U.S. Governors' Spouses Sign On as "Reading Ambassadors" to Encourage Kids to Read Every Day this Summer

Joining the Scholastic Summer Challenge, Governors' Spouses host reading events in their states to promote the importance of summer reading; Scholastic donates books on their behalf

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Scholastic Corporation

May 22, 2012, 10:29 ET

NEW YORK, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To help students avoid the "summer slide"—the learning loss which can occur over summer break—48 U.S. Governors' Spouses, plus the Governors of Illinois, Vermont, and Arizona, have signed on as "Reading Ambassadors" of the 6th annual Scholastic Summer Challenge, a free program dedicated to keeping kids motivated to read every day during the summer months. The Reading Ambassadors are an integral part of the program, each having pledged to reinforce the importance of summer reading, and the majority having committed to hold summer reading events at a local school or library in their state.

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According to studies conducted by Dr. Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen of the University of Tennessee, "We now have good research evidence that making books available that kids want to read and that they can read accurately, largely solves the problem on getting kids to read voluntarily." To help more kids have access to books they will love to read this summer, Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company, will donate 500 books to the school of the Reading Ambassador's choice in support of their participation in the Summer Challenge, for a total donation of 25,500 new books.

"Children reading—or parents reading to, and with, children—is the single most important activity to develop knowledge, skills, and comprehension," said Sally Ganem, a former principal and current First Lady of Nebraska and Chairwoman of the Spouses' Leadership Committee for the National Governors Association. "Reading is enjoyable, develops closer bonds with parents, and expands the mind beyond our own world."

The Governors and Governors' Spouses participating in the 2012 Scholastic Summer Challenge to date are:

Alabama – First Lady Dianne Bentley
Alaska – First Lady Sandy Parnell
American Samoa – First Lady Mary Ann Tulafono
Arizona – Governor Jan Brewer
Arkansas – First Lady Ginger Beebe
California – First Lady Anne Brown
Colorado – First Lady Helen Thorpe
Connecticut – First Lady Cathy Malloy
Delaware – First Lady Carla Markell
Florida – First Lady Ann Scott
Georgia – First Lady Sandra Deal
Guam – First Lady Christine Calvo
Hawaii – First Lady Dr. Nancie Caraway
Idaho – First Lady Lori Otter
Illinois – Governor Pat Quinn
Indiana – First Lady Cheri Daniels
Iowa – First Lady Christine Branstad
Kansas – First Lady Mary Brownback
Kentucky – First Lady Jane Beshear
Louisiana – First Lady Supriya Jindal
Maine – First Lady Ann LePage
Maryland – First Lady Katie O'Malley
Massachusetts – First Lady Diane Patrick
Michigan – First Lady Sue Snyder
Mississippi – First Lady Deborah Bryant
Missouri – First Lady Georganne Nixon
Montana – First Lady Nancy Schweitzer
Nebraska – First Lady Sally Ganem
Nevada – First Lady Kathleen Sandoval
New Hampshire – First Lady Dr. Susan Lynch
New Jersey – First Lady Mary Pat Christie
New Mexico – First Gentleman Chuck Franco
North Carolina – First Gentleman Bob Eaves
North Dakota – First Lady Betsy Dalrymple
Ohio – First Lady Karen Kasich
Oklahoma – First Gentleman Wade Christensen
Pennsylvania – First Lady Susan Corbett
Puerto Rico – First Lady Luce Vela
Rhode Island – First Lady Stephanie Chafee
South Carolina – First Gentleman Michael Haley
South Dakota – First Lady Linda Daugaard
St. Thomas Virgin Islands – First Lady Cecile deJongh
Tennessee – First Lady Crissy Haslam
Texas – First Lady Anita Perry
Utah – First Lady Jeanette Herbert
Vermont – Governor Peter Shumlin
Virginia – First Lady Maureen McDonnell
Washington – First Gentleman Mike Gregoire
West Virginia – First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin
Wisconsin – First Lady Tonette Walker
Wyoming – First Lady Carol Mead

"Scholastic is grateful for the continued support of these state leaders in the 2012 Scholastic Summer Challenge," said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. "Reading Ambassadors have played a vital role in spreading the word to families all across the country about the importance of summer reading so students are prepared when they return to school in the fall."

As part of the Scholastic Summer Challenge, kids "Read for the World Record" by logging their minutes online at www.scholastic.com/summer or using the Scholastic Reading Timer smartphone app. The top 20 schools with the most reading minutes logged will be featured in the 2013 edition of the Scholastic Book of World Records. Last summer's record was set at 64,213,141 minutes, but current student readers are already on their way to breaking that record with more than 19 million minutes read to date (program ends August 31st). Logging minutes also allows students to participate in weekly challenges, earn digital rewards, and enter sweepstakes for the chance to win fun book-related prizes.

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SOURCE Scholastic Corporation