Building Literacy of Refugee Ukrainian Children

Every book tells a story. But for children who have fled war, a book can mean something more — a thread back to what is familiar, a quiet signal that the world can still be safe. This is what drives the work of the Universal Reading Foundation.

Over the last three months, more than 9,540 books have reached children and families across Poland through our initiatives — including #BooksGiveRefuge and #BookOnPrescription. Ukrainian-language titles and Polish-Ukrainian bilingual editions are finding their way into the hands of young readers who need them most, helping restore comfort, continuity, and a sense of belonging.

We bring books to the places where children already are: schools and kindergartens, libraries and community centers, healthcare facilities. In each of these spaces, a book in a familiar language can do something quietly powerful — ease anxiety, support emotional resilience, and help a child feel that they are not entirely far from home.

But belonging is also built through shared experience. Ukrainian children join their Polish peers at author meetings — in Warsaw, for instance — live, joyful encounters with children's book authors where curiosity travels easily across language lines. These gatherings spark friendships, deepen children's growing familiarity with Polish, and open up a whole new world of Polish-language books to discover together.

You make all of this possible. Thank you for believing in the power of books. And for helping us place them, one by one, into the hands of children who need them.