Date:27/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/27/stories/2008112758410200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Helping the young discover joys of reading

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: On November 28, as the clock strikes noon, children across the country will pledge to read more. Schools in the country, especially those in the metros, will take up literacy events to savour the joys of reading, under Scholastic India’s “One Nation Reading Together” programme.

An estimated three lakh children will participate by reading out the pledge written by poet and author Sampurna Chattarjee. They will engage in other activities that celebrate reading as an enjoyable activity.

On behalf of every school that signs up to participate, Scholastic will donate 100 books to underprivileged children. Scholastic has tied up with 12 non-governmental organisations in different parts of the country, where they will be gifting children over 35,000 books. Authors and celebrities, along with representatives from Scholastic, will visit these NGOs to read to the children and gift books either to them individually or help establish libraries.

In Bangalore, Poonam Cherian, Kannada actor, will give away the books and will read to children from the Spastic Society. Similar events are also scheduled in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Goa.