READING IS FUNDAMENTAL LAUNCHES FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONWIDE READING ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE "RALLY TO READ 100"

It's Back! Celebrate reading for six months straight with read-alouds from bestselling authors, a book giveaway sweepstakes, monthly themes, reading activities, and a reading pledge.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's leading children's literacy nonprofit, announced today the launch of the fourth annual Rally to Read 100 (RallytoRead.org)—a six-month initiative that runs from October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 designed to inspire the joy of reading and motivate children to read, starting with a pledge to read 100 books. 

Building on the success of last year's campaign, in which over 800,000 children participated, RIF will once again unite classrooms and communities across the country with a reading initiative anchored on monthly themes and supported with a diverse lineup of author read-alouds. There will also be a book collection sweepstakes, a variety of engaging reading activities for home and school (some of which are in Spanish), plus a virtual event hosted at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City and live broadcast nationwide to celebrate National Reading Month in March 2025. All of the free read-alouds and literacy activities are available at www.RallytoRead.org.

With 67 percent of fourth graders reading below grade level, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, RIF is working to reinvigorate reading across our nation's youth. Reading aloud to children sharpens their listening skills, expands their vocabularies, and nurtures a lifelong love of reading. The 2024-2025 Rally to Read 100 program kicks off with a special welcome video from Suzanne Lang, New York Times bestselling author of Grumpy Monkey, and is supported by Inspiration Partners: Barnes & Noble, Macy's, and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. 

Each month during the six-month campaign, a featured read-aloud will be shared from exclusive publishing partner Penguin Random House as well as specially selected Barnes & Noble Storytime Picks from popular authors and illustrators. For elementary school classrooms and libraries, RIF is bringing back the Rally to Read book sweepstakes, giving away 10,000 new books in which elementary school educators have the chance to win 100 high-quality books donated by Barnes & Noble for their school or youth-serving organization. 

"Literacy is essential not only for our students' academic growth and achievement, but also for expanding our understanding of both the world and ourselves. With Rally to Read, we're offering exciting ways for children to explore the enriching perspectives that come from enjoying a wide range of stories," said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. "We were thrilled with the response to last year's initiative, and with the support of our Inspiration partners Barnes & Noble, Macy's, and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, along with passionate storytellers and advocates, we are proud to carry on this important mission."

"Barnes & Noble is thrilled to support Reading Is Fundamental's Rally to Read campaign for the third year in a row," said Jackie De Leo, Chief Merchandising Officer, Barnes & Noble. "In bringing educational resources to communities where they are most needed, we hope to ignite a love of literature among the youngest readers; we know this fosters a sense of determination carried throughout the rest of their lives. We are proud to share in both the vision and commitment RIF has towards elevating children's literacy and can't wait to see the impact of this year's campaign in classrooms nationwide."

"For more than 20 years, Macy's and Reading Is Fundamental have together created critical access to books for youth in underserved communities, promoting a love of reading for children nationwide," said Sam Di Scipio, Macy's, Inc. Senior Director, Social Impact. "Through our purpose platform, Mission Every One, we are proud to partner on initiatives like Rally to Read as we work to empower our future leaders and create a brighter future for all."

RALLY TO READ 100 PROGRAM ELEMENTS: 

• Pledge to Read 100 Books: Participants can pledge to read 100 books over six months and receive engaging content and book recommendations to support this goal. 
• Book Sweepstakes: 100 randomly selected eligible educators will each win 100 specially curated books donated by Barnes & Noble to enhance their school's library and classrooms.
• Monthly-Themed Events: Each month features topics ranging from community and imagination to wellness and nature with activities for fun, engaging time spent exploring the themes and read-aloud books; companion activities; and video-recorded read-alouds by noteworthy authors and illustrators, many who are sharing recently released new books.
• Featured read-alouds: Books from Penguin Random House and Barnes & Noble Storytime Picks reflecting the month themes include:
   
  October (Community):
         Alexandra Garyn and Bryan Reisberg, Authors of Maxine Gets a Job
         Minh Lê, Author of Built to Last
  November (Nature)
         Ambreen Tariq, Author of Fatima's Great Outdoors
         Emmy Kastner, Author of While You're Asleep
  December (Celebration)
         Sheetal Sheth, Author of Raashi's Rakhis: A New Celebration of Raksha Bandhan
         Hayley and John Rocco, Author and Illustrator of All the Books
  January (Wellness)
         Camila Alves McConaughey, Author of Just Try One Bite
         Anna Llenas, Author of Dr. Color Monster and the Emotions Toolkit
  February (Changemakers)
         Nathan Bryon, Author of Rocket Says Speak Up
         Sy Montgomery, Author of Becoming a Good Creature
  March (Imagination)
         Matt de la Peña, Author of Milo Imagines the World
         Jessie Sima, Author of Cookie Time

• Complementary Reading Activities: Classroom and at-home resources are available for educators and families to use for continued reading engagement throughout the program, any time.

NATIONAL READING MONTH CELEBRATION EVENT:
A nationwide, online event will be simulcast from the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City in March 2025 marking National Reading Month and the culmination of the initiative with high-profile guests (to be announced) and live streamed to homes and classrooms across the country.

Reading Is Fundamental is proud to recognize the generous support of its partners: Inspiration Partners include Barnes & Noble, Macy's and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation; and Promotional Partners include the American Association of School Libraries, Every Child a Reader, Children's Book Council, Kiwanis International, Little Free Library, National PTA, Nickelodeon, Penguin Random House, Reading Partners, and United Through Reading.

About Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to creating a nation of lifelong readers by inspiring the joy of reading among all children, putting them on the path to becoming skilled readers. We provide free, high-quality content to engage children, educators, families, and literacy advocates in the solution to the U.S. literacy crisis—so that every child has the fundamentals for success. As the nation's leading children's literacy nonprofit, RIF has provided nearly 430 million books and reading resources to over 190 million children since 1966, impacting generations of children. Explore our results and learn more about partnering with us at www.RIF.org.

SOURCE Reading Is Fundamental