Random House Children's Books Establishes Matching Donation Program to Support October's National Bullying Prevention Month
September 28, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lauren Donovan
(212) 572-6015 | ldonovan@randomhouse.com
RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS ESTABLISHES MATCHING DONATION PROGRAM
TO SUPPORT OCTOBER’S NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH
Random House will donate $1 to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center
for Every Pledge to ‘Choose Kind’, the Campaign Inspired by R.J. Palacio’s Debut Novel, WONDER
(September 27, 2012, New York, NY) — Random House Children’s Books announced today a partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center (PACER.org/bullying) as part of a month-long campaign inspired by R.J. Palacio’s debut novel WONDER (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers) and its Choose Kind anti-bullying initiative.
National Bullying Prevention Month unites communities across the country in October to raise awareness of bullying prevention through events, activities, outreach, and education. Created in 2006, the effort has now become a national movement, which Random House will support with a multi-faceted marketing and publicity campaign inspired by WONDER, the story of August Pullman, a ten year-old boy with a facial difference who enters mainstream school for the first time starting in fifth grade.
“There has never been a better time to read WONDER,” said Barbara Marcus, President and Publisher of Random House Children’s Books. “With the school year now in full swing, we encourage educators and families to enter the amazing world of Auggie Pullman, and to use this book as a starting point for important conversations about tolerance and kindness.”
To support PACER’s efforts, Random House Children’s Books will donate $1 to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center for every pledge made during the month of October at ChooseKind.tumblr.com. Since its creation in May, the site has collected over 1,000 signatures to its pledge to use kindness to end bullying.
“We are thrilled to partner with Random House Children’s Books on this campaign to build awareness for bullying prevention,” said Julie Hertzog, Director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “WONDER is a beautiful book and it is making a positive impact on everyone who reads it. We all need to work together to create a safe school environment where everyone feels valued and protected, and stories are one more way to do that.”
In addition to the monetary donation, Random House Children’s Books will give away copies of WONDER at PACER’s “Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying” outdoor event on October 6th in the Twin Cities, in which schools, businesses, organizations, and communities come together to raise awareness and funds for the cause. Copies of WONDER will be donated nationally to schools on PACER’s Unity Day, when students, parents, and teachers across the country wear orange and unite to show their support for bullying prevention. Unity Day is scheduled for October 10th—which, serendipitously, is the fictional birthday of WONDER protagonist, Auggie.
Online efforts include an educator blog tour October 1st-10th, as well as an October 23rd featured author chat on Goodreads.com between Palacio and Jay Asher, the bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why. For more information on how to support National Bullying Prevention Month, visit ChooseKind.tumblr.com for educator guides to using WONDER in the classroom, a running ticker to count October pledges, and upcoming events with author R.J. Palacio.
Every day, 160,000 kids in America stay home from school to avoid being bullied. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Centereducates communities nationwide to prevent bullying through the use of creative, interactive resources including the websitesTeensAgainstBullying.org and KidsAgainstBullying.org. Based in Minneapolis, PACER offers educators, students, families, and individuals the tools they need to address bullying in schools, the community, and online. For more information, visit PACER.org/bullying.
Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. The company’s website, Kids @ Random (RandomHouse.com/kids) offers an array of activities, games, and resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company.
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