Education nonprofit promotes joy of reading with children through Read for the Record literacy campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2017 (BOSTON) — The national early education nonprofit, Jumpstart, invites children, families, educators, and volunteers across the country to join them today in reading the Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers title Quackers by Liz Wong to help break the world reading record. Each year in October, millions of people join in this global campaign to highlight the importance of early literacy, and to share the joy of reading with a young child.
Read for the Record events are taking place today across the country: in Boston, First Lady of Massachusetts Lauren Baker is leading story time for over 100 children at the Boston Public Library; while in Brooklyn, Nigel Barker will read to children at the New Lots Library; in Fort Lauderdale, the Broward County School District expects over 40,000 children and volunteers to participate; while in Seattle, Quackers author Liz Wong will read to children at the Seattle Public Library and then visit with local preschool classrooms; in Los Angeles, Actor and Jumpstart Board Member Josh Duhamel will read the book on Facebook Live for children and families everywhere to enjoy. And around the country, teachers, families, and volunteers from corporate partners including Franklin Templeton Investments, BNY Mellon, TJX, Citgo, and Pearson will read Quackers with children in their communities.
“A love of stories and reading can help ignite a passion for learning that will carry children throughout their whole lives,” says Naila Bolus, President and CEO of Jumpstart. “Reading with a young child is one of the best ways to encourage communication, growth, and understanding, and Read for the Record is an opportunity to highlight that connection, while also putting thousands of books into the hands of children who otherwise may not have access to quality reading materials.”
Random House Children’s Books President and Publisher Barbara Marcus said, “We are so excited that Quackers by Liz Wong has been selected by Jumpstart’s Read for the Record. It is a perfect book to read together, and one that celebrates acceptance, inclusion, and friendship. We have seen firsthand the incredible impact this initiative has on children, classrooms, and communities. In partnering with Jumpstart again for the 2017 event, we look forward to reaching even more young readers together to inspire a lifelong love of books and reading.”
About Jumpstart’s Read for the Record
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record was launched over a decade ago to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills for EVERY child, so that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. Previous year’s Read for the Record book selections have included beloved children’s classics such as The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, and many more. To learn more, visit readfortherecord.org.
About Jumpstart
Jumpstart is an early education nonprofit organization fueled by the core belief that providing high-quality early learning opportunities to all children contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty. We provide language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from under-resourced communities by recruiting and training college students and community members to serve in classrooms where the need is highest. Our volunteers help prepare children for kindergarten, and set them on a path for lifelong success. Learn more at jstart.org and readfortherecord.org.
ABOUT RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. The company’s website, Kids @ Random (randomhousekids.com), offers an array of activities, games, and resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Renaissance One School of Humanities participated in the Read for the Record in grades PreK – Grade 3 students. A total of 228 students and 14 teachers shared in this reading experience. I can personally say that the second grade students enjoyed the story and we discussed the themes. It was great!!!
We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed reading Quackers with us today! Click here for our official report form to be counted towards the world reading record.