From legendary designer, Ralph Lauren comes their Global Literacy Pony T-shirt, part of the charitable collection to support children’s literacy and education worldwide.  For every t-shirt sold, Ralph Lauren will donate 25% to RIF. Kids will love the design and you’ll love that proceeds to go a worthy cause – books for kids! They’re available online and at select Macy’s locations nationwide. Offer available now through October 31, 2015.

To celebrate the launch of the World of Eric Carle Collection, Quilted Koala is offering customers a 20% discount on all Quilted Koala products, including the Very Hungry Caterpillar collection! Quilted Koala will donate 10% of sales to Reading Is Fundamental. Available online now through September 30, 2015 – enter RIF at checkout to receive the discount and spark the donation.

Be fashion-forward by giving back this school year!

Helpful reminders:

• Ease into a new routine – from weekday dinners to homework and extracurricular activities, develop a routine that works for everyone and stick to it!
• Sleep tight – set specific bedtime and wake up routines to ensure you and your family get much-needed sleep to feel refreshed each day.
• Eat smart – make sure you and your family enjoy healthy meals and snacks that include whole grains, proteins, fresh fruit and vegetables to feed your brain.
• Be active – include physical exercise or play time in your routine to get the heart pumping and promote a healthy lifestyle. Jumping rope, playing tag football or Frisbee golf as a family can be a lot of fun!

In addition, check out these enriching games and activities on RIF.ORG:

• Zoo animals coloring pages in Spanish perfect for young children
• RIF A to Z coloring pages
• Our back-to-school maze
• Back-to-school reading activities
• August daily activity calendars

Also, our friends at LeapFrog have been hosting a free online summer camp and have terrific back-to-school resources and ideas to motivate and prepare kids for school.

Have a fantastic new school year ahead!

A big thanks goes out to Macy’s, their store associates and customers for making the 2015 Be Book Smart campaign a huge success!

We’ve also partnered with some of the best names in children’s literacy and learning to help children across the country discover a love of reading. Check out PBS KIDS Summer Safari for daily tips and adventures in science, social studies and more! Also, be sure to tune in to the PBS KIDS twitter party on July 15 at 2pm EST. Our very own Dr. Judy Cheatham will join the conversation! #PBSKIDSLearn.

Looking for additional resources? Visit Leapfrog’s Summer Camp where kids can explore the world around them online and in person. These fun activities are perfect to keep kids laughing, thinking and learning this summer.

Are you up for a challenge? The National PTA is currently hosting a Family Reading Challenge for families to read together and create memories to last a lifetime. The Challenge is a terrific way to stay engaged all summer long.

RIF is constantly updating our free online resources so check back often to discover new opportunities to inspire reading throughout the year!

Although Reeve has done numerous events at the museum over the years, this was the first time she was able to be up close to her father’s plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, as it is being renovated and is on the main floor. It was a poignant moment to hear her tell stories of her mom and dad and the airplanes they flew.

Nearly 100 children and their families joined Reeve as she read one of her books, Nobody Owns the Sky, the story of the first African American female pilot, Bessie Coleman. The children donned aviator masks, jackets and white scarves and listened to Reeve as she rhymed her way though the book’s passages. In typical RIF fashion, each child attending the event received their very own copy of Nobody Owns the Sky to take home.

To encourage learning about aviation and how planes work, download RIF’s activity sheet, a great companion to the book.

We are thankful to Reeve Lindbergh and our hosts at the National Air & Space Museum for a fun-filled morning of storytelling and look forward to soaring to new heights in the future!

For many children in our country, however, access to books during the summer is scarce. That’s where Macy’s comes in. From June 21 to July 12, you can provide a book for a child in need by giving $3 at your local Macy’s. As a thank you, you’ll receive $10 off* a purchase of $30 or more plus 20% or 15% off* storewide. 100% of your $3 donation benefits RIF and the kids we serve.

This July 4th, let’s all celebrate the things that make America great – including your generous spirit to help children read, learn and grow.

Looking for fun inspiration this summer? Check out RIF’s summer book lists, games and activities perfect for the whole family!

*Exclusions and restrictions apply.

• Three in five parents don’t believe their own children lose reading skills over the summer – however during the summer months, we know that all children are at risk of losing reading ability gained during the school year.
• The majority of parents agree all kids should have access to books – yet 2 out of 3 children living in poverty have no books to call their own.
• Roughly two-thirds of parents with young children (65%) say reading books during the summer is “extremely important.”
• During the school year, on average, parents of young children say their child spends about 5.7 hours a week reading books, on par with time spent using a smartphone or tablet (5.1 hours) or playing video games (4.6 hours).
• More than half of parents with young children (57%) say they will not leave home without a book for their children this summer.

The results of the survey, conducted by Harris Poll in May among 525 U.S. parents ages 22+ of 5-11 year-olds in school, are made public as Macy’s and RIF celebrate the 12th annual Be Book Smart campaign to support children’s literacy.

From now through July 12, Macy’s invites customers nationwide to give $3 at any register in-store to help provide a book for a child in need. As a thank you, Macy’s customers get $10 off a purchase of $30 or more PLUS 20% or 15% off storewide. Macy’s will donate 100% of every $3 to RIF. Since 2004, Macy’s has helped raise more than $32 million for RIF.

Let’s make sure all children have access to as many books as possible to inspire reading this summer!

From June 21 – July 12, 2015, give $3 at any local Macy’s store and you’ll help provide a book for a child who needs it most. As a thank you, Macy’s customers get $10 off a purchase of $30 or more PLUS 20% or 15% off storewide.*

The timing for the campaign couldn’t be better as we inspire children nationwide to embrace the joy of summer reading.

So be a book hero and participate today. When you do, you’ll be making summer a lot brighter for kids nationwide.

Learn more at Macys.com/RIF.

*Exclusions and restrictions apply. See Macy’s sales associate.

Our thanks to everyone at Nalle, especially the students, who made the day a special one! An additional thanks goes out to Macy’s who helped fund the books for students to support reading over the summer.