Fourth-graders from Glendale Adventist Elementary School helped others while they helped themselves this school year by participating in Scholastic Book Club's ClassroomsCare. The philanthropy-based literacy campaign is designed to teach children about the joys and importance of reading and giving.

From the first half of the 2006-2007 school year, students in Matthew Payne's classroom joined students across the country in attempting to read 100 books. In turn, Scholastic Book Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children’s publishing and media company, donated 100 books (for a total donation of up to one million new books) to disadvantaged children nationwide.

Four not-for-profit partners ensure that the books get into the hands of the hardest to reach and neediest children. Hello Friend®, First Book®, Reach Out and Read®, and Save the Children® will receive and distribute the donations to children in under-served communities across the U.S.

"It's wonderful to see children helping children through the ClassroomsCare program," said Judy Newman, president, Scholastic Book Clubs. "Asking classes to read 100 books is a great way to get students to read more. Showing children—for the first time in many cases—that they can make a difference in the lives of others is so important. Through ClassroomsCare, the students of Glendale Adventist Elementary School aren't just reading, they're reading to give."

Students discovered that reading many books for the purpose of helping others was a positive experience for them personally as well. "I was surprised that we could do so much in so little time," said Conner Clark.

When asked if she would read even more books to help other children, Axie Acosta answered, "Yes, I would do it again, because I like helping others!”

“Scholastic Book Club's ClassroomsCare offers both students and teachers an opportunity to celebrate the importance of reading and to demonstrate our spirit of service and sharing,” said Payne. "This is an excellent way for my students to learn how easy it can be to give to others. They are giving back to other children by doing what they love to do—read!"

This is the class’ second year participating in Scholastic's program. Last year, the class read more than 200 books, resulting in a donation of 200 books given to children in need. The class chose for those books to go to children in Louisiana, who had nothing to read following Hurricane Katrina.