The Random House Literacy Initiative

Random House, Inc. & First Book: It's all about books.

Random House is proud to announce a new Matching Gifts Program that will help put brand-new books directly into the hands of children who need them most.

Every donation that you - as a Random House employee, author, illustrator, vendor, or as an agent - make the First Book, the celebrated national literacy organization, will be matched dollar for dollar.

The single most important thing that can be done to raise the literacy rate in our country is to ensure that children have access to books. The number of books in the home is the only measure that correlates directly with reading scores. Simply having age-appropriate books at home can dramatically change the course of an otherwise disadvantaged child’s life.

But life without books is a reality for millions of children in America today. In low-income neighborhoods, studies show that there is just one book for every 300 children, compared to 13 books for every child in middle-income neighborhoods.

The need is great, but so is the opportunity to make a difference.

Since 1992, First Book has been placing brand-new books in the hands of children in need, profoundly affecting their lives. The First Book model was developed to leverage the work of local heroes who reach children through existing literacy programs in a variety of settings. Such as Head Start centers, libraries, soup kitchens, churches, housing projects, and after-school initiatives. After receiving books, First Book surveys verify that a child’s interest in reading more that doubles, and that in turn the child shares that passion with others in the family.

First Book has distributed 50 million books over the past 15 years, but that’s only a start. Random House is making a historic multiyear commitment to First Book because we believe that together we can have an even bigger impact.

We invite you to join the Random House Literacy Initiative and help give a child the chance to learn to love books and stories – a love that he or she will carry for a lifetime.