just 1 book: authors, actors, athletes and more! (& scholastic book pack giveaway!)

Do you know what books  most influenced author Mo Willems’ life? Hillary Clinton, Eli Manning, or Katie Couric’s life? How about the Jonas Brothers?

Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey share the 5 books that most influenced their lives, along with authors Tomy de Paola, Philipa Gregory, and Judy Blume.  Okay, not here. But read on to find out where!

This ‘just 1 book’ details what Scholastic has done to promote book-sharing and literacy, and it’s a perfect way to kick off the all-exciting Read Across America Week.  Aaaaand, many thanks to Scholastic who wanted to add to the celebration by providing a just-for-your-family book pack for one teach mama reader!

Here are just some of the totally cool things that Scholastic’s doing to spread the love of literacy.  . .

• You Are What You Read: Which 5 books shaped your life? An incredibly interesting question, I know, and it’s one that Scholastic handed over to tons of authors, illustrators, actors, politicians, and athletes.

Part of Scholastic’s Global Literacy Campaign, Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life, You Are What You Read invites everyone to share the 5 books that most influenced their lives, which Scholastic calls a person’s “Bookprint“. Teachers, parents, and students–with a special community just for kids–can log onto the site, share their books, and in doing so, find more great books to call their own.

It’s awesome.  It’s incredible.  And I believe it’s a great motivator for children to see that the adults they look up to and respect are reading–and it’s an important glimpse into a person’s life to see what 5 books most influenced him or her.

By registering with the site, users can find ‘Bookmates’–buddies who you bookmark on You Are What You Read, and ‘Book Links’ show the connections between Bookprints of various users.  You may find you have Book Links with your absolute favorite actor, your most respected author, or someone who you never expected!

fyi: Here’s the Quick Guide for Teachers.

• Pass it On: Pass it On is a program that encourages book-giving, book-sharing, book-lending, and book-receiving.

Earlier this year, I received what has become one of my children’s favorite books this year from my friends at Scholastic–Zen Ghosts, by Jon J Muth (who  also wrote the amazing Zen Shorts).  Inside the book was a Bookplate to me, from Scholastic, encouraging me to pass the book onto a friend, teacher–to anyone.

 

The Pass It On program allows you to spread the word about a great book!

 

I chose to Pass It On to Maddy, Owen, and Cora because I knew how much they loved Zen Shorts.  The really cool thing is that when you pass along a great book–or when you receive a great book–you can share it on the Scholastic site.  And then you can share that news on your networks, like Facebook, Twitter, and more.  The word about a great book doesn’t have to end with one person; by sharing, we’re continuing the talk about a great read, sharing the love, and encouraging more people to get in on the fun.

I think it’s a perfectly perfect thing to do, especially during Read Across America week!!  So start sharing!

• Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life: I have shared about Scholastic’s Global Literacy Campaign once before, but it’s worth mentioning again, it’s that fabulous.

With a Reading Bill of Rights that parents and teachers can actually view as a slideshow, email, or print, this campaign encourages adults to take the pledge to encourage the children in their lives to read every single day, in an attempt to build a better life and foundation of literacy for everyone.  So awesome I want to dance.

the Official Scholastic blog? check out On Our Minds

• More on Scholastic: Schoastic’s site has been undergoing some very exciting changes in the last few months, and it is quickly becoming a super resource for parents and teachers alike.  Take a second to get familiar with:

• Scholastic Parents: Tons of worth-your-time articles from experts in the field on Books and Reading, Child Development, School Help, Activities, and Kids Sites.  You can even place your Scholastic Book Club orders online now–and how much easier is that? There’s also a new Scholastic’s new Blog Syndication section where several rockin’  blogs are mentioned and feeds are syndicated.  (And I’m uber-proud to be part of it!)
• Scholastic Teachers:  The wealth of resources available here is rich and varied. Take time to browse through the Teaching Resources (printables and mini-books!), Student Activities, Books and Authors (the Teacher Book Wizard is absolutely my fave!), and Scholastic Products, and you will be amazed.
• Scholastic Blog–On Our Minds: from the site–book and education enthusiasts sharing breaking book and media news, stories of education and technology, and reflections on literacy. Fresh voices on topics  I love. I totally heart it.

That’s not even it–it’s just the beginning! Now want to get in on the book fun? Here’s how–

 

UPDATE: Winner chosen and notified!  Random.org chose lucky #13–thanks  for your interest and many thanks for reading!!

 

GIVEAWAY: A catered just-for-your-family book pack from Scholastic to celebrate Read Across America week!

Do you want to win a catered just-for-your-family book pack from Scholastic?

• All you have to do is leave a comment here (with email address!) telling us what you know, want to know, or love about Scholastic.  That’s it! (Feel free to check out any of the links above for inspiration!)

• For extra entries, you can share this post with a friend (just tell me who you shared it with!)  AND/ OR Tweet this: Win a just-for-you @scholastic book pack on @teachmama — http://teachmama.com/?p=1440 #ece #readacrossamerica

This contest ends on Monday, March 7, 2011 at midnight ET.

That’s not it for our Read Across America celebration!!  Look forward to one last book-related giveaway this week where everyone–I mean, EVERYONE is a winner!

 

I am incredibly thankful that our friends at Scholastic have offered to sponsor the just-for-your-family book pack for this giveaway, in celebration of Read Across America Week.  This is an unsponsored post, and my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my personal experience with Scholastic and the awesomeness of its site.  I have done freelance work for Scholastic, and several of my articles are included on the site; my blog is part of the Scholastic Blog Syndication Network.