SCHOLASTIC CEO DICK ROBINSON ANNOUNCES DONATION OF ITS MULTILINGUAL EARLY READING BOARD BOOKS TO REACH OUT AND READ SITES


Boston, MA and New York, NY (May 31, 2002) -- At a reception this evening to honor Scholastic Chairman, President and CEO Dick Robinson and open the annual conference of Reach Out and Read (ROR), the national pediatric literacy program, he will announce a donation of Scholastic multilingual books to ROR sites across the country. More than 1400 sites will receive a special library featuring a selection of Scholastic's new multilingual board books in the Babyfaces series, Smile! and Peek-A-Boo!, based on each site's demographic needs.
 
ROR is honoring Robinson with the announcement of a new award in his name. The Richard Robinson Award will be presented annually to an exemplary ROR site that is providing strong medical leadership, establishing links with the community, and serving a population in need with passion and commitment. The first Richard Robinson Award recipient is Northwest Community Health Center of Salt Lake City, Utah.
 
To serve the needs of families whose first language is not English, Scholastic is publishing Smile! and Peek-A-Boo! in 12 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Polish, Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Cambodian, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, Russian, and Vietnamese.
 
"It has been a privilege for Scholastic to support the efforts of Reach Out and Read's many pediatricians and nurse practitioners to bring books and reading into the lives of parents and their young children," said Robinson. "We hope that this new donation of board books in many different languages will help them to reach even more families."
Scholastic has been a ROR partner since 1997. Through donations and challenge grant matches, the company has given over 1.2 million books to ROR programs throughout the country. In addition, Scholastic produces an innovative book catalog specifically for ROR, making a wide assortment of high quality, age- and culturally-appropriate books from a range of publishers available to the dedicated doctors and nurses who are implementing Reach Out and Read in their communities. Scholastic has also published numerous multilingual books to meet the particular needs of the families that ROR serves.
 
About Scholastic Corporation
Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. As a global children's publishing and media company serving the needs of parents, teachers, and children, Scholastic provides proprietary book and software distribution through school book clubs, school book fairs and to classrooms, as well as through the retail trade. Since 1920, Scholastic has created quality educational materials for schools and has expanded its reach to include the distribution of books, software, toys, online learning services and television programming directly to the home. Scholastic's Grolier division is the leading print and online publisher of children's reference materials and the leader in children's direct-to-home book clubs. Internationally, Scholastic operates wholly owned companies in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Scholastic web site is a leading provider of educational services online for parents, teachers and children.
 
About Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read, with programs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, currently provides literacy counseling and books to 1.5 million children annually. ROR makes literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading. Reach Out and Read trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give books to children at pediatric check-ups from six months to five years of age, with a special focus on children growing up in poverty. By building on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers, Reach Out and Read helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so children enter school prepared for success in reading. Reach Out and Read is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Contacts:
Scholastic
Andrea Reibel
212-343-4563
 
Judy Corman
Scholastic
212-343-4563
 
Reach Out and Read
Nancy Berman
617-629-8042 x225