CHICAGO, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Figure skating champion Michelle Kwan
will champion reading as the national campaign chair for the American Library
Association's (ALA) Teen Read Week, October 17-23, 1999. The campaign aims to
remind teens that reading is fun as well as important to their future success.
I'm delighted to support the ALA and this wonderful program," says Kwan,
the two-time World champion and three-time National Champion. "I absolutely
love to read; it's a huge part of my life. There is no limit to where you can
go and what you can do in books. Reading lets my imagination run wild.
Through this program, I hope to share my passion and enthusiasm for reading
with other people my age and encourage them to read more."
"We are thrilled to have Michelle on board for Teen Read Week. With
Michelle leading the team as an outstanding role model for teens, we know
we'll be able to reach thousands of young people to encourage them to 'read
for the fun of it'," says Joel Shoemaker, president of the Young Adult Library
Services Association (YALSA), a division of the Chicago-based ALA.
Kwan, 18, will attend UCLA full-time beginning this fall while continuing
to train and compete. An active writer as well as reader, Kwan has authored
"Winning Attitude" that will be released this September -- the first of eight
books planned with Hyperion.
The theme for Teen Read Week 1999 is "Reading Rocks! Read for the Fun of
It." Through a variety of activities at local libraries during Teen Read Week
-- from "read-ins" and poetry nights to author appearances and contests -- the
ALA hopes to inspire good reading habits and skills that lead to success in
school and a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. Not surprisingly, studies
show that teenagers who read more outside the classroom and talk about the
books they're reading have higher reading scores than those who don't.
For more information, check out the ALA's Teen Read Week Web site at
http://www.ala.org/teenread/ . The site includes tips for teens, parents and
teachers as well as recommended reading for all teens.
For more information on Teen Read Week, please contact Paul Cates at
Pro-Media Public Relations at 212-245-0510.
SOURCE American Library Association
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Related links:
http://www.ala.org/teenread
CONTACT:
Paul Cates of Pro-Media Public Relations,
212-245-0510, for the American Library Association
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