What happens when you bring together 1,000 books, a room full of young readers, an author, and one very popular Cat Ninja?
A pretty epic day of reading!
On August 15, Epic joined Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood to celebrate the opening of a new reading corner for local kids and families. Together, Epic and RIF donated 1,000 children’s books to fill the new space, creating a welcoming place where kids can explore new stories, find books that match their interests and simply enjoy reading.
For 60 years, Reading Is Fundamental has worked to help children discover the joy of reading and build the skills they need to become lifelong readers. Today, RIF is the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, providing books, literacy resources and research-based programs to children, families and educators across the country.
Since its founding, RIF has reached more than 237 million children and distributed nearly 430 million books. Volunteers, teachers, and advocates have helped bring that work to life, and approximately 25 million children benefit from RIF books and reading resources each year.
At the heart of RIF’s work is a simple idea: Kids need opportunities to find books they want to read and make reading part of their everyday lives.
That makes RIF a natural partner for Epic. By bringing together RIF’s experience expanding access to books and literacy resources with Epic’s digital library of more than 40,000 books, audiobooks and learning videos, we can give kids even more ways to discover what they love to read.
Bringing Reading Into the Community
Reading Corners are one way RIF brings that mission directly into communities.
Designed for schools and community sites, RIF’s Reading Corners transform spaces into welcoming places for kids to read and explore. Each includes a collection of 1,000 books, an inspiring wall art installation, and refreshed reading area with bookshelves, reading rug, and seating. The inviting space is paired with a book celebration event to welcome kids to the new space and get them excited about reading.
At the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood, that meant creating a new space kids can return to long after opening day.
And there was plenty to celebrate at the launch.
A Day Full of Stories
More than 230 children and parents joined us for an afternoon packed with books and fun.
Kids explored the new collection, participated in literacy activities and took home RIF books of their own. They also had the chance to explore Epic’s digital library on iPads, giving them another way to discover stories and topics that caught their attention.
Author Seina Wedlick joined the celebration for a special reading of her picture book Naming Ceremony, a story about family, community and tradition.
And, of course, Cat Ninja couldn’t miss the fun! He stopped by to meet young readers and pose for plenty of photos.
So Many Ways to Find a Great Book
One of our favorite parts of the day was watching kids discover stories in all kinds of ways.
Some picked up a new book from the shelves. Others explored titles on Epic. Some joined a read-aloud or discovered a story through an activity.
However they found their way to a book, the goal was the same: make reading feel fun, welcoming and full of possibilities.
“Reading should be accessible, engaging and joyful for every child,” said Julia Horowitz, Chief Content Officer at Epic. “By partnering with Reading Is Fundamental and the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood, we’re creating a space where children can discover books that reflect their interests, build confidence as readers and develop lifelong reading habits.”
That shared belief in expanding access to books and creating joyful reading experiences is at the heart of RIF’s work, too.
“This reading corner represents what is possible when organizations come together around a shared commitment to children’s literacy,” said Alicia Levi, President & CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. “At RIF, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy and power of reading. That means not only putting books into children’s hands, but creating meaningful opportunities for them to explore stories, build confidence and develop a lifelong relationship with reading. By combining access to books, engaging literacy experiences and innovative digital resources, we can meet young readers in more ways and help inspire a love of reading that extends far beyond this space.”
Together, Epic, RIF and the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood, are bringing that idea to life by giving kids opportunities to pick up a book, explore it digitally, join a literacy activity or simply find a comfortable place to read.
Building More Ways to Read
The new Reading Corner reflects a shared belief between Epic and RIF that there isn’t just one way to help a child become a reader.
Kids benefit from having choices and opportunities to explore. That can mean selecting a book to take home, listening to a read-aloud, discovering a new series digitally or finding a welcoming space where they can sit down with a story.
RIF has spent six decades bringing those experiences into homes, schools and communities, while Epic helps extend that access digitally. Together, we can help make more books and reading experiences available wherever kids are.
Keep Reading!
The celebration may be over, but the new reading corner is just getting started.
The shelves are stocked, the books are ready and a whole lot of stories are waiting to be discovered.
We can’t wait to see which characters, topics and stories kids discover next. Because one great book can lead to another, and another…and another!her!
Frequently Asked Questions
▶ What is Reading Is Fundamental?
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) (www.rif.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest children’s literacy nonprofit. For 60 years, RIF has worked to inspire the joy of reading and provide children with books, literacy resources and programs that help them become confident, lifelong readers. RIF has reached more than 212 million children and distributed 430 million books since its founding.
▶What is a RIF Reading Corner?
RIF Reading Corners create or refresh dedicated reading spaces in schools and community sites. Reading Corners include a 1,000-book collection and are paired with a book celebration designed to get kids excited about reading.
▶ HHow does the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood support kids’ literacy?
The Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood gives kids a place to learn, explore and grow outside the classroom. Its new Reading Corner gives local children access to print books, digital reading experiences and literacy activities in a space designed just for reading and discovery.”
▶ Why is access to books important for kids?
Having books available at home, school and in the community gives kids more opportunities to find stories, characters and topics that interest them. More choice also gives kids different ways to explore reading and find the books that make them want to keep going. You can read more about how book access improves literacy outcomes for children here: https://www.rif.org/blogs/how-book-access-improves-literacy-outcomes-children
