First Lady’s HOPE Foundation and Scholastic Books to partner with Guam Public Library System

June 3, 2009

The Guam Public Library System (GPLS), in collaboration with First Lady Joann G. Camacho’s HOPE Foundation and Scholastic Books, will kick off the 2009 Scholastic Summer Challenge at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Public Library in Hagåtña. The theme for this year is “Be Creative @ Your Library.”

The Scholastic Summer Challenge is a four-month global literacy campaign designed to motivate all children, with a particular focus on kids ages 8 and up, to read four or more books during the summer to maintain and improve their academic skills.

First Lady Camacho, who serves as Guam’s Reading Ambassador for the Scholastic Summer Challenge, will read to children at the kick-off event to get kids excited about reading. The First Lady is among 38 gubernatorial spouses from across the nation who serve as Reading Ambassador for their respective state or territory.

“Reading is vital to every society, and it allows all people the opportunity to become successful in life,” said the First Lady. “Summer reading is especially critical to the success of our children. This great cause will reinforce the importance of reading and teach our children that reading is not only confined to the classroom but should also be part of their summer activities.”

Through the First Lady’s HOPE Foundation, Scholastic Books will donate 500 books to GPLS that children can take home and read over the summer vacation.

As part of the GPLS Summer Reading Program, membership registration for the Summer Reading Club has been ongoing since May 11, 2009, and will subsequently end June 15, 2009. Interested individuals can sign up at any of the library branches in Hagåtña, Barrigada, Dededo, or with the Bookmobile, which visits various locations on island. The summer program will hold its “Wrap-Up Party” from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 25, 2009, at the Hagåtña branch.

“I want to thank First Lady Joann Camacho and Scholastic Books for their continued support of this program and our public libraries,” said GPLS Acting Director Joseph Baza. “They should be commended for their efforts in emphasizing the importance of literacy in our community.”