Scholastic & We Need Diverse Books™ Announce Expanded Partnership
Scholastic Reading Club and We Need Diverse Books™ Announce Eight New Jointly-Curated Special Collections of Diverse Books for the 2016-17 School Year
NEW YORK – February 29, 2016 – Scholastic and the non-profit organization, We Need Diverse Books™, today announced the expansion of their collaboration to bring more books by diverse authors and featuring diverse characters into schools nationwide. For the 2016-17 school year, Scholastic Reading Club and We Need Diverse Books™ will collaborate on eight flyers to be distributed in classrooms with students ranging in age from toddler to teen. These offers will elevate stories by and about people from traditionally underrepresented communities. The original special edition collection, launched in Fall 2015, remains available along with the diverse titles and authors featured in all Scholastic Reading Club flyers, at: www.scholastic.com/readingclub.
Featuring award-winning titles, beloved classics, and new releases, these special edition Scholastic Reading Club flyers will reach millions of students during the 2016-17 school year. The collection will showcase a wide variety of titles representing many types of diversity, including race and ethnicity, religion, LGBTQ, disabled characters, and more.
“We are pleased that the range of titles and authors in our first flyer curated with We Need Diverse Books is resonating with the diverse population of young readers served by Scholastic Reading Club through schools nationwide,” said Judy Newman, President, EVP, Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company. “We are delighted to expand this collaboration and continue to help our young readers understand and appreciate people, cultures and experiences, alike and different from their own.”
“We are thrilled with the positive response to our Fall flyer, created in partnership with We Need Diverse Books and are excited for the opportunity to expand this effort. We continue to be committed to our goal of reflecting the world as it is by sharing stories and experiences as diverse as the readers we reach,” said Ann Marie Wong, Editorial Director, Scholastic Reading Club. “At Scholastic Reading Club, we want every child to find that just right book. We believe that our collaboration with We Need Diverse Books™ helps more kids do just that as they discover the joy and power of reading.”
“After the overwhelmingly positive response from teachers, parents and kids, We Need Diverse Books is delighted to continue our partnership with Scholastic Reading Club. Together, we’ll be able to broaden the breadth and scope of the books we’re putting into the hands of children, presenting them with both the necessary windows and mirrors through which they explore the world.” — Dhonielle Clayton, COO and Sr VP of Librarian Services for We Need Diverse Books
For more information about Scholastic Reading Club, a division of Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, please visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/ScholasticReadingClub.
About We Need Diverse Books™
We Need Diverse Books is a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. For more information, visit http://weneeddiversebooks.org/
For more information about Scholastic, visit: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com
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