December 05, 2022
Room to Read’s Book Creator Collective is a network of authors and illustrators from around the world who have a shared passion for the power of storytelling and a commitment to supporting young learners and their inherent right to a quality education. These creators and storytellers bring diverse experiences to life and share their voices and visions with our global community of supporters and changemakers.
In 2022, our community of advocates in the literary sector has grown and each one is committed to supporting our mission, generating awareness for Room to Read’s Literacy and Girls’ Education Programs.
Room to Read is honored to partner with these world-renowned changemakers, who come from diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, geographic locations and genres of writing, to build a more inclusive and just world.
Celebrating diversity through storytelling is core to Room to Read’s mission and these authors authentically reflect our values and shared passion for understanding experiences outside of our own.
Room to Read is thrilled to announce our newest member of the Book Creator Collective — Alexandra Huynh, a Vietnamese American poet from Sacramento, California. In 2021, Alexandra became the 5th National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States where she served as a cultural ambassador and representative of the national youth poetry community. As a second-generation Vietnamese American, Alexandra employs poetry as a tool of self-reclamation and social justice for marginalized communities. She embodies a radical pride in her Vietnamese heritage, and seeks to write her story outside of the context of whiteness. Through poetry, she hopes to give students a vocabulary to articulate their lived experiences and empower them to shape their future. She is currently a sophomore at Stanford University where she is combining her passions for creative writing, science and civic engagement.
Alexandra recently dazzled guests at a Room to Read event in Woodside, California, with a reading of her work "Love Poem for the End of the World."
Members of the Collective will be participating Room to Read's Education Equalizers campaign, helping to raise money to expand Room to Read’s programs to as many young learners as possible.
For children, education equals curiosity, empathy and the opportunity to reach for their dreams. It allows children to see more possibilities for themselves and their communities. With the right support, young people can achieve their dreams, often bringing their families with them.
That’s why we’re determined to reverse the learning loss created by the pandemic, so a generation of students doesn’t miss out on the opportunity to learn and grow.