Access to Books Matters: Cultural Ambassadors and the Editorial Task Force

The author introduces the Editorial Task Force for Children's Books and discusses its mission, created when the task force was launched in the mid-1960s in Taiwan, to publish children's books for young readers. The messages embedded in such a mission for access to books are not only individually pertinent but also nationally and globally significant. Munro Leaf and Helen R. Sattley, two cultural ambassadors from the United States, also play significant roles as children's literature specialists to usher in new concepts on reading and writing for the young. A look back at the history of the campaign for childhood reading in one country and in a global context can help teachers and educators (re)consider why access to books matters for students in the present day. Children's access to books, particularly in the digital age, remains an urgent and demanding issue that requires further cross-cultural dialogue and understanding.