When you think of wrestling do you think of books? I never did. When I thought of wrestling, I thought of big, loud-mouth, trash talking wrestlers pounding someone into the mat, or jumping on them from ropes, or hitting them upside the head with a chair. Yeah…that’s how people usually think of wrestling and the WWE I’m guessing.
But hold on! There’s another side to the WWE – a softer, gentler side of those somewhat rowdy folk. They’re big believers in helping to promote literacy which also happens to be a huge passion of mine and the reason I began this blog over seven years ago. I wanted to promote books, get people excited about reading and mainly, get kids excited about it. I serve on the Cybils for the same reasons. So when I heard about this amazing thing the WWE was doing for literacy, I got right behind it.
The WWE is working with YALSA (we know that acronym pretty darned well here at AmoXcalli) and We Give Books in this most splendid initiative. Through Friday, March 7, students can sign up for the WrestleMania Reading Challenge at WWEReadingSuperstar.com. Through WWE’s expanded partnership with Pearson Foundation’s digital reading initiative, We Give Books, and YALSA, children between ages 4 and 12 can select a WWE Superstar Reading Buddy and read digital books to participate, while teens ages 13 to 18 can select a WWE Superstar Pen Pal, read a book and write an essay.
How cool is that?
But wait, there’s more!
WWE will make a financial contribution to We Give Books and YALSA to support literacy initiatives and provide access to books for children across the United States. The WWE and its Superstars will also continue to host reading celebrations, visiting kids at local schools and libraries to stress the importance of reading. The celebrations will include special visits from the We Give Books ReadMobile. We Give Books is a digital initiative created by the Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation to equip families, classrooms and libraries with print and online books for children. What kid wouldn’t want a WWW Superstar in their classroom?
Additionally, WWE will utilize all of its platforms, including TV broadcasts, Live Events, digital and social media to encourage children to read at school, at home, in their local library or wherever they’re inspired to read.
So sign up your kids, get teachers and students involved, let the schools in your community know about this initiative.
