Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist
312-280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
For Immediate Release
July 31, 2007
YALSA welcomes Mirrorstone as
Teen Read Week Corporate Sponsor
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce Mirrorstone™, an imprint of Wizards of the Coast, is the 2007 Corporate Sponsor of Teen Read Week™ (TRW ).
Founded in 2004, Mirrorstone publishes fantasy fiction for children and teens with a goal of turning reluctant readers into lifelong readers, which meshes well with TRW’s mission to encourage teens to read just for the fun of it.
“Mirrorstone supports Teen Read Week because its whole premise is to get teens reading for fun,” said Stacy Whitman, Mirrorstone editor. “Studies show that kids who read for fun tend to have higher reading scores—not to mention it’s just plain fun to get lost in a story you enjoy. We know the important role libraries play in reaching young adult readers and feel that Teen Read Week is a fun way to spark what we hope to become a lifetime of reading for each teen. YALSA supports that goal not just during TRW, but year-round.”
Mirrorstone’s generous support will fund a number of TRW initiatives, including training for librarians, recognition for libraries with outstanding TRW events and a YALSA membership drive. The first fifty new regular members who join YALSA through the Teen Read WeekÔ Web site, www.ala.org/teenread, will receive, courtesy of Mirrorstone, the Chronicles for Young Readers gift set by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which includes copies of “A Rumor of Dragons,” “Night of the Dragons,” “The Nightmare Lands,” “To the Gates of Palanthas,” “Hope’s Flame” and “Dawn of the Dragons.”
YALSA members become part of a growing network of over 5,550 library workers who share their interest in teen library services. Members receive YAttitudes, YALSA’s quarterly electronic newsletter, a free subscription to YALSA’s quarterly journal, Young Adult Library Services and the opportunity to participate in committees such as YALSA’s Printz Award Committee. Members will also receive discounts for ALA products, books and conferences, as well as eligibility to win more than $35,000 in grants and awards that YALSA administers each year.
Now in its 10th year, Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. The purpose of the event is to increase the number of teens who are regular readers and library users. It began in 1998 and is celebrated the third week in October. The 2007 theme is “LOL @ your library,” which encourages teens to read something humorous or light, just for the fun of it. Teen Read Week 2007 will be October 14–21, 2007. For more information, visit the Teen Read Week Web site at www.ala.org/teenread.
About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons®, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best sellers. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit their website at www.wizards.com. For more information on the Mirrorstone imprint visit www.mirrorstonebooks.com.
About YALSA
For 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.
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