement that 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
relied on the labor of Chinese workers. National National Children’s
School Nurse Day Mental Health
celebrates the more
Awareness Day
TRY THIS! than 45,000 school
nurses in the U.S. links positive mental
health to a child’s

https://bit.ly/literacytoolsguide
Hug a nurse today!
healthy development.
 Shop the full Asian & Pacific
Islander Characters & Cultures 1
section for titles featuring Asian 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Toussaint Louverture,
characters and authors that offer Anniversary of
the leader of the Haitian
students windows into other
Brown v. Board of
Education, the historic
Global Accessibility Malcolm X,
an African American Revolution was born on
Supreme Court ruling Awareness Day Muslim minister and this day in 1743. The
cultures, or mirrors to reflect whose goal was to human rights activist, revolution was the only
See sidebar for was born on this slave revolt that led to
desegregate American
their own.

2
details & activities! day in 1925. the elimination of slavery
public schools (1954).
and the founding of a

www.fbmarketplace.org/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-interest
country—Haiti.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Global Accessibility Awareness Day
brings attention to digital access and
inclusion for the more than one billion
people living with disabilities.

TRY THIS!
28 29 30 31
 See First Book’s Quick Start
Guide: Free Literacy Tools to
ASIAN AMERICAN &
Chien-Shiung Wu, NATIONAL PACIFIC ISLANDER
Support K-12 Students 2 to learn a famous Chinese

about Microsoft’s FREE tools to

American nuclear
physicist was born
MENTAL HEALTH HERITAGE MONTH
support literacy. These tools help
on this day in 1912. MONTH See sidebar for
details & activities!
students with learning and vision
differences, as well as learners

1
*Note: Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not fall on the same dates each year.
in general.

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JUNE Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
1
Friday
2
Saturday
3
The Pura Belpré Award is given each The Tulsa Race Riot
LGBTQ took place on this
June to a Latino/Latina writer and day in 1921. Mobs of

illustrator whose work best portrays,

PRIDE White people attacked
Black residents and

affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural MONTH businesses, killing

hundreds.

experience in a work of literature for

children and youth. Pura Belpré was
the first Latina librarian at the New York 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Public Library, and she enriched the lives On this day in 1946,
Eva Perón became
of many through her work to preserve and First Lady of Argentina.
She founded the first
share Puerto Rican folklore. all-female political party,
the Female Peronist
Party. Known as Evita,
she died of cancer
www.fbmarketplace.org/books-by-latinx-authors-and-illustrators
World
Environment Day
is an important UN
observance that
encourages people to
take care of the earth and
raise awareness about its

TRY THIS! at age 33. need for protection.

 Find Pura Belpré Award 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

winners1 and other excellent Puerto Rican Day
books by Latine Authors and is marked by parades
across the U.S. in
Illustrators 2 to share with your several major cities.
account of the Holocaust,
students as windows and mirrors. See sidebar for
details & activities!
Anne Frank,
author of
Anniversary of the
first woman in space:
The Diary of a
Soviet cosmonaut
Young Girl, the most
widely read personal
Valentina Tereshkova
became the first
was born on this
woman to fly to space
on this day in 1963.
day in 1929.

 Puerto Rican folklore includes

many beautiful tales and 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
traditions. Have students

2
research the vejigante—a Juneteenth,

folkloric character often seen
in Puerto Rico during Carnaval
and other festival celebrations.
They can even make their own
vejigante as a fun art project!
25
In 1876, the Lakota,
Northern Cheyenne, and
Arapaho tribes fought
and defeated the 7th
Cavalry Regiment of the
U.S. Army in The Battle
of Little Bighorn, as the
U.S. government sought
to gain ownership of
indigenous lands.
www.fbmarketplace.org/pura-belpre-award-winners
is a holiday
World Refugee Day
commemorating is a day to honor people
forced to flee their home
emancipation and
the end of slavery country to escape conflict
and persecution.
in the U.S. It became a
federal holiday in 2021.
26 27 28 29 30
Anniversary of the Eid al-Adha
Day of Arafat Stonewall Rebellion, (28th – 29th)
(27th – 28th) a series of
the Muslim day of
is a Muslim holy day demonstrations
sacrifice and one of the
of repentance and by the LGBTQ most significant Muslim
forgiveness marked community in response holy days is usually
by fasting.* to a police raid marked with a
in 1969. large meal.*

1
*Note: Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not fall on the same dates each year.

For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.

JULY Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Kalpana Chawla
1
On July 26, we celebrate National (born on this day in 1961)
was an engineer and
Disability Independence Day, which astronaut and the first
woman of Indian descent
commemorates the 1990 signing of the to go into space. She
died in 2003 aboard the
Americans with Disabilities Act. This Space Shuttle Columbia
and is recognized as a
act provides individuals with physical national hero in India.

and intellectual disabilities protection

from employment discrimination, equal 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
opportunity to access buildings and public Anniversary of the Civil
On this day in 1946,
Dalai Lama’s On this day in 1912,

transportation, and more.

Rights Act of 1964 that
outlawed discrimination
the Philippines gained Birthday Jim Thorpe became
the first Native American
independence from the The current to win an Olympic gold
based on race, sex, or
U.S. Filipinos were the Dalai Llama was born medal, in the pentathlon.
national origin. This law
4th largest immigrant on this day in 1935. In the same games, he
outlawed segregation

TRY THIS!
group to the U.S. He received the also won a gold medal
in public spaces and
between 1960 and 2019. Nobel Peace Prize for the decathlon.
banned employment
discrimination. in 1989.

 Boost compassion and give

students insight into the life 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Naadam
experiences of others, or a (11th – 15th) Malala Yousafzai,
a Pakistani activist for
is a 3-day festival
mirror to reflect their own, with marking Mongolia’s
the education of girls was
born on this day in 1997.
titles from our Neurodivergent independence from
China. The holiday
She was 17 when she
became the youngest
& Disabled Characters & blends traditional arts and
recipient of the Nobel
sports with competitions
Cultures 1 section. in archery, horse racing,
Peace Prize in 2014.
and wrestling.

 Have students research 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

athletes with disabilities Islamic New Year
including hearing and vision (18th – 19th)

www.fbmarketplace.org/special-needs-and-abilities
Celebrated on the first
impairments or physical and day of Muharram, the
first month of the Islamic
learning disabilities. Many calendar. Islam is the
athletes have accomplished world’s second-largest
religious group with over
incredible feats despite facing 1.9 billion devotees*

challenges—such as Curtis
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Pride, who is deaf. He was
the first African American with National Disability Anniversary of the
1917 Negro Silent
a disability to play in a World Independence Day Protest Parade in New
commemorates the 1990 York City, in which
Series. Or Carson Picket, 30 31 signing of the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
10,000 African Americans
marched to demand
the first player with a limb See sidebar for
civil rights and protest
lynchings and violence.
difference to play on the U.S. details & activities!

Women’s National Team.

1
*Note: Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not fall on the same dates each year.

For this calendar and more resources visit www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources.

For more resources to support you and your students, please visit:
www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources