Guest Blogger Wendelin Van Draanen is running in the New York Marathon in support of First Book as part of the Exercise the Right to Read campaign.
You may not recognize my name, but your kids probably do. I’m Wendelin Van Draanen, the author of about 20 books for children, including the Sammy Keyes mysteries and the Shredderman books.
Over the past ten years I’ve been doing Author Day school visits around the country, and have increasingly heard a cry of dismay from librarians — their budgets get gobbled up by computer expenses, leaving little for them to buy new books.
I was fortunate as a child — we had many books in our home and my parents taught me to read at a young age. I did well in school, and between my school library, the public library, and our home library, there was never a shortage of books.
Enter some new, sobering facts to my understanding of the world:
• There’s a significant correlation between reading scores and the number of books in the home. (This makes total sense to me — of course there is.)
• In low income neighborhoods, there’s an average of 1 book for every 300 children. (One book for every three hundred children? If reading is the foundation for all subject areas, how will these children ever succeed?)
All these factors combined to create a desire in me to do something to help. So out of our mutual love for fitness and literacy, my husband and I have started a “running for reading” campaign to raise funds for school libraries and First Book. Kids all over the country will collect pledges to “run a marathon” (1 mile a day for 26 days) and “read a marathon” (26 minutes a day for 26 days), earning money for books for their library while also helping kids less fortunate than they by donating 10% to First Book.
Meanwhile, my husband and I will be collecting pledges (corporate and private) to run the 2007 ING New York City Marathon, with all money going directly to First Book. The great news is that my wonderful publisher Random House has offered to match the pledges my husband and I collect for running the marathon!
I hope you’ll explore the Exercise the Right to Read website — tell your fitness-minded friends, tell your local schools, and please sponsor the effort! Help us build a groundswell of support for First Book and the amazing work they do.
Step by step, book by book, we will make a difference!
Your Running for Reading Author,
Wendelin Van Draanen
P.S. In a hurry? Listen to a two-minute newscast overview of the Exercise the Right to Read program
9 responses so far ↓
1 Chrissy // Jul 23, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I think this program is a great idea and i completely agree that kids really need to start reading more…My name is Chrissy and I’m going into tenth grade next year. Up until recently i hated to read, especially required summer reading. Every year the school gives us a list of books and tells us we have to pick two books to read over the summer. This year your book Flipped was on the reading list, and it was the only one that really appealed to me. I just finished and I have to tell you, I thought it was the best book I’ve ever read, and I hate reading. We also have to do a creative project for one of the books and the whole time I was reading Flipped I kept thinking “Wow, this book would make a great movie.” So I deciced I was going to write a movie script for the book. Then I thought well, maybe i should find a way to contact Mrs. Wendelin and tell her how much of a great idea I thought it would be for her to make a movie out of it. Well, while searching for a way to contact you I read on a message board that it was already in progress. Let me tell you, I got so excited and I deffinately can’t wait to see it!
P.S. I really hope you’ll actually get this and read it because I know I’m just another fan who read your book, but I want you to know I really appreciate writers like you who make reading fun and write books easy to relate to.
2 Jared Cockrell // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:35 am
where did you get the idea to make the book “flipped” change in so many points of veiw?? im doin a project on you and your books for school
3 Jared Cockrell // Sep 25, 2007 at 10:39 am
Same with me but i in 7th and i think it would be a really good movie. they should make one!!!!! I live ME and go to marancook middle school
4 Angelica // Oct 12, 2007 at 9:47 am
Dear Wendlinn van Drann,
I love your Sammy Keyes books. In school, were reading “Sammy Keyes and the hotel theif.” Were not done but we LOVE it.we still dont know who the hotel theif is but it leaves us thinking. Also me and my reading partner Samantha R are reading Sammy keyes and the phyco kitty queen. sammy is kinda more calm in it but she still leaves us laughing! Hope you write more Sammy keyes books!
Your friend Angelica
5 Angelica // Oct 12, 2007 at 9:49 am
Dear Wendlin van Draan,
I love ur books especialy the hotel thief^_^! Sammy Keys is so cool! I cant belive she punched heather in the nose!i wonder who the hotel theif is! i never finished the book!its the first sammy keys book i ever read! my teacher mrs vigliotti is reading it to the whole class!i cant wait to see what happens! i have a question, are u going to write more books?
from angelica
6 Samantha // Oct 12, 2007 at 9:50 am
Dear Wendlin Van Draaen,
I love your book sammy keyes and the hotel theif!!It is so funny when sammy punches heather in the nose!!I am reading the book cyco kitty queen in a book club.Im reading it with my best friend Angelica V.Sammy keyes is so funny.My teacher Ms.V is reading a book and whenever she reads it to us at the end of the chapter we always whats er to go on.
Siincerely,
Samantha
7 Abby // Nov 28, 2007 at 11:50 am
Dear Wendelin Van Draanen,
I just finished reading Flipped. Now, for school, I have to do a biography on you. I am sooooooo excited!! I loved Flipped and I am planning on reading some more of your books. Please write some more so I don’t run out! I got an A+ on my book report for Flipped and I bet I will get a good grade on your bio too!!
8 fun facts for kids // Jul 1, 2008 at 9:07 pm
fun facts for kids…
How does the rss feed work so I can get updated on your blog?…
9 Katie B. // Jul 15, 2008 at 3:45 pm
To subscribe to the RSS feed simply click on the link that says RSS feed on the middle of the main First Book Blog page. Then click the ‘Subscribe Now’ button. Depending on your web browser, you can view the feed via your Bookmarks or in Internet Explorer via the main feeds button. Hope this helps!
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