Follett, Acclaimed Author Kwame Alexander Announce Partnership

MCHENRY, Ill., Oct. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/  Follett and Kwame Alexander, one of the country's most acclaimed and innovative children's book authors, today announced they have formed a partnership to launch All Books for All Kids, a literacy campaign to ensure children have access to a wide range of books no matter their background. The partnership will be formally introduced Saturday (Oct. 13) in Miami, where Alexander is touring to promote his new book, Swing.

The partnership teams Follett – the largest provider of educational materials and technology solutions to PreK-12 libraries, classrooms, learning centers and school districts in the United States – with Alexander, a New York Times Bestselling Author, Newbery Medalist, global literacy advocate, and Founding Editor of Versify, the new publishing imprint from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Alexander will curate the content for the campaign, which will feature his works plus a collection of new artists and authors.

"It was Lois Lowry who said, 'Kids deserve the right to think that they can change the world.' How they begin to imagine a better world is through books," Alexander said. "Literature can help them see what's possible, can help them be more connected to each other. Books can ultimately help them, help us become more human. But we can't segregate the books. All the books should be for all the kids."

"Follett and I both believe in All Books for All Kids and together we're going to introduce kids to books they may have never have thought of reading, books that will entertain and enlighten, books that hopefully will help them imagine a better world and their role in making it so," continued Alexander, who in 2015 was honored with the Newbery Medal for The Crossover, his novel-in-verse about 12-year-old basketball-playing twins. The medal, presented by the American Library Association, is considered the highest award for children's literature.

Follett Book Fairs, launched a year ago, will be one key vehicle used to help promote the All Books for All Kids campaign, according to Britten Follett, senior vice president, marketing for Follett School Solutions. Not only will Alexander's curated content be prominently displayed at the events, he will make a surprise visit to a few schools hosting a Follett Book Fair this year.

"We are thrilled to launch this campaign with Kwame because, like him, we believe it's crucial to expose kids to books they may not otherwise think about reading," Follett said. "The goal is for Kwame's hand-selected content to help all kids become more socially aware and have greater compassion for other people regardless of their race, culture and socioeconomic status. If we can get these kinds of books in kids' hands, they will better understand their neighbors and the world."

In addition to Follett Book Fairs, the partnership calls for Alexander to play a key role with the Follett Challenge, the company's annual contest that rewards schools and districts with innovative educational programs that teach 21st century skills to students. Not only will he serve as a judge for the 2019 Follett Challenge, which launches later this month, but he will make a personal appearance at the celebration annually held for the winning school.

For more information about Follett, visit www.FollettLearning.com. For more information about Alexander, visit https://kwamealexander.com.

About Kwame Alexander | https://kwamealexander.com 
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and the New York Times Bestselling author of 28 books, including SWING, SOLO, and REBOUND, the follow-up to his Newbery-medal winning middle grade novel, THE CROSSOVER. Some of his other works include BOOKED, a NATIONAL BOOK AWARD Nominee, THE PLAYBOOK: 52 RULES TO HELP YOU AIM, SHOOT, AND SCORE IN THIS GAME OF LIFE, and the picture books, OUT OF WONDER, SURF'S UP, and THE UNDEFEATED. The 2018 NEA Read Across America Ambassador, Kwame, is also the host and producer of the literary variety/talk show, Bookish, which airs on Facebook Watch, the co-founding director of LEAP for Ghana an initiative that recently built a health clinic and library in the village of Konko, and the Founding Editor of VERSIFY, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers.

About Follett's PreK-12 Business| FollettLearning.com
Follett is the largest provider of educational materials and technology solutions to PreK-12 libraries, classrooms, learning centers and school districts in the United States, and a major supplier to educational institutions worldwide. Follett distributes books, reference materials, digital resources, ebooks and audiovisual materials, as well as pre-owned textbooks. Follett also is one of the leading providers of integrated educational technology for the management of physical and digital assets, the tracking, storing and analyzing of academic data, and digital learning environment tools for the classroom focusing on student achievement.

Find Follett on Facebook, and follow on Twitter (@FollettLearning).

About Follett Corporation | Follett.com
Follett Corporation is the world's largest single source of books, entertainment products, digital content and multi-media for libraries, schools and retailers. Headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, Follett provides education technology, services and physical and digital content to millions of students at 70,000 schools more than 2,850 physical and virtual campus stores in North America. Through Baker & Taylor, Follett's reach also extends to the public library and global retail markets.

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