YALSA NAMES WRESTLEMANIA® READING CHALLENGE FINALISTS
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist
312-280-2128
NEWS
For Immediate Release
CHICAGO
– Twenty-one regional winners in grades 5-12 from across the United States and Canada have won a chance to compete in the WrestleMania® Reading Challenge World Finals. The finals will be held at the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 27. The WrestleMania Reading Challenge is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and World Wrestling Entertainmentâ (WWEâ), with support from Mattel, Inc. and DK Publishing.
Students will compete in a trivia contest to win the title of World Champion for their age division and ringside tickets to WrestleMania. The finalists will answer questions posed by WrestleMania Reading Challenge spokespersons WWE Superstars John Morrison, Kofi Kingston and WWE Divas Nikki and Brie Bella. Will Weaver, author of “Super Stock Rookie”and “Saturday Night Dirt
,”will judge if the answers offered are correct.
Each regional winner won: a trip for two to Arizona; tickets to WrestleMania XXVI, which will be held at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 28; and $2,000 for their sponsoring library. More than 1,800 libraries participated in this year’s competition. Â Students read 10 items over a 10-week period, then designed and submitted bookmarks with a slogan to encourage reading.
The 2010 regional winners are:
Grades 9-12: Brian Keith Chest, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.; Tiffany Chu, Greensboro, N.C.; La’Quan Deen, Homestead, Pa.; Brian Gastelum, San Diego, Calif.; Elmaz Mahmutovic, Sioux Falls, SD;Â Samantha Luck, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; and Emz Hunsley, Edmonton, Alberta.
Grades 7-8: Katherine Bensburg, Mahopac, N.Y.; Daniel Davila, Avondale, Ariz.; Sofia Eury, Phoenix, Ariz.; Kyle Duane Hoskins, Louisville, Ky.; Liam Jose, Oshawa, Ontario; Nicholas Luz, Edmonton, Alberta; and Valarie Winkleman, Whiting, Ind.
Grades 5-6: Andrew Hill, La Porte, Texas; Melissa Rafet Dennis, Phoenix, Ariz.; Gabriel Murrell, Courtice, Ontario; Cindy Leung, Edmonton, Alberta; Jordan Piekarski, Lansing, Ill.; Ricki Roberts, San Diego, Calif.; and Sailesh Srinivas, Hicksville, N.Y.
“The WrestleMania Reading Challenge reaches a wide audience of teens and tweens with a message about the vital role books, reading and libraries can play in their lives,” said Linda W. Braun, YALSA president. “We’re pleased to offer this program with WWE, Mattel and DK and to encourage teens and tweens to read something for the fun of it.”
“Reading is the doorway to the Palace of Wisdom,” said John Morrison. Kofi Kingston added, “Reading helps you become the best that you can be. I’m looking forward to personally congratulating the finalists and proving to their peers that making reading a habit can pay off in a big way.”
About YALSA
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, films and audiobooks 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.
About WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc ., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly,
PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. Additional information on
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at
wwe.com and
corporate.wwe.com.
About Mattel:
Mattel, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAT,
www.mattel.com ) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco R/C®, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2010, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the third year in a row, and was ranked among
Corporate Responsibility
Magazine’s "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Mattel also is recognized among the “World’s Most Ethical Companies.” With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 27,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's vision is to be the world's premier toy brands—today and tomorrow.
About DK Publishing
DK Publishing is world renowned for its distinctive, highly visual books that inform, inspire, and entertain readers of all ages. Publisher of the recent
New York Times bestseller “Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide
,”among others, DK also publishes the award-winning Eyewitness series for children and
Eyewitness Travel Guides. DK is a division of Penguin Group (USA).
