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What I found as I was writing What to Read When was that parents and teachers have strong feelings about how they would like to convey values to their children and students but it's not always easy to figure out how to initiate those conversations. Books can help so much to raise and educate children who are healthy emotionally, spiritually and physically. Children's literature is an underutilized tool to convey a sense of connectedness to others and of care for humanity.

A book like Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire Novola gives a child an image of how one person, a woman from humble beginnings can improve the lives of thousands of people.

The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting provides an opportunity to discuss with your child how many people the world over cannot read and what each and every one of us can do to help solve that problem.

Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco opens up conversation about prejudice and how we navigate difficult moments with humanity and grace.

My book What to Read When is, in addition to providing book titles I hope you will all love, also about those conversational spaces between the pages of the books we read to our children.

As you read aloud to a child, ask questions like: "How might you change the world tomorrow?" or "Can you imagine a world of peace? What does it look like?" or "What if everyone could read? What if everyone were not hungry tomorrow?" Ask questions for which there may be no answers, but are questions that might lead you to transcendent conversations with your young child, who is open and ready to be a changer of the world.

I would like to encourage you to see reading aloud to your child or someone else's child as an act not only of love but of social justice. Passing the power of words on to the younger generation can help us create a new generation of social responsibility, peace and community. Thank you for joining in. Please visit my website at whattoreadwhen.com if you would like to become part of the What to Read When community and bring the power of books and words to children all over the world.

Pam Allyn, What to Read When, Avery, Penguin Books