Dr. Michael Brooks

Dr. Michael Brooks has dedicated 16 years to improving literacy outcomes for children, with a particular focus on making reading personal, engaging, and accessible to students from all backgrounds. His career in education began in the classroom — he spent seven years as an elementary school teacher and then principal at PS 234 in lower Manhattan, where he implemented a school-wide personalized reading program that improved reading scores by 23% over three years.

Dr. Brooks then joined Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's largest children's literacy nonprofit, as Director of Program Development. There he led initiatives to distribute personalized and culturally relevant books to underserved communities, reaching over 500,000 children annually. He also served as a curriculum consultant for the NYC Department of Education, advising on literacy standards and book selection for the city's 1,800 schools.

At Wondeme, Dr. Brooks advises on age-appropriate content guidelines and leads partnerships with schools, libraries, and literacy organizations. He has helped integrate personalized books into classroom reading programs in over 200 schools, and he develops the educational resources that help teachers and librarians use Wondeme books as literacy tools. He holds a Doctorate in Education (EdD) from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a specialization in Literacy Education.