Today, Scholastic and My Very Own Library (MVOL), an international initiative that encourages literacy by supplying students in need with books, announced that more than 38,000 students from 76 schools in Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Milwaukee, WI; Newark, NJ; Richmond, CA; Delaware and the Dominican Republic will each receive 10 free books this school year to build home libraries
According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™: 6th Edition, 86% of children ages 6–17 agreed that it is “very important for my future to be a good reader,” however, kids from lower-income families have access to about half the number of books in their homes as their higher-income peers. To help ensure all students have access to books at home, MVOL in collaboration with Scholastic Book Fairs will provide students the opportunity to choose and own 10 new children’s books for free from their schools’ book fair.
Throughout the 2017-2018 school year, the My Very Own Library program will support:
- Newark, NJ: 20,000 students from 31 public schools will take home 200,000 children’s books (Partner Organization: United Way of Essex and West Hudson)
- Delaware: 5,900 students from 14 schools across all three counties in DE will take home 59,000 children’s books (Partner Organization: United Way of Delaware)
- Milwaukee, WI: 5,800 students from 14 public schools will take home 58,000 children’s books (Partner Organization: United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County)
- Kansas City, MO: 2,657 students from seven public schools will take home 26,570 children’s books (Partner Organization: United Way of Greater Kansas City)
- Chicago, IL: 1,500 students from four charter schools will take home 15,000 children’s books (Partner Organization: University of Chicago Charter Schools)
- Richmond, CA: 780 students from one middle school and one high school at Making Waves Academy will take home 7,800 children’s books (Partner Organization: Making Waves Foundation)
- Dominican Republic: 2,000 students from the Dominican Republic attending four DREAM Project Schools will take home 20,000 children’s books (Partner Organization: Dream Project)
The My Very Own Library program highlights the importance of book ownership, giving students – many of whom have never owned their own books – the opportunity to create home libraries and build their reading skills. "I know I will become a better reader because of My Very Own Library,” said Jordan, student at Milwaukee College Prep.
To learn more about the My Very Own Library program, visit: www.myveryownlibrary.org
