Making kids fall in love with reading

Dr Seuss said it right: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Following his lines, Penguin Random House India, on completing 30 years in India is embarking on a journey of reading sessions and library contributions to 30 spaces spanning the country.

The Penguin Readathon and Book Gifting Journey covers a range of partners – from community libraries, shelter homes, informal schools, independent bookshops, organisations working with people with disabilities, an environment documentation centre, prisons and more.

"At Penguin Random House India, we believe in the power of reading and storytelling. By partnering with these spaces, we hope to expand the reach of books and reading to diverse communities and audiences," said the publishing house in a statement.

The partners have been selected in acknowledgement of the role they have played, and continue to play, in facilitating new and ever-expanding paths of discovery in their communities. All partners are involved in non-profit initiatives with a well-established reputation in the places they work in.

"There is no greater joy than to spread the love of reading, and Penguin's 30th anniversary theme is 'keep reading' - the mantra for the celebrations through this very special year. With this journey, we hope we will able to spread this joy to many more readers around the country," said Hemali Sodhi, Senior Vice President – Marketing and Publisher – Children's books.

The 30 partners who will join in this celebration and help spread the joy of reading and storytelling to their communities include 100 story house, Tura; A Native Tongue Called Peace, Imphal; Artsphere, Pune; Ashray Akruti, Hyderabad; Avalokiteśvara Trust, Dharamshala; Bebook Library, Goa; Bethany Society, Shillong; Bombay to Barcelona Library Cafe, Mumbai; Children's Home for Girls, Madikeri; Noida Deaf Society; Pratidhwani, project in prisons in Assam; The Community Library Project, Delhi and Walking Bookfairs in Odisha among many others.

The partners have expressed enthusiasm for the Penguin Readathon and Book Gifting Journey. Though they have diverse focus areas and audiences, they are united by a common love for storytelling. Abantee Dutta, director of Studio Nilima, a resource centre which works at the intersections of law, governance, culture, and society in Guwahati, says that this collaboration is about "unshackling a world of visions and dreams."

Another partner, Jemimah Marak, the founder the 100 Story House, a children's library and reading room in Tura which promotes reading and storytelling for children, says, "This initiative provides a chance for children here to experience the joy of reading good literature."

DPK Babu, Director of Ashray Akruti an NGO working with hearing impaired children from underprivileged backgrounds, says, "Developing reading habits in children with hearing impairment is very challenging. Ashray Akruti is extremely delighted to be associated with this initiative, and congratulate Penguin for taking up this noble initiative of donating books to children in charitable organisations."