Scholastic, The UPS Store And Toys For Tots Give Books To Kids In Need This Holiday Season, Including Donations To The Youngest Victims Of Hurricane Sandy

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company, The UPS Store and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are launching a READ EVERY DAY holiday campaign to promote the love of reading and encourage all families to help give books to kids who need them most, including those who lost books due to Hurricane Sandy.  This holiday literacy drive is part of Scholastic's global literacy campaign, Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life, an effort to help all children experience the love of reading and owning a book.

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Here is how families can help to contribute books to kids in need this holiday season:

1. Download Storia^®, Scholastic's new teacher-recommended children's ereading app, and help pass on the reading to kids in need. Upon downloading Storia, families will receive five free children's ebooks to start a home digital library. For every additional ebook purchased on Storia now through Dec. 31, 2012, Scholastic will donate a children's book to a child in need through the Toys for Tots Literacy Program (with a minimum of 50,000 books committed).                                                                                                             
2. Visit a participating The UPS Store location across the U.S. now through Dec. 31, 2012 to purchase a donation card to benefit the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, a year-round initiative of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Every dollar donated helps provide new books from Scholastic for less fortunate children in local communities throughout the U.S. Customers can also donate online at The UPS Store Facebook page.  As part of the longstanding collaboration with Scholastic Literacy Partners, The UPS Store location that raises the most money during the holidays will receive 500 books to share with families in their local community.

"Thanks to our partners Scholastic and The UPS Store, Toys for Tots delivers millions of books to less fortunate children every year," said retired Marine Corps LtGen. Pete Osman, President and CEO of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.  "By including books with the other toys we'll deliver this Christmas season, Toys for Tots will help deserving children develop a passion for reading and will start them on a pathway to a brighter future."

"Regardless of whether kids read digitally or in print, we want ALL children to have the opportunity to read every day and to read books they love," said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. "This holiday, together with The UPS Store and Toys for Tots, we can encourage families and communities to join in giving the gift of reading to their children and to children in need."

Available for free download on PC and iPad, and on select Android tablets, the Storia eReading app is designed to captivate kids while helping them become better readers. Storia offers thousands of curated titles for kids from toddlers through teens, of which many are enriched with vocabulary and comprehension activities and video. Storia has been recognized by Warren Buckleitner with the Editor's Choice Award for children's eBook apps in Children's Technology Review, awarded 2012 Best Toy of the Year award by Dr. Toy and received glowing reviews in The New York Times and School Library Journal.

"Education is one of the keys to helping children become successful in life. During the holidays, The UPS Store hopes to make a positive impact by helping children break the cycle of poverty through literacy and education," said Tim Davis, president of The UPS Store, Inc.

About Scholastic:
For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com. The online press kit for Storia is available at: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/storia.  To learn more about Scholastic Family and Community Engagement visit www.scholastic.com/face.

About the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation:
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 65th year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to less fortunate children through the gift of a new toy or book during the Christmas holiday season. These gifts offer children hope, recognition, and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the books, games, and sports equipment provided as gifts make a significant contribution to the educational, social and physical development of these children.  In 2011, Marines distributed toys to more than 7.2 million children who might not have otherwise experienced the magic of the Christmas holiday season.

About The UPS Store:       
With more than 4,700 locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, The UPS Store network comprises the world's largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, printing and business service centers. In the U.S., The UPS Store locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., a subsidiary of UPS(NYSE:UPS). In Canada, locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of master licensee MBEC Communications, L.P. Services, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. For additional information on The UPS Store, including information on franchise opportunities for opening a The UPS Store location, visit www.theupsstore.com.

SOURCE Scholastic