Helping Every Child Feel Seen with Maya Lê

From Reading Inspires by Reading Is Fundamental by Reading Is Fundamental

May 26, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 33

About this episode

Maya Lê discusses her journey and mission to enhance cultural representation in children's literature.

In this episode, host Dr. Erin Bailey welcomes Maya Lê, creator of MaiStoryBook, in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Maya shares her personal journey as a half-Vietnamese, half-Filipino creator who grew up with little cultural representation in children's books, and how that experience shaped her mission to ensure every child can see themselves — and others — in the stories they read. About Maya Lê: Maya Lê is the Creator of MaiStoryBook, a platform dedicated to sharing diverse and inclusive educational resources with families and educators. Passionate about equality and diversity in children’s literature, she inspires a new generation of readers through her interactive read aloud YouTube videos, reviews of children’s books on Instagram, book-inspired crafts, and curated book lists. Episode Links: Instagram: @maistorybooklibrary Substack: MaiStoryBook YouTube: MaiStoryBook TpT Craft Templates: MaiStoryBook Reading Is Fundamental's AAPI Calendar: Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Calendar | RIF.org RIF's AAPI Collection: May is Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Collection |…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Erin Bailey

Guest: Maya Lê

Topics covered

cultural representation
children's literature
diversity
education
Asian American Heritage
storytelling

Keywords

cultural representation
children's books
diversity in literature
MaiStoryBook
AAPI Heritage Month
educational resources
interactive read aloud

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MaiStoryBook, Reading Is Fundamental, Instagram, Substack, YouTube, TpT, RIF.org