Help create a world where every child can see themselves in the pages of a book.

Help create a world where every child can see themselves in the pages of a book. image
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Join us as we work to transform children's publishing.

WNDB (Tax Id: 47-1786302) strives to create a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book. To reach this goal, we've created programs to celebrate diverse books, to mentor diverse writers and illustrators, to support diverse publishing professionals, and to provide books to classrooms nationwide.

Your donation helps us to:

  • Diversify classroom libraries. WNDB in the Classroom is an initiative that brings the opportunity to explore a diverse books by diverse authors to classrooms throughout the school year. The program has donated over 19,000 books to public schools across the country.
  • Provide financial support to diverse authors. Through our Walter Dean Myers Grant program, we provide funds to help develop new diverse authors and artists. The Walter Dean Myers Grant has honored and provided financial support to 16 aspiring creators from marginalized communities, and past honorees include Angie Thomas, Francesca Padilla, and Jennifer De Leon.
  • Mentor emerging authors and illustrators. The WNDB Mentorship Mentorship program has supported 49 emerging authors and illustrators, among them Lisa Brathwaite and A. M. Dassu. Recently, Angeline Boulley, a 2019 mentee who worked with author Francisco X. Stork, sold her debut YA novel after a 12-bidder auction.
  • Honor outstanding children's literature. Inaugurated in 2016, the annual Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature, aka "The Walter," has celebrated 24 titles of children’s and young adult authors, among them Jason Reynolds, Elizabeth Acevedo, Mariko Tamaki, Jewell Parker Rhodes, John Lewis, Nate Powell, Margarita Engle, Akwaeke Emezi, and Nicola Yoon.
  • Diversify the publishing industry. The Internship Grant program has given 54 internship grants to diverse interns at publishing houses and literary agencies. Of the 39 grantees who have graduated college, 30 are now employed in the publishing industry, with two of our grantees busy making acquisitions