You Belong Book Project

In February, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County kicked off a new initiative -- the You Belong Book Project, which is a year-long celebration of cultural heritage and identity through children's books. Each week, a community member will stop by to share a story they love with our audience. The recordings will be archived on United Way's YouTube channel, creating a rich and diverse library of early childhood readings. Please use the quick menu below to find book lists, this month's readings and more. 

This Month's Readings | Book Drive | This Month's Book List | Book Lists for Other Months

This Month's readings:

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. 

To kick off AAPI month we were joined by Akruti Babaria founder of Kulture Khazana. Akruti read Hair Twins written by Raakhee Mirchandani and illustrated by Holly Hatam.

Other AAPI readings include:

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi read by Kan Wang 

My Footprints by Bao Phi; Illustrated by Basia Tran read by Tiffany Nguyen 

When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling; Illustrated by Aaron Asis read by Maria Santiano 

Watch the You Belong Book Project Story Time

Book Drive:

A quality education begins with reading. When children are able to read to learn, they imagine more richly, develop a stronger vocabulary and engage in critical thinking. For United Way, increasing access to books is one way we help set kids up for future success. In that spirit and to coincide with our weekly readings, United Way is hosting an ongoing book drive to benefit a variety of local nonprofit organizations.

Here's how you can help:

SHOP

Use our specially curated book lists for each cultural heritage and identity recognition month to purchase books from your favorite retailer! You can double your impact in the community by shopping locally for the books that you donate. 

DROP

Books can be dropped off or shipped directly to United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, 742 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209 (Lobby hours 9 a.m. - 3 p.m, M-F) Orders through local booksellers can also be delivered directly to UWBEC. 

All books collected for the You Belong Book Project will be donated to several of our nonprofit partners in our community including Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns, Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network, Family Help Center, CleveHill School District, King Urban Life Center, YWCA Western New York, Jericho Road Community Health Center, Peace of the City, Seneca Street Community Development Center, Valley Community Center and the West Side Community Center. 

Book List for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI):

Below you will find a specially curated list of early childhood books in celebration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month. If you are donating to the book drive this month, we encourage you to pick a book from this list.  Books with a * at the end are books that were read for this month's You Belong Book Project Story Time. 

You can learn more about the You Belong Book Project, or watch the You Belong Book Project Story Time videos here. 

Bravo Anjali by Sheetal Sheth; Illustrated by Lucia Soto
Brown is Beautiful by Supriya Kelkar; Illustrated by Noor Sofi
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho; Illustrated by Dung Ho
Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal; Illustrated by Surishtha Sehgal
From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang; Illustrated by Rachel Wada 
Grandpa Grumps by Katrina More; Illustrated by Xindi Yan
Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani; Illustrated by Holly Hatam *
I Am Golden by Eva Chen; Illustrated by Sophie Diao
Laxmi’s Mooch by Shelly Anand; Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
Lift by Minh Le; Illustrated by Dan Santat
My Footprints by Bao Phi; Illustrated by Basia Tran *
Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho; Illustrated by Teresa Martinez
Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala by Meenal Patel
Punky Aloha by Shar Tuiasoa 
The Blur by Minh Le; Illustrated by Dan Santat
The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar: Illustrated by Alea Marley
The Most Beautiful Thing by Kao Kalia Yang; Illustrated by Khoa Le
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi *
The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tin Cho; Illustrated by Jess X. Snow
They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki 
When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling; Illustrated by Aaron Asis *
Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped the Country by Kelly Yang

Please use the links below to find book lists each month