Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. Announces April Books of the Month

April 24, 2025

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DOEPressOffice@fldoe.org

Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. Announces April Books of the Month

Tallahassee, Fla., April 24, 2025 - Today, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. announced April's chosen books for the Commissioner's Book of the Month, a monthly reading challenge to promote literacy and reading engagement in preK-12 schools.

Each month, Commissioner Diaz highlights five recommended books- one per selected grade range. For this month's selection, the Commissioner recommended books to honor the Month of the Military Child and highlight military families.

"April is designated as the Month of the Military Child and this month, I am highlighting our military families," said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. "As we honor their sacrifices for our freedom, I encourage families to read their stories and teach their children about the military men and women that protect our nation."

The Commissioner's recommendations for April 2025 are:

• PreK - Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin
• K-2 - Night Catch by Brenda Ehrmantraut
• 3-5 - I'm A Dandelion: A PCS Story For Military Children by Brooke Mahaffey
• 6-8 - Soldier Mom by Alice Mead
• 9-12 - The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

On the FDOE website, you can find the Commissioner's Book of the Month selections.