New York,
NY (November
6,
2003) --
Houston Rockets' superstar Yao Ming is teaming up with Scholastic Book Clubs
TM - a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company - and the National Basketball Association (NBA) to encourage kids to read and write and to promote teamwork on- and off-the-court with
The Scholastic Arrow® Book Club/ NBA Teamwork Writing Contest.
One grand prize winner (and a guardian) will receive an all-expense paid trip to a Houston Rockets game and will have the opportunity to meet their superstar Yao Ming. The winner will be able to write an original article about his/her experience for publication on YaoMing.net and NBA.com and in
Scholastic News®, America's leading news source for kids that is read by more than four million students and their teachers. The grand prize also includes an NBA fan pack stuffed with NBA merchandise, including two basketballs autographed by Yao, one for the winner and one for the winner's school.
Yao Ming, the Houston Rocket's all-star center, exploded onto the NBA scene last season after being drafted #1 in the 2002 NBA draft. He is now the subject of a new paperback
Scholastic NBA Reader that describes his life growing up in Shanghai, China. The book chronicles his journey to America, his number one selection in the NBA draft and his whirlwind year of awards, media attention, and superstardom.
“When a superstar like Yao Ming tells kids that 'reading takes you sky-high,' it can really excite a reluctant reader to pick up a book to read and even to pick up a pencil to write an essay,” according to Judy Newman, Senior Vice President, Scholastic Book Clubs. “It is our mission to put books into the hands of all children that will engage them and encourage them to become skilled readers and help them learn important life lessons about practice and teamwork.”
The Scholastic Book Clubs/ NBA Teamwork Writing Contest will appear in all February Arrow Book Club orders (grades 4-6) and on-line at
www.scholastic.com/clubcontests . To enter, kids are asked to write an essay of 500 words or less answering three questions:
What does it mean to be on a team? What qualities make a person a good team player? and What public figure is a great “team player” role model and why? Students can write about any kind of team, not necessarily a sports team, and about any time in history. Entries will be judged on content, creativity, structure and presentation. (No Book Club purchase is necessary to enter or to win.). The deadline for entries is February 27, 2004 and the winner will be notified on March 15, 2004.
The Teamwork Writing Contest is part of the NBA's on-going involvement in Read to Achieve, a year-round program that engages sports professionals in the effort to help young people develop a life-long love of reading and to encourage adults to read regularly to children.
“We are excited to team up with Scholastic for this unique literacy incentive,” said Charlie Rosenzweig, Vice President of Entertainment and Player Marketing, NBA. “Yao Ming is a great role model for today's youth and this program is an excellent way to motivate them to read, write and practice teamwork in the classroom and on the court.”
For 55 years, Scholastic Book Clubs have provided monthly catalogues offering top quality books and reading materials from all publishers to teachers in pre-school through junior high. Today, eleven different Scholastic Book Clubs reach one million teachers each month, providing the most sought-after titles at affordable prices for children in classrooms nationwide.
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site,
www.scholastic.com.
Read to Achieve is a year-round program designed to help young people develop a life-long love for reading and encourage adults to read regularly to children. Reaching an estimated 50 million children a year, Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports. Efforts include the annual donation of more than 300,000 books through a variety of reading events and incentive programs, as well as the development of essay contests and on-line programs. In an effort to provide a greater access to books and technology the NBA and it's teams along with national partners such as RIF and Dell have created more than 68 Reading and Learning Centers and 91 Reading Corners throughout North America. In addition to being supported by all 30 NBA teams, 14 WNBA teams, the six teams that make up the NBA's minor league, the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), Read to Achieve is supported by the NBA's officials, parents and wives of players organizations, and the NBA Players Association and Retired Players Association.