Pittsburgh— U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond Simon, First Book® Senior Vice President Lynda Lancaster and Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt today highlighted the importance of reading and presented free books to students at Pittsburgh Fulton PreK-5 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The donation included some of the 400,000 new books provided by Random House Children's Books, First Book and the U.S. Department of Education as part of the 2007 Holiday Book Donation. The effort is designed to provide brand new, age appropriate children's books to schools, libraries and literacy organizations serving low-income youth across the country.

"We know that reading is the essential skill for success in school and throughout one's lifetime," Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said. "Children need access to books in their schools, homes and libraries in order to improve and maintain their reading skills. The books we're donating today, in partnership with First Book will ensure that students in Pittsburgh, and other high-need communities, have the resources to continue reading and learning."

"Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of learning and reading with new books of their very own," said Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book. "By partnering with the Department of Education and Random House Children's Books, First Book is helping to share the delight and excitement of new books with thousands of disadvantaged children across the country." First Book is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books.

"Reading is a gift that sparks the imagination and opens new doors for children of all ages," said Chip Gibson, president of Random House Children's Books. "Random House is proud to be part of the 2007 Holiday Book Donation to help make a lifetime of difference to children in need during this season of giving."

Random House Children's Books is the world's largest English-language children's trade book publisher, creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats, from board books to activity books to picture books and novels. The company's award-winning website, www.randomhouse.com/kids offers an array of materials and activities free of charge for children, teens, parents and educators.

Today's book donation is the latest distribution in the Book Donation Campaign. The Campaign is a multi-year effort of the U.S. Department of Education, First Book and a host of major U.S. book publishing companies to promote literacy and supply books to children in need. Since 2006, including the books earmarked for this donation, campaign partners and contributors have collaborated to distribute over two million books across the nation.

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