'Dog Man' Little Free Libraries Coming to All 50 States through Scholastic and Little Free Library's 'Power Up with Reading' Initiative
Dav Pilkey to donate 50,000 books to support Little Free Libraries in underserved communities, the first to be unveiled on March 19
NEW YORK, March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, and the Little Free Library (LFL) nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand book access, are excited to announce their "Power Up with Reading" initiative to grant Dog Man–themed Little Free Library book-sharing boxes to sites catering to children and families across all 50 United States. Dog Man author and illustrator Dav Pilkey, in coordination with Scholastic and Little Free Library, will donate 50,000 books to support these libraries and help ignite a passion for reading.
The first Dog Man Little Free Library will be unveiled at a school in Cleveland, Ohio, Pilkey's birthplace, on March 19—which is also the global publication date of Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder, the newest book in the wildly popular series. Additional Dog Man Little Free Library installations are planned for Washington, DC, New York City, Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, Madison, and San Francisco, with more cities to be announced.
Each Dog Man Little Free Library box will include free copies of Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder, as well as a wide assortment of children's titles from Scholastic's "The Power of Story'' collection which aims to highlight books featuring diverse characters and stories. The book giveaway, provided by and courtesy of Dav Pilkey, will reach communities that are part of Little Free Library's "Impact Library" program which focuses on granting book-exchanges in under-resourced communities.
In a statement, Dav Pilkey said, "When I was a kid, I have fond memories of going to the library where my mom would let me pick out whatever books I wanted to read. This is how I came to associate reading with love. I'm grateful to the many librarians, teachers, and the teams at Little Free Library and Scholastic. Their commitment and dedication to getting books into the hands of kids, especially those in underserved communities, is life-changing. They are real-life superheroes."
Dav Pilkey's artwork on the Little Free Library boxes includes the "Power Up with Reading" message and features Dog Man, along with other well-loved characters in his bestselling Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club series.
Apply to receive a Dog Man Little Free Library
You can bring a Dog Man Little Free Library to your community, too! Child-focused organizations in the U.S. are encouraged to apply to receive a library and nearly 1,000 Scholastic books. Fill out the application form to be considered: Dog Man Library application link
Enter to win Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder
In tandem with the Little Free Library installations and to celebrate the release of the 12th book in the Dog Man series, LFL is hosting a book giveaway, in collaboration with Scholastic, for Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder. All Dog Man fans in the U.S. and Canada can enter to win one of 1,200 copies of The Scarlet Shedder: Book giveaway entry form link
"As Dav Pilkey's longtime publisher, we have seen how his books have inspired a generation of children to love reading. Over the years, we have also seen firsthand Dav's personal commitment to schools, libraries, bookstores, and organizations that support kids and communities in need," said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. "We are proud to collaborate with Dav and Little Free Library on this exciting new initiative that celebrates book joy and highlights the importance of book access for all children."
"It is an honor to be working with such global children's literature brands as Scholastic and Dav Pilkey's Dog Man," said Little Free Library Executive Director Greig Metzger. "At Little Free Library, we strive to be the connective fiber between book resources, community partners and book access points. Our collaboration with Scholastic, Dav Pilkey and over 50 local partners across the country is a wonderful example of how our mission is realized and delivered. We hope that through this project, more children will be inspired to grab a book and read."
ABOUT LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Little Free Library® (LFL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds community, inspires readers and expands book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-sharing boxes. There are more than 180,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide in all 50 states, in 121 countries and on all seven continents. Through them, over 400 million books have been shared since 2009. LFL received the 2020 World Literacy Award as well as honors from the Library of Congress, National Book Foundation and others. The organization grants Little Free Libraries full of books to underserved areas through its Impact Library and Indigenous Library programs and champions diverse books through its Read in Color initiative. To learn more, visit LittleFreeLibrary.org.
ABOUT DAV PILKEY
Dav Pilkey has created over 70 books for children and was awarded a Caldecott Honor for his picture book The Paperboy. When Pilkey was in second grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and what is now widely known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because of his learning and behavioral issues in school, he was often sent out in the hallway. It was in his elementary school hallway where he created comic books about superheroes that eventually became Captain Underpants and Dog Man. His Dog Man series, launched to critical acclaim in 2016, was an instant #1 bestseller and has more than 60 million copies in print and translations in 45 languages. DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures recently announced that its movie adaptation of Dog Man will be released in theaters worldwide on January 31, 2025. Pilkey's Captain Underpants series, launched more than 25 years ago, has more than 90 million copies in print, translated into 44 languages, and released as a feature film by DreamWorks, as well as an original series on Netflix. TheaterWorksUSA's musical adaptations of Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club opened to rave reviews, were both New York Times Critics' Picks, and are currently touring around North America and Australia. For more information about Dav Pilkey and his books, visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/davpilkey.
ABOUT SCHOLASTIC
For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) has been encouraging the personal and intellectual growth of all children, beginning with literacy. Having earned a reputation as a trusted partner to educators and families, Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, a leading provider of literacy curriculum, professional services, and classroom magazines, and a producer of educational and entertaining children's media. The Company creates and distributes bestselling books and e-books, print and technology-based learning programs for pre-K to grade 12, and other products and services that support children's learning and literacy, both in school and at home. With international operations and exports in more than 135 countries, Scholastic makes quality, affordable books available to all children around the world through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online. Learn more at www.scholastic.com.
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SOURCE Scholastic Inc
