Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing to give away books to new YALSA organizational members

Contact: Nichole Gilbert


312-280-4387


ngilbert@ala.org
For Immediate Release


September 6, 2005

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing to give away books to new YALSA organizational members

CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is looking for new organizational members who want to ‘Get Real! @ your library
®.’' Organizations that join YALSA between now and October 14 will receive a packet from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing that includes 5 young adult books, guides for reading groups, author visit information and more.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing is the publisher of numerous award-winning and best-selling books for teens such as the 2005 National Book Award winner “Godless” by Pete Hautman, the 2004 Michael L. Printz Award winner “The First Part Last” by Angela Johnson, as well as the popular series Mates, Dates by Cathy Hopkins and the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Organizations will find the special registration form needed to take advantage of this offer by visiting the Teen Read Week Web site
www.ala.org/teenread between now and October 14.

“We're thrilled that Simon & Schuster is ‘getting real’ with YALSA and welcome their generous support, exemplified by their book/guide-laden packet for new organizational members,” said YALSA President Pam Spencer Holley.

“We are very pleased to help YALSA in their admirable effort to call attention to and celebrate young adult books,” said Rick Richter, President & Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Members of YALSA will have access to a Member's Only Web Site with lists of annotated recommended books and films, access to a quarterly newsletter,
YAttitudes, as well as audio and print versions of speeches by the authors who have won the Michael L. Printz Award and the Margaret A. Edwards Award. A free subscription to YALSA's quarterly journal
Young Adult Library Services also is included with membership, and members receive discounts for ALA products and conferences. Another benefit of membership is eligibility to over $35,000 in grants and awards that YALSA administers each year.

Teen Read Week's nonprofit supporting organizations include: American Association of School Administrators, American Booksellers Association, Cable in the Classroom, KIDSNET, Kids Care, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Council of Teachers of English, SmartGirl.org, National Education Association, National School Board Association, PBS, Speak Up Press, International Reading Association,
TeenInk and The N/Noggin.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and New Line Cinema are Bestseller Corporate Sponsors; Harcourt, Kids Can Press, Lerner Publishing Group, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing are Classic corporate sponsors of Teen Read Week; and corporate friends of Teen Read Week are Holtzbrinck Publishers, Hyperion Books for Children, Marshall Cavendish, and Orca Book Publishers; Pamela Spencer Holley, YALSA President, is an individual friend of Teen Read Week.

Now in its eighth year, Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The theme for Teen Read Week 2005, “Get Real! @ your library
®,” encourages teens to explore the world of nonfiction.

For information and ideas about Teen Read Week and about teen reading click on
www.ala.org/teenread.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, one of the leading children's book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin Paperbacks, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Libros para niños, Little Simon
®, Little Simon Inspirations
®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight
®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and best-selling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy
®, Henry & Mudge
®, The Hardy Boys
®, Nancy Drew
®, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts
®, Nickelodeon's
® Dora the Explorer
® and SpongeBob SquarePants
®, HIT Entertainment's Bob the Builder
® and Rubbadubbers
®, and Mirage studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
®. Simon Spotlight, an imprint wholly devoted to media tie-ins, has become one of the fastest growing imprints in the children's book industry. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, visit
www.SimonSaysKids.com.

For more information, contact the YALSA office by e-mail at
yalsa@ala.org, or by phone at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4387.