Publishing company gives books to kids

Chooseco of Waitsfield, publisher of the Choose Your Own Adventure books series, plans to donate one new book to a child in need for every Facebook fan it receives in November. 

The Children’s Literacy Foundation of Waterbury will distribute the books.

“At our sixth year in business, we have reached a point where we can give back to the community that matters most to us: Kids who need books,” said publisher Shannon Gilligan. “CLiF is a group we are familiar with for its creative work promoting children’s literacy, and we are pleased to know that this donation will be used to help kids who are up against life challenges that may be interfering with their reading development.”

CLiF targets two groups of children from birth to age 12 — children in rural communities, where resources are limited, and children who are at high risk of growing up with low literacy skills. Through 16 free programs, CLiF serves young readers and writers who have the greatest needs, including children in shelters, children in low-income housing, children of prison inmates, refugee children, migrant children, children from low-income families, children in Head Start, children in communities undergoing severe economic challenges, and many other at-risk youth.

“When the series was launched by Bantam Books in the early 1980s, children’s series weren’t as popular as they are today,” says Chooseco CEO R.A. Montgomery. “Bantam seeded the marketplace by donating books to libraries nationwide. This has always stuck with me, and I am very pleased we will once again be bringing Choose to children with limited resources.”

To participate in the giveaway, visit Facebook.com/ChooseYour OwnAdventure and “Like” the page. For every “Like” in November, Chooseco will donate one book to CLiF. Information: Melissa Bounty, 496-2595, extension 210; mbounty@chooseco.com.