That's Jay, standing inside a RIF logo!

Recently, one of our literacy partners, Reading Is Fundamental, launched Book People Unite, a campaign raising awareness about childhood literacy. Today, Jay Brown, RIF’s director of integrated marketing, is here to tell you more about it. Thanks. Jay!

I have a horrible memory. My wife can recount vivid narratives from her childhood, but my brain works in pictures and flashes – often brought on by my own kids. And it was like that when my daughter brought home her first Scholastic Book Club flyer from pre-school.

Checking off the boxes on that thin newsprint to mark my selections.  Carefully spending down the allowance my mom would give me for each order. Remembering the excitement of taking home those new books every month.

I was one lucky kid. Fast forward a few decades and my daughters now have their own Scholastic books on the shelf. And I’m now at Reading Is Fundamental, where we’re working with partners like Scholastic to give kids who otherwise wouldn’t have books on their shelves the ability to pick out books of their very own.

But there are more kids than we can reach. Millions more.

With 16 million kids living in poverty today, there are countless kids whose parents have to make the difficult choice between a monthly book selection and putting food on the table.

That’s why we’re unveiling Book People Unite, a bold new campaign to raise awareness about children’s literacy and help put books in the hands of kids who need them most. It’s anchored by a new PSA featuring beloved storybook characters – including Clifford – coming together on a journey to unite as Book People.

Will you join us? Visit www.bookpeopleunite.org to watch the video and the pledge. Every kid deserves the memory of choosing a book of their very own.