Preventing Summer Slide: First Book Canada and the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Donate 40,000 New Books to Kids in Need

Toronto, ON (June 26, 2019)– First Book Canada is partnering with the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation to donate over 40,000 new books to 30 high-needs elementary schools country-wide. These books will arrive before the summer break, giving students access to quality reading material over the summer and preventing the effects of “summer slide” – the tendency for students to lose academic gains they’ve made during the school year. These books have been generously donated from Éditions Scholastic and Disney Worldwide Publishing.

The thirty high-needs Canadian elementary schools receiving books through this partnership were selected in May as runners-up for the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation’s Literacy Fund grants. These schools have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to literacy and to inspiring their students to become engaged students and passionate readers.

“We are thrilled to partner with First Book Canada to support the passionate teachers and engaged students across Canada who sadly lack the resources they need to purchase books,” said Ariel Siller, Executive Director of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. “Together, we have the incredible opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children and inspire them to fall in love with reading over the summer.”

“Along with the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, we recognize that too many Canadian students don’t have access to brand new books – at school or at home,” said Tom Best, Executive Director of First Book Canada. “With the generous help from our publishing partners, we are changing that literary landscape.”

The 2019 Indigo Love of Reading Foundation / First Book Canada Donation Recipients (by province and territory):

St. Peter SchoolCalgaryAlbertaSt. Dominic SchoolEdmontonAlbertaBanff Elementary SchoolBanffAlbertaVictoria West Elementary SchoolVictoriaBritish ColumbiaMary Jane Shannon ElementarySurreyBritish Columbia
Britannia ElementaryVancouverBritish ColumbiaEugene Joseph Elementary SchoolFort St. JamesBritish ColumbiaGlenwood SchoolWinnipegManitobaRicher SchoolRicherManitobaEcole James NisbetWinnipegManitobaHazen White/St. FrancisSaint JohnNew BrunswickHampden AcademyHampdenNewfoundland and LabradorPrincess Alexandra SchoolHay RiverNorthwest TerritoriesLiidlii Kue Regional School / Thomas Simpson Secondary SchoolFort SimpsonNorthwest TerritoriesCalixte F. SavoieSainte-Anne de KentNouveau-BrunswickJohn MacNeil Elementary SchoolDartmouthNova ScotiaWhitney Pier Memorial Middle SchoolSydneyNova ScotiaBayview Community SchoolMahone BayNova ScotiaKeatsway Public SchoolWaterlooOntarioTaylor Creek Public SchoolTorontoOntarioVincent Massey Public SchoolOttawaOntarioHoly Rosary Catholic SchoolBellevilleOntarioFrank W. Begley Public SchoolWindsorOntarioMilitary Trail Public SchoolScarboroughOntarioEcole St-Jean BaptisteL'OrignalOntarioJohn J. Sark Memorial SchoolLennox IslandPrince Edward IslandSomerset ElementaryKinkoraPrince Edward IslandEco-PinNotre-Dame-des-PinsQuebecGordon Denny Community SchoolLaRongeSaskatchewanBlaine Lake Composite SchoolBlaine LakeSaskatchewan

About First Book Canada

Almost 25% of Canadian households do not have a single book. First Book Canada is transforming the lives of kids in need by making brand new, high quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis. Through a market-driven model, First Book Canada is creating equal access to quality education affordable to its member network of more than 10,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 2009, First Book Canada has distributed more than 7 million books and educational resources to hundreds of thousands of kids across Canada.

Eligible educators, program coordinators, librarians, and professionals serving kids in need can register atwww.fbmpcanada.org/register. For more information, visitfirstbookcanda.organd follow our latest news onTwitter,Facebook,Instagram, andLinkedIn.

About the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation

Indigo Books & Music Inc. founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation in 2004 to address the underfunding of public elementary school libraries. To date, the Foundation has committed over $31 million to more than 3,000 high-needs schools, impacting over one million children. The Foundation runs two signature programs each year. In May 2019, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Literacy Fund committed $1.5 million in grants to 30 high-needs elementary schools that lack the resources to build and maintain healthy school libraries. Additionally, each fall, the Foundation's annual grassroots Adopt a School program unites the Foundation with Indigo, its employees, its customers and their communities to raise funds to support high-needs elementary schools across Canada and put even more books into the hands of children. In October 2018, the Indigo Adopt a School program contributed over $1.1 million to more than 600 schools across Canada, impacting more than 200,000 children. To learn more about the Foundation, visitwww.loveofreading.org.

Media Contact:

Calyssa Erb, Communications Coordinator, First Book Canada
cerb@firstbook.org
866.732.3669 ext. 4383

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