Read Across Maine
MEA is hosting a Read Across Maine contest to inspire students to read more books across various subjects, genres, and authors while developing a love for reading and books and improving literacy skills.
MEA is hosting a Read Across Maine contest to inspire students to read more books across various subjects, genres, and authors while developing a love for reading and books and improving literacy skills.
Contest Details
All Maine public school students, in all grades, are encouraged to participate in MEA’s Read Across Maine reading contest. We have designed “BINGO” cards that correspond to different grade levels (Pre-K-3, 4-8, 9-12). Throughout the month of March, students are challenged to complete as many “BINGO” rows as they can. The challenge is, they can’t use the same book for more than one square.
Official Submission for Prizes
At the end of the contests, educators will submit their classroom’s BINGO cards and fill out our Read Across Maine form. The educator will be required to submit a short essay, no more than 300 words, as to how Read Across Maine had a positive impact on their students. Once submitted, the classroom will be entered into the contest!
To be considered for a prize, enter to win by April 3, 2026!
Prizes
Three $500 gift card prizes for books!
Judging/Announcement
Judging
- A panel of judges will evaluate the classroom’s participation, BINGOs completed, and the impact of reading on the students.
Announcement of Winners:
- The winning classrooms will be notified via email via the educator’s email given on the submission form.
Resources
We’ve gathered a range of resources to help students complete their BINGO card challenge. Since every child is different, MEA recommends reviewing each resource in advance to make sure it fits your learner’s age, needs, and reading level.
Resources for All
NEA’s Themed Book Recommendations: These book lists from NEA and Colorín Colorado to connect children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures and spread the joy of reading.
2025-2026 Read Across Calendar: Each month, NEA features three books—one each for young, middle grade, and young adult readers—that explore a topic related to diversity and inclusion. Check out the calendar below to see what’s in store!
2025-2026 Read Across America Calendar | NEA
Read-In for Community and Joy | NEA: NEA created a list of communal, intentional acts of reading together as an inclusive way to celebrate stories as shared experiences that build connections and community.
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Reading Eggs—is an ESSA-certified program grounded in the Science of Reading—gives you hundreds of lessons in phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension for PreK–5, plus 4,000+ leveled eBooks. Reading Eggspress builds stronger readers with curriculum-aligned comprehension lessons and 220+ explicit instruction videos teaching critical reading strategies they’ll use across every subject. |
Reading Eggs also curated a book collection guide from our library featuring stories about kindness, problem-solving, and identity.
Free Audiobooks and Video Read Aloud
Story Time from Space
Story Time from Space is a project of the Global Space Education Foundation, which sends children’s books to the International Space Station. While in space, astronauts record themselves on video reading these books to the children of Earth and share them on the Story Time from Space website.
Storyline Online
At Storyline Online, SAG-AFTRA Foundation records well-known actors reading children’s books and makes graphically dynamic videos so that children around the world can enjoy favorite stories, such as The Kissing Hand, A Bad Case of Stripes, and Stellaluna.
Julie’s Library
Join Julie Andrews for story time at Julie’s Library! Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children’s books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too.
PBS KIDS Read-Alongs
PBS KIDS Read-Alongs offers families a place to come together and read along with favorite titles read by celebrities, including Michelle Obama, and PBS KIDS authors.
PBS Books Storytime
PBS Books Storytime is a resource developed by the PBS Books channel to offer author read-aloud stories and book features for educators, libraries and families. The segments feature children’s book authors and others in “Read-Aloud” segments and/or video features on new and best-loved children’s books.
Integrated Literacy
Integrated literacy is an approach that combines literacy skills with other subject areas, by emphasizing the interconnectedness of reading, writing, speaking, and listening with subjects like math, history, and science.
Check out the resources below:
DREME (Development and Research in Early Mathematics Education) has put together a list of 40 children’s books that offer opportunities to explore and develop mathematical thinking. Explore their recommended reading list: 40 Children’s Books That Foster a Love of Math – DREME
Best for students 4-12, Newsela is an online resource that allows you to adapt articles and texts at five different reading levels, making it accessible and challenging for all students. Teachers can use Newsela to support instruction in English Language Arts (ELA), social studies, and science.
I’m Your Neighbor Books offers educators a curated collection of children’s literature that celebrates New Arrival and New American communities, fostering empathy, belonging, and cross‑cultural understanding in the classroom. Explore their free database of more than 3,300 titles to help ensure your book collections and instruction reflect our multiracial, multicultural, and multilingual immigrant communities here.
Additional Book Recommendations (Prek-3)
Check out this list of previous the Chickadee Award winning books. The Chickadee Award is for children throughout Maine in kindergarten through fourth grade. Titles are chosen by librarians, teachers, and early literacy professionals.
The Acadia Files is a book series written by MEA member Katie Coppens and designed for students in grades 2–5. Set entirely in Maine, the series offers an excellent example of place‑based learning in action. Explore the science topics covered in each book here.
Additional Book Recommendations (4-8)
The Maine Student Book Award is determined each year by participating Maine students in grades 4-8, and is a joint project of the Maine Library Association, Maine Association of School Libraries, and Maine Teachers Specializing in Literacy.
The Lupine Award was inspired by Maine author Barbara Cooney. This award honors a Maine author or illustrator who is a resident of Maine, or who has created a work whose focus is Maine. Check out the list of past Lupine Award winners for a great reading list featuring Maine authors and books set in Maine.
Additional Recommendations (9-12)
NEA’s Read Across America Presents: Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover: A Jazz-Infused Reading.
Celebrate Read Across America and the 10th anniversary of The Crossover with a story concert starring award-winning poet and author Kwame Alexander. Feel the rhythm and the beat of twin brothers navigating love, loyalty, and family on and off the basketball court in a whole new way!
Watch the videos and find classroom resources
The American Library Association has a collection of young adult literature award winners and various notable reading lists, including graphic novels, books for reluctant readers, best fiction, best nonfiction and more.