Award-winning author, Hayley Rose joins Reading Is Fundamental of Southern CA ThanksGIVING Campaign

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 4, 2011 - Twenty-two of Southern California’s top children’s book authors -- including Caldecott-winner David Shannon, mulit-award-winner Hayley Rose, award-winner Avery Aames, José-Luis Orozco, Sheri Fink, Alva Sachs, and others -- have joined with Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California (RIFSoCal) to kick off the organization’s first-ever $20-2-1 ThanksGIVING Campaign, November 6-13, 2011. Every tax-deductible $20 donation to RIFSoCal at http://www.rifsocal.org will provide books for 2 children in the program for 1 year. In thanks, each donor receives free, downloadable gifts from each and every participating author.

Master of Ceremonies Dr. Danny Brassell, Southern California's favorite children's authors and kids from all over the Southern California area will kick off our campaign on Sunday, November 6, with a FREE storytime event from 1-3 p.m. at Jacobs Engineering, located at 1111 South Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, Calif. RIFSoCal invites kids and their parents for an afternoon of fun, celebration & free book giveaways to support children’s literacy in a time of critical need.

“Reading has become a casualty of government cutbacks and RIFSoCal is in a battle for survival,” explains Carol Henault, RIFSoCal’s executive director. “Congress has eliminated funding for Reading Is Fundamental for the first time in its 45-year existence, making our future uncertain and putting the future of our children’s literacy in jeopardy. I’m passionate about the magic of bringing books and children together. I believe the time to act is now; this campaign enables everyone to help us help our children.”

Participating authors include:

Daryl Wood Gerber a.k.a. Avery Aames
Best-selling author of Agatha Award-winning
A Cheese Shop Mystery Series

Gladys Elizabeth Barbieri
Author of Rubber Shoes ... A Lesson in Gratitude

Martha Barrios
Founder of Frijolitos Latino educational toys

Danny Brassell, Ph.D.
Professor of Teacher Education, California State University Dominguez Hills; literacy and motivation expert

Yasmeen Christian
Author of bestsellers The Day Marcie Didn't
Talk to Her Friends; Ava Had a Bad Hair Day

Cindy Conway
“The Library Fairy” storyteller, author of
The Magical Tree & Musical Wind

Elle Febbo
Author of bestseller What Love Is A-Z

Sheri Fink
Author of bestseller of The Little Rose

Cora Burns Forcell
Author of Jemmie’s Big Day, librarian, storyteller

Teresa de Grosbois
Speaker, business trainer, author

Dennis Komick
Author of Brodie & The Yeti Linda Faye Long
Educator, author, visual and performing arts teacher

Laura Marlowe
Author of Tommy, the Throwaway Dog

Diane Namm
Children's author of more than 65 titles,
award-winning playwright

José-Luis Orozco
Bilingual educator, children’s author
and recording artist

Nic Quinn a.k.a. Nic The Artist
Coloring & activity series artist of American popular musicians

Hayley Rose
Multi-award-winning author of Fifo “50 States” and Fifo “When I Grow Up”

Richard Rosser
Film director, author of Piggy Nation: A Day at Work With Dad, now a musical and comic strip

Alva Sachs
Author of award-winning Circus Fever & more

David Shannon
Author/illustrator of more than 25 children’s book, including the Caldecott winner, No, David!

Jeannine Thomas
Author of Nutter the Survivor

Dennis Yang
Author of Papa Didos series, founder of Papa Didos Ideals Foundation

About RIFSoCal
Since 1972, Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California (RIFSoCal) has improved literacy by helping children discover the magic of reading for fun. Using a network of 7,000+ volunteers at 300 sites throughout Greater Los Angeles, RIFSoCal annually provides over 300,000 new, free books of choice, together with motivational reading activities, to build the home libraries of more than 100,000 children and their families. For more information, please visit http://www.RIFSoCal.org.