Summer Reading Boost for Ft. Lauderdale Children; National PTA, Scholastic Work Together to Get Books Into Hands of Kids

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL--(Marketwire - June 26, 2009) - Working together to support summer reading, the National PTA is giving 5,000 books donated by Scholastic to children and families during PTA's Family Expo! Saturday, June 27, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

PTA volunteers will give families that stop by Booth #300 at the Expo! one book per child, an early literacy "Read and Rise®" Magazine, a Read and Rise Parent Guide and a "Lee y serás®" Family Album CD. All items are being donated by Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company.

The effort is part of National PTA and Scholastic's participation in United We Serve -- a national effort launched this week by President Barack Obama to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer and beyond.

"We are grateful to be working with Scholastic to provide books to children and resources to parents as a part of this initiative," said National PTA CEO Byron V. Garrett. "We hope that together we can help reduce student summer reading loss by encouraging children and families to read together."

"Encouraging a love of reading and having books in the home is one of the best things a parent can do in the summer to help their kids be successful when they go back to school," said Karen Proctor, Vice President, Scholastic Community Affairs. "Scholastic is proud to work with National PTA to support families and help children keep their reading skills sharp over the summer."

National PTA also launched its "PTA Call to Service Toolkit" that gives parents, the community and other child advocates the resources to plan service projects supporting the United We Serve initiative.

United We Serve kicked off on Monday and runs through September 11, which will be marked for the first time as a national day of service and remembrance. The initiative is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities though volunteering and service.

About National PTA

PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

About Scholastic

Scholastic Corporation is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology and children's media. 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, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs and school-based book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, television networks and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

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Contact Information: Contacts: James Martinez Office: (312) 670-6782 Ext. 325 Cell: (773) 339-4533 jmartinez@pta.org La'Keisha Gray-Sewell Office: (312) 670-6782 Ext. 321 Cell: (312) 623-4560 lgray-sewell@pta.org