FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sydney’s Book Club kicks off their second annual Boo’s For Books campaign urging parents and communities to pass out books for Halloween.
October 4, 2014. Sydney’s Book Club (SBC), a nonprofit organization promoting early reading and literacy skills in preschool aged children is gearing up for the upcoming Halloween season in an unconventional way for the second year in a row. SBC’s “Boo’s for Books” campaign is not just a creative suggestion, but a call to action for families, teachers, community leaders and businesses to make a bold statement in support of early literacy. The campaign seeks to onset a viral wave of supporters each pledging to pass out books to trick-or-treaters this Halloween season in lieu of or in addition to the commonplace candy giving tradition.
Why trick-or-treaters? The average age of door to door Halloween participants range between preschool and elementary aged children. The U.S Department of Education reports that children who have not developed basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are up to 4 times more likely to drop out in later years. The “Boos for Books” campaign addresses these issues head on by urging communities to provide age appropriate reading material to children on Halloween and instill in them an excitement for books and reading. The campaign has been well received as a unique and proactive approach to the nationwide illiteracy epidemic that equates the problem with one simple statement “Books Are Fun”.
“By including books in the treat bags of children we show the importance of reading at a young age and inspire other parents to consider doing the same in upcoming years,” says SBC Executive Director Tiffany Dickerson. “Let’s not just pass out sweets, a book is a treat with a lasting reach!”
This year the official Boo’s for Books kick-off celebration will be held in two locations; Goldsboro, North Carolina at the Herman Park Center and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at The Little Scholar on October 29th from 6 to 7:30pm. SBC encourages families, teachers, and organizations to host their own “Boo’s for Books” Halloween parties locally. Party ideas, promotion materials and classroom kits can be found on the SBC website.
Interested supporters can help in numerous ways starting by taking the Boo’s for Books pledge at SydneysBookClub.org and inviting friends and family members to consider doing the same. The 501(c) 3 organization will also be accepting tax deductible monetary donations as well as new or gently used book donations. For more information on supporting this innovative campaign please email info@SydneysBookClub.org or call (434) 879-READ.
