09/15/2026
Meet Husi Cázares and Linda Laird, two of the people helping expand access to bilingual and culturally relevant books across the Tohono O’odham Nation and surrounding communities.
Through Supporting Tohono O’odham Literacy and Cultural Preservation, books rooted in O’odham language, family life, music, and traditions are reaching children where they live and learn.
It is more than a book distribution project—it is an investment in community voices, cultural knowledge, and the next generation of readers.
Community partnerships make this work possible. 🫱🏼🫲🏽📚
Books for Classrooms works alongside schools, Head Start programs, cultural centers, recreation programs, and other community organizations to place bilingual and bicultural books directly into children’s hands.
This summer, 4,900 books were delivered to 47 partner organizations across four Southern Arizona counties—including 3,500 books personally distributed by Husi Cázares at seven literacy and cultural family events on the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Stories can carry language, history, music, and cultural teachings from one generation to the next.
Lessons From Hu’ul Ke, A Day With Hu’ul, and Philip Joe Plays Waila invite young readers into stories inspired by Tohono O’odham family and community life.
Created by Husi Cázares and Kertte Ann Cázares, these books give children opportunities to recognize their culture in the stories they read and give all readers an opportunity to learn from O’odham voices.
Lessons From Hu’ul Ke follows a young Native American boy and his grandfather on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southern Arizona.
Stories shared between generations can strengthen family connections while helping children learn about language, place, and culture. This book celebrates the knowledge elders carry and the meaningful ways it can be passed on.
A Day With Hu’ul shares the story of a young girl being raised by her grandmother on the Tohono O’odham Nation.🪶
Through family-centered stories like this one, young readers
can see the strength of grandparents, caregivers, and the cultural teachings wo
