New York, NY — April 20, 2010 — Imagine having the power to put 100,000 books into the hands of kids who may not even own one—and to do it just in time to combat the "summer slide!" Scholastic today announced that it will donate one book to a child in need through Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) for every fan who joins the Scholastic Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/scholastic), with a total donation up to 100,000 new books between now and September 1, 2010.

Scholastic will begin the donation count at 5,180 books on behalf of the current 5,180 Facebook fans. As new fans join the community, Scholastic will continue to donate books (watch for the book donation meter!) and keep fans informed on hot topics such as Scholastic authors, new books for kids and young adults, literacy partners, publishing and education news, and announcements of Scholastic’s upcoming 90th Anniversary. In addition to helping Scholastic donate books to K.I.D.S., fans can explore other Scholastic Facebook features, including access to exclusive Harry Potter trivia, polls, and artwork, details about the Scholastic Summer Challenge, where kids help “Read for the World Record,” and daily posts from the On Our Minds @Scholastic blog.

"For 90 years, Scholastic’s mission has been helping children learn to read and to love reading," said Karen Proctor, Vice President of Community Affairs and Government Relations, Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company. "A Scholastic fan can be a teacher, author, parent, or simply a book lover. But what brings us together is our belief that every child has the right to read and the right to own books, and by working with K.I.D.S., we can help realize that mission."

Scholastic has partnered with K.I.D.S., a non-profit organization that fights child poverty, for six years to ensure that more kids and families have access to books. K.I.D.S. brings hope and self-esteem to more than 4.5 million children and their families each year by providing and distributing books and clothes through a network of nearly 1,000 local community social service agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

"Scholastic's work with us has helped motivate and inspire boys and girls who otherwise suffer the negative consequences common to children in poverty," said K.I.D.S. President Janice Weinman. "When they have so little, it makes a huge difference for them to get a new book of their very own. They become proud, often reading the book over and over and sharing it with their families. It can truly make a big difference in their lives."

For more information on K.I.D.S, visit http://www.kidsdonations.org/.

For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com. Visit the Scholastic Facebook Fan Page here: http://www.facebook.com/scholastic.

Contacts:

Scholastic Inc.
Ivy Li
212.343.6402
ili@scholastic.com