A new campaign, ‘One Million Bookprints for One Million Books,’ kicks off today, inviting readers of all ages to create a “Bookprint” at the online community, youarewhatyouread.com. For every Bookprint created, Scholastic Book Clubs will donate a new book to a child in need (up to one million books). Books will be distributed through the national school readiness initiative Reach Out and Read.

The five books that most impact someone’s life comprise their Bookprint. They can be children’s or adult books and Bookprints can change over time. On the “You Are What You Read” website, more than 200 “Names You Know” from entertainers to authors to journalists and even two U.S. presidents have shared their Bookprints.

The donation launches with 20,000 books – one book for each of the 20,000 Bookprints created by users already on youarewhatyouread.com. The One Million Bookprints for One Million Books campaign is part of Scholastic Book Clubs annual ClassroomsCare program which helps teachers engage their students around the importance of reading and giving.

“Creating a Bookprint is a great way for adults and children to talk about the importance of books in our lives and how books introduce us to heroes and role models or take us on exciting journeys to new places,” said Judy Newman, President, Scholastic Book Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company.

“Through Scholastic Book Clubs ClassroomsCare initiative, students and teachers can also participate in the Bookprints for Books campaign and help put books into the hands of the children who may otherwise not have the opportunity to own their own books and experience the profound impact books can have on someone’s life.”

The One Million Bookprints for One Million Books Campaign comes at a critical time for children’s literacy organizations such as Reach Out and Read and Reading Is Fundamental. Recent government funding cuts are straining these organizations that provide books to the neediest children and critical advice to parents on how to develop their children’s early literacy skills at home.

“It is crucial for reading to begin at a young age and for all children to have books in their home,” says Earl Martin Phalen, CEO of Reach Out and Read. “The recent loss of government funding has impacted the ability of literacy organizations to continue to get books into the hands of children in need, so we thank everyone who creates a Bookprint in support of this campaign.”

In addition to making a donation of a book to a child, by creating a Bookprint at www.youarewhatyouread.com, participants will:

• Join 205+ famous reading role models, including: Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Gates, Paulo Coelho , Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Suzanne Collins, Tony Hawk, Taylor Swift, Daniel Radcliffe, President William Jefferson Clinton, President George H.W. Bush, and many others

• Connect with book lovers, similar readers from 140 countries and discover new reads based on books in other Bookprints

• Enter a safe social network all about books with two separate communities – one for adults, the other for children under 13 years old

• Find a book at a local library

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The more than 3.9 million children served annually by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and they enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a six-month developmental edge over their peers.

Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses distribute more than 6.4 million books to children at 4,779 pediatric practices, hospitals, clinics, and health centers in all 50 states, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities.

Iv Nikolny / Shutterstock.com

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