Soar With Reading and Imaginations Fly Higher Than Ever: JetBlue
Airways and Random House Children's Books Partner for Joint Summer
Reading Initiative
Fourth Annual Soar With Reading Program Launches With
Bestselling "Magic Tree House" Author, Mary Pope Osborne, Focusing
on Increasing Awareness of Nation's Literacy Issues
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired
- May 28, 2014) - JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announces its fourth annual
Soar with Reading program, an award-winning summer literacy
initiative that helps place age-appropriate books in the hands of
children in underserved areas. For the second year in a row,
JetBlue will work with Random House Children's Books and
bestselling author Mary Pope Osborne, known for her Magic Tree
House® series which features the adventures of brother-sister duo
Jack and Annie. JetBlue will donate up to $500,000 worth of Magic
Tree House books, host reading events across the country and launch
a new mobile app to encourage children to embark on the greatest
adventure of all -- reading. With the nation's most recent report
card reflecting stagnant reading scores for high school seniors,
Soar with Reading is focused on inspiring, encouraging and sharing
the gift of reading starting at the grade-school level.
"Our customers and crewmembers told us that education and
children are the causes most important to them. Reading is
fundamental for a good education and access to age-appropriate
books is very important in building a strong foundation," said
Icema Gibbs, JetBlue's Director of Corporate Social Responsibility.
"We feel it is important to provide opportunities for children
nationwide to have access to books in order to work towards solving
this national literacy issue."
This year's program highlights Osborne's new book, Magic
Tree House #52: Soccer on Sunday (a), in which
characters Jack and Annie must track down the key to greatness from
one of soccer's biggest stars, Pelé, as well as the nonfiction
companion book, Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #29:
Soccer (b).
"Throughout my career, I have seen the life-changing impact that
reading and access to books can have on children," says author Mary
Pope Osborne. "I am thrilled to once again be part of a literacy
campaign that so perfectly aligns with my mission to reach
underserved children across the country through the magic of
reading."
To celebrate the launch of these books and inspire children's
imaginations to take flight, JetBlue is asking customers to help
the airline donate up to $500,000 worth of Magic Tree House books
to kids in need by guessing where the storybook characters, Jack
& Annie, are traveling. To place a guess, consumers can
discover clues on their whereabouts in three ways -- by visiting
www.SoarWithReading.com, using the new Soar with Reading mobile
app, and through the inflight TV entertainment on JetBlue flights.
Each guess triggers a book donation on behalf of the participant
and participants can enter into a bi-weekly sweepstakes to win a
JetBlue Getaways vacation package. Additionally, one lucky family
of four will win a grand prize JetBlue Getaways vacation (c).
The new Soar with Reading program website
www.SoarwithReading.com and a new mobile app that will launch in
July will also feature activities, resources for families, and
more. The app, which will debut this summer, allows consumers to
take new or existing photos from their devices and add Magic Tree
House themed frames and stickers. The app will also feature chapter
samplers for six Magic Tree House books, including the newest
releases. In addition, passport booklets filled with
activities to encourage summer reading will be
distributed at JetBlue terminals across the U.S. and throughout the
Caribbean through August.
"We are excited to continue our successful partnership with
JetBlue on the Soar with Reading initiative, and delighted that
Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House books are once again the
center of it," says Barbara Marcus, President & Publisher,
Random House Children's Books. "Getting books into the hands of
kids in underserved areas is a commitment we are proud to share
both with JetBlue and Mary Pope Osborne."
JetBlue will take reading on the road with a six-city nationwide
tour to celebrate the Soar with Reading Program and Osborne's new
book, Soccer on Sunday. The tour kicks off in Boston on
May 28, 2014 at Gillette Stadium with the New England Revolution.
The free event will feature a complimentary copy of the book for
each child, a reading by Mary Pope Osborne, a performance by Jack
and Annie, and appearances by Revolution players, Revolution mascot
and JetBlue crewmembers.
JetBlue will host five other free events in Fort Lauderdale, Los
Angeles, New York, Orlando and Washington, DC featuring free books,
live book readings, theater performances, celebrity appearances,
soccer clinics and more. Soar with Reading events will be hosted in
partnership with Random House Children's Books, Mary Pope Osborne
and professional soccer teams in each market.
To learn more about JetBlue's Soar with Reading Program and for
an event schedule, visit www.SoarWithReading.com.
ABOUT JETBLUE AIRWAYSJetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline,
and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Los
Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more
than 30 million customers a year to 85 cities in the U.S.,
Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 825 daily flights.
New service to Hyannis, Mass. begins this summer. With JetBlue, all
seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, an overnight stay is
never required and the first checked bag is free (subject to weight
and size limits and exceptions for itineraries including flights
marketed or operated by other airlines). For more information
please visit JetBlue.com.
ABOUT RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN'S BOOKSRandom 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,
novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children's
Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators,
world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series.
The company's website, Kids @ Random (www.randomhousekids.com),
offers an array of activities, games, and resources for children,
teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children's Books is a
division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
ABOUT MAGIC TREE HOUSE®Widely regarded among parents, teachers,
and librarians for its power to instill a passion for reading, Mary
Pope Osborne's award-winning Magic Tree House series is an
international phenomenon and has sold more than 120 million books
worldwide since its debut in 1992, and has been translated into 33
different languages in over 30 international markets. There are
currently 52 Magic Tree House books and 29 Fact Trackers, the
nonfiction companions to the fiction titles. All Magic Tree House
books are available in print, as ebooks and Listening Library audio
books, which are all narrated by Mary Pope Osborne. The Magic Three
House Fact Trackers is a best-selling series of non-fiction books
that expand on the Magic Tree House fiction. Mary's husband, Will
Osborne, created the series in 1999, writing eight titles. Her
sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, now writes the non-fiction and has
completed more than twenty additional titles. These books give
children an appreciation for the wonders of the "real" world and
inspire a curiosity for learning more about history and natural
science.
ABOUT MARY POPE OSBORNEMARY POPE OSBORNE is an ardent
advocate and supporter of child literacy, and the award-winning
author of more than 100 books for children and young adults,
including novels, retellings of mythology and folklore, picture
books, biographies, mysteries, and the phenomenally bestselling
Magic Tree House books. From 1993-1997, Ms. Osborne served
as president of the Authors Guild, the country's leading
organization for published authors. She has traveled extensively in
the U.S. and abroad, visiting schools and speaking on issues
related to children's literacy. She has spoken at the UN regarding
the importance of worldwide literacy and was profiled on NBC's
Rock Center with Brian Williams for her continued efforts.
Mary has donated hundreds of thousands of books to children in need
through her "Gift of Books" program, which distributes books to
Title 1 funded schools. She and her husband Will have arranged
special donations of Magic Tree House books to Title 1 schools in
Alaska; the Navajo Nation; Newark, NJ; Jacksonville and
Orlando, FL; Portland, OR; New Orleans, LA; and Staten Island
(after Hurricane Sandy) and awarded approximately 1700 individual
grants to teachers of Title 1 funded schools. Their personal
contributions have put hundreds of thousands of books in the hands
of underserved children.
(a) Magic Tree House #52: Soccer on Sunday (Random House
Books for Young Readers / On sale May 27, 2014 / $12.99 / Ages
7-10)
(b) Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #29: Soccer by Mary Pope
Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce (Random House Books for Young
Readers / On sale May 27, 2014 / $4.99 / Ages 7-11)
(c) NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR RECEIVE A
PRIZE. Sweepstakes begins at 12:00:01 a.m. EDT on May 26,
2014 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT on August 31, 2014.
To enter Sweepstakes and obtain complete Official Rules, go
to www.SoarWithReading.com. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of
the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are
18 years or older at the time of entry. (1) Grand Prize valued at
$6,336, (6) First prizes each valued at $1,611, and (5) Second
Prizes each valued at $140 will be awarded. Total approximate
retail value of all prizes to be awarded: $16,702. Odds of winning
depend upon the number of eligible entries received. Void in Puerto
Rico, outside the U.S. and where prohibited and restricted by law.
Sweepstakes subject to complete official rules. Sponsor: JetBlue
Airways, 27-01 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City, NY
11101.
The following files are available for download:
- Soar With Reading
- Random House Children's Books
MEDIA CONTACTSJetBlue Corporate CommunicationsTel: +1 718 709
3089corpcomm@jetblue.com
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