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More than 135,000 brand new paperback books from Scholastic Book Clubs areexpected to arrive the week of November 26 at Reach Out and Read clinics andhospitals across the country, where they will be given to young childrenreceiving routine checkups.
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They are the first delivery of a quarter-million-book donation ScholasticBook Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishingeducation and media company, is making to Reach Out and Read, a national non-profit organization promoting early literacy and reading as a standard part ofpediatric care. The donation is part of Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCareprogram, which donates 100 books to children in need for every 100 booksstudents read in participating classrooms nationwide -- up to 1 million booksannually.
Shipments of children's books are scheduled to arrive at 2,746 clinics andhospitals in the Reach Out and Read national network, where doctors and nursesat the clinics promote the importance of reading by encouraging parents toread aloud to their children. Children visiting Reach Out and Read clinicsbetween the ages of six months and five years -- many of whom have grown upwithout books in their homes -- will receive new books to take home.
"A longtime charity partner of Scholastic, Reach Out and Read promotesliteracy by giving new books to parents and children who need them duringpediatric visits, and by teaching them that literacy is part of the basichealth and well being of every child," said Judy Newman, President ofScholastic Book Clubs. "We're so pleased to make another large donation toReach Out and Read this year from our ClassroomsCare program, which empowersstudents in classrooms to make a real difference by reading."
Reach Out and Read is one of the four major literacy partners of theClassroomsCare program, each receiving books annually from Scholastic BookClubs. The other partners are First Book, Save the Children and Hello Friend.This year, ClassroomsCare is also donating to select local charityorganizations, including the Pajama Program and Camp Heartland.
"Books in the homes of the low-income children served primarily by ReachOut and Read means that these children will benefit from the attention andenjoyment when their parents read to them," said Barry Zuckerman, MD, CEO ofReach Out and Read. "This is a gift that keeps on giving!"
"We are so grateful to the many children who have chosen to help othersthrough their participation in the ClassroomsCare initiative," said PerriKlass, MD, Reach Out and Read medical director. "It is wonderful that thisyear, children across the country will benefit from the books provided throughClassroomsCare."
Launched in 2002, ClassroomsCare is an annual philanthropic literacycampaign designed to teach children the joys and importance of reading andgiving. Students in classrooms around the country are encouraged to "read 100books to give 100 books" (up to one million books annually) from ScholasticBook Clubs. More than 750,000 classrooms nationwide have participated inClassroomsCare since its inception and more than 7 million books have beendonated by Scholastic Book Clubs as part of the program. In addition toencouraging increased reading in the classroom, the program has been used torespond to specific events such as Hurricane Katrina.
About Scholastic Book Clubs:
For 59 years, Scholastic Book Clubs have provided monthly cataloguesoffering top quality books and reading materials from all publishers toteachers and students in pre-school through high school. Today, elevendifferent Scholastic Book Clubs reach over one million teachers each month,providing the most sought-after titles at affo
