Scholastic's YouAreWhatYouRead.com Named a 2011 "Best Website for Teaching and Learning"

NEW YORK, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic Inc.'s free, online book community, YouAreWhatYouRead.com, was recognized as one of the "Best Websites for Teaching and Learning" by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). In its third year, the "Best Website for Teaching and Learning" honors the top 25 websites that bring exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.

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Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, created YouAreWhatYouRead.com as part of its global literacy campaign Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. The website celebrates the importance of books and reading, and invites readers of all ages to join the community and create their individual "Bookprint" – a list of the five books that helped shape who they are. Today, more than 15,000 participants, including more than 200 Names You Know such as Bill Gates, Daniel Radcliffe, Malcolm Gladwell, Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, Suzanne Collins, Tom Hanks, Tony Hawk, President William Jefferson Clinton, and President George H.W. Bush, have joined YouAreWhatYouRead.com to share the five most influential books of their lives.

In addition, the site features a separate community for young readers (under age 13) that provides students with age-appropriate book selections and other book themed activities. Scholastic has also created participation guides for teachers to use YouAreWhatYouRead.com in their classroom with older and younger students.

"It's an honor to have You Are What You Read awarded as one of the 'Best Websites for Teaching and Learning'," said Maggie McGuire, Vice President, eScholastic, Kids and Parents Channels. "For 90 years, Scholastic has been committed to supporting literacy for young people by reaching kids where they are, and preparing kids to succeed in the 21st century. You Are What You Read engages kids online in a new and inspiring way, showing the excitement, relevance and power books have in our lives. We're delighted to receive such distinguished recognition and support for this project from the AASL."

With dynamic features, including Book Links and Books Around the World Maps, YouAreWhatYouRead.com helps guide readers in discovering new books and uncovering old favorites. Users can sign in via a social network or Scholastic.com account and connect with book lovers all over the world through shared Bookprints.

For more information about YouAreWhatYouRead.com, please visit the online press kit.

The site is part of Scholastic's Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. global literacy campaign. For more information on the Read Every Day campaign, please visit www.scholastic.com/readeveryday.

For more information about Scholastic, please visit our Media Room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.

SOURCE Scholastic Inc.