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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Media Inquiries contact:

Deb Shapiro: deb@shapiroandcompany.com; 202-290-2056

“#ArmMeWithBooks puts at our fingertips a directory of powerful stories to inspire young people and remind

them of the timeless values of hope, resilience, and empathy.”

—Po Murray, Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance and the Newtown Foundation

#ArmMeWithBooks

A CAMPAIGN AND A MISSION TO SUPPORT

AND COMFORT THE PARKLAND GENERATION

(NY, NY, December 13, 2018)—As the sixth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn shooting is upon us, we find ourselves in an era where these atrocities have become the norm, and where educators, students and parents are accustomed to lock-down drills. But as school gun violence and the precautions taken to try and guard against them have become a part of the fabric of our lives, it hasn’t become any easier to explain or discuss why these events happen, let alone how to deal with the fear, trauma and anxiety they instill. In such a climate, books can be a welcoming entrée to enable these conversations. To that end, Literary Safari, an independent studio that is committed to using storytelling as a powerful tool of change, is launching its #ArmMeWithBooks Campaign. The studio and more than 50 award-winning and bestselling authors have joined forces to create a booklist for readers of all ages. The list features titles to help guide, support and give comfort as children and teens grapple with how to engage in these challenging and emotional conversations. The campaign features the release of the #ArmMeWithBooks booklist, which also includes an original poem by the 2018 Arnold Adoff Poetry Award winner Nikki Grimes, as well as a social media campaign.

“There is an entire generation of American students who have grown up with lockdown drills—and with the awareness that school shootings are a remote but real possibility. The #ArmMeWithBooks book list is an important resource for parents, teachers, and librarians alike,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance and the Newtown Foundation. “It puts at our fingertips a directory of powerful stories to inspire young people and remind them of the timeless values of hope, resilience, and empathy.”

Raising awareness of school gun violence has been a focus of Literary Safari’s efforts in recent months. Founder and publisher, Sandhya Nankani, is a parent, and the Sandy Hook shooting had a profound effect on her. In the summer of 2018, the studio created a micro-fiction, graphic novella on Instagram, William H.G. Butler Middle School, which explored the subject of the impact of mass school shootings. When creating the story, the team asked themselves: If the fictional Butler Middle School were to host an All School Read program in the year following a mass shooting on its campus, which books would they select? This led them to create fictional versions of some popular books. But it also prompted them to wonder what the authors they admired and have worked with would recommend to young people growing up today. So they asked them.

Participating authors include Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate who recommends Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai; NY Times bestselling novelist Tracey Baptiste who recommends All American Boys by Jason Reynolds; Young People’s Poet Laureate Margarita Engle recommending Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, #NeverAgain by David Hogg and Lauren Hogg, and Dreamers by Yuyi Morales; and NY Times bestselling author Daniel José Older recommending The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk.

“In the years since Sandy Hook, I have constantly been on the lookout for materials that explore the social-emotional aspects of school shootings,” explained Nankani on her inspiration for #ArmMeWithBooks. “As a parent, and as a socially conscious children's media creator, I have been thinking for a long time about how to add a meaningful resource to the national conversation around gun violence and its impact on our young children. What a powerful statement it would be for storytellers, authors, librarians, and advocates for young people to join together to create a list that can empower and inspire young people.”

MORE ABOUT LITERARY SAFARI: Literary Safari is a NYC-based studio that creates inclusive award-winning print and digital children's media. Our literacy app HangArt was recognized as one of Common Sense Media's Best of EdTech in 2016 and our storytelling app Grandma's Great Gourd was featured in a special USA Today report on children's apps that highlight diversity. We are currently developing Story Seeds, a podcast where we pair children's story ideas with the imaginations of their favorite authors.

To download the book list, go to www.literarysafari.com/armewithbooks

To find out more about William H.G. Butler Middle School visit

www.instagram.com/williambutlerms