REGISTER NOW FOR MEN IN ACTION READ 2026

On Thursday, March 19, 2026 Sheltering Wings and Men IN Action will send 450+ men into schools throughout the county to read a book to students that focuses on healthy ways to manage anxiety, overcome perfectionism, and cope when things don’t go according to plan.

What would happen if you helped the next generation establish itself upon a strong foundation of trust, support, and mutual respect? We believe the men in our community have a unique role to play in this endeavor. Please sign up today and help us fill every classroom!

Registration is $20 and it ensures each classroom gets a book to keep and a reader. Readers will receive a t-shirt and light breakfast.

We choose the books we read carefully. We want to be sure that they faithfully depict the 40 Developmental Assets we are trying to reinforce. And, once we’ve read them, we leave them as gifts for the students to enjoy.

We’re excited to reveal our 2026 book, Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild by Shannon Anderson!

Cover image of Book Penelope Perfect.

“I’d never been late for anything. I just knew this would be a bad day.” When Penelope oversleeps, her daily routine gets thrown for a loop. From wearing mismatched socks to receiving her first-ever “B,” will “Penelope Perfect” survive this imperfect day?

This encouraging story told in cheerful rhyme will speak to kids who deal with perfectionism or other forms of anxiety. The book concludes with tips and information to help parents, teachers, counselors, and other adults foster dialogue with children about overcoming perfectionism and coping when things don’t go according to plan.

This book includes 28 of the 40 Developmental Assets.

The 2025 book was Saving Eli’s Library by Ruth Horowitz. Eli loves going to the library for Story Circle, but, one stormy day, the nearby river threatens to flood it. Eli and his dad must brave the storm to help save the books, and, when the storm is over, the whole town must come together to rebuild the library. Inspired by the residents of Lincoln, Vermont, Saving Eli’s Library showcases one community’s bigheartedness, and the power of water and nature.

 

The 2024 book was In Our Garden by Pat Zeitlow Miller. In this book, a young girl named Millie has an idea to build a garden in her community, but it takes more than ideas to build a garden. It takes supplies and hard work; it takes a lot of learning; and it takes a whole school – a whole community – coming together to help.

 

2023’s book was Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival! This was a warm and affectionate story about the joys and difficulties of building and maintaining friendships. It helped build the developmental assets of Family Support, Interpersonal Competence, Self Esteem, Reading for Pleasure!

 

 

In 2022, our book was Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown! In this book, Marisol, a biracial, Peruvian-Scottish-American girl, learns the importance of individuality, self-expression, and the importance of staying true to yourself!

 

In 2021, we did a virtual read of Strictly No Elephants, an imaginative and sweet story that reflects caring friendships and inclusion of all.

 

 

During 2020, we chose What Should Danny Do? School Day a choose-your-own-adventure book about a little boy with a superpower: the power to choose.

The 40 Developmental Assets® Framework, created by the Search Institute, has identified 40 positive life experiences that young people need to have in order to grow into successful, thriving and contributing members of their community. When youth are given access to more assets, they are more likely to thrive throughout their lives, are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors and are more likely to develop the resilience they need to face life’s challenges.
The Assets can be broken into two categories external assets and internal assets.

External Assets

  • Family support
  • Positive family communication
  • Caring neighborhood
  • Community values youth
  • Safety
  • Service to others
  • Adult role models
  • Religious community
  • and more

Internal Assets

  • School engagement
  • Reading for pleasure
  • Integrity
  • Honesty
  • Responsibility
  • Self-esteem
  • Sense of purpose
  • and more

Learn more about the 40 Developmental Assets and contact us by visiting this page.

  • Prompt conversations with children about three vital character values: positive values, social competence and commitment to learning.
  • Engage men in initiatives with young people in our community, which will open the door to deeper and longer-lasting volunteer opportunities.
  • Demonstrate, in a tangible way, that there are hundreds of men in our community who stand for healthy values and relationships.

Thank you for allowing Men IN Action READ to share the morning with your students! We hope you enjoy the program.

Come back soon for classroom activities to accompany the book!