Westport, CT (February 14, 2006)

A student reading at the Willard Elementary School in Southeastern Kentucky.

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings joins governors, senators and other lawmakers from across the country on Valentine’s Day today as they share their love for books and reading with children participating in Save the Children's in-school and after-school literacy programs.

As part of the celebration, heart-shaped "Valentine to Reading" cards written by the lawmakers will be posted in classrooms today alongside Valentines composed by the children. Save the Children's literacy program benefits more than 20,000 kids in rural communities in 12 states.

Secretary Spellings said her favorite book is Charlotte's Web and added, "I love reading because I love being inspired by the stories of people who have overcome adversity in their lives. A book is a great way to get a little escape from the day to day routine by exploring new places and learning about the world and yourself... all without leaving your couch!"

Arizona Sen. John McCain shared his appreciation for reading in his Valentine, writing, "I love reading because reading has the ability to free you from the limitations of daily life. The things you can do only in dreams, you can do in a book. Want to climb Mount Everest? Think you would make a good third baseman for the Diamondbacks? Wish you could scuba dive with Sponge Bob? All that and more can happen in your living room."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee noted in his Valentine: “I love reading because it’s a fun way to learn new things, have exciting adventures and, most importantly, share some of my most favorite stories with my family. One of my favorite books to read to my sons when they were young was Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.”

Sen. Diane Feinstein of California wrote: “I love reading because it opens different worlds to me as well as new ideas. I like to read about other people and their lives. I also learn with every book I read.”

Hundreds of children also participated in writing Valentine tributes to reading. "I love reading because you can learn different words, like I recently read a book that has a word that is procrastinate," wrote a fifth grader from McCain’s home state of Arizona. The student said her favorite book is Bad Dog Max.

The goal of Save the Children's in-school, after-school and summer literacy programs is to narrow the rural literacy opportunity gap by helping children in some of America's poorest rural communities.

"Children in underprivileged rural communities are at a greater risk of falling behind because they are many years behind their peers at the outset," said Mark K. Shriver, head of Save the Children's U.S. programs. "Our model literacy programs focus on literacy skill development to help these children read at grade level, which will not only help them succeed in school, but ultimately achieve their goals in life."

Save the Children has made literacy its main priority in rural America because children in these communities face significant educational, social and economic challenges. In the target communities where Save the Children works, 70 percent of children cannot read at grade level as compared to the 38 percent national average. Also, youth from these poor communities have a higher school dropout rate (20 percent) than their urban peers (15 percent). Through its model literacy programs, Save the Children is helping children at risk in 50 sites throughout Appalachia, the Southeast, the Mississippi River Delta, the Southwest and California's Central Valley.

"Encouraging a lifelong love affair with books is the best gift to give a child this Valentine's Day," said Shriver. "When children cultivate a love for reading, they become self-motivated learners and are more engaged in the world around them. Creating this bond with books and reading is especially important for children in rural communities, who traditionally face many barriers to learning and are more likely to have negative outcomes in education, overall health and ultimately employment and quality of life."

I Love Reading Because…

ARIZONA - ARKANSAS - CALIFORNIA - KENTUCKY - MISSISSIPPI
NEVADA - NEW MEXICO - SOUTH CAROLINA - TENNESSEE

ARIZONA

Sen. John McCain: "I love reading because reading has the ability to free you from the limitations of daily life. The things you can do only in dreams, you can do in a book. Want to climb Mount Everest? Think you would make a good third baseman for the Diamondbacks? Wish you could scuba dive with Sponge Bob? All that and more can happen in your living room."

Sen. Jake Flake identified the Bible as his favorite book and wrote in his Valentine, “I love reading because reading broadens my horizons. Through reading, I can go places and do things that I could do in no other way. Also being a good reader makes everything else easier.”

State Sen. and former President of the Navajo Nation Albert Hale encouraged children to read in his Valentine. “Reading opens up the world for us. We are able to see new places and develop an understanding of other people through reading. We are also given the opportunity to tell our stories through books. Many of our leaders have books written about them. It is important to read their stories and realize the hardships they endured in order to become who they are today.”

State Rep. Bill Konopnicki wrote in his Valentine’s card: “I love reading because reading a book is like going on an adventure. Every turn of the page brings pictures to your view that can only come from your own imagination.”

State Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick shared: “It was the story of Thomas Jefferson that inspired me to become a lawyer, play the violin and to run for the Arizona House of Representatives. You never know where a book will lead you!”

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ARKANSAS

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: “I love reading because reading allows my imagination to take me places and directions that videos and movies can’t take me. Reading lets me savor the special points of a story without having to hit the ‘rewind’ button, and lets me take in the story and characters at my pace instead of that of a director or editor. My favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, because it so artfully challenges the horrible consequences of bigotry and displays the real meaning of character and courage.”

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln identified A Wrinkle in Time as her favorite book and wrote in her Valentine, “Reading is a great family activity. My parents taught me that reading can be fun as well as educational. Now, as a parent to fourth-grade twin boys, it’s important to pass on this love of books to encourage their own education and imagination.”

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CALIFORNIA

A fifth-grade student in California: “I love reading because I could go to different places in my mind with different stories … and it helps me get better at solving problems,” wrote a fifth-grade student from Tamarack Elementary school in her Valentine to Reading. Her favorite book is Arthur’s Family Treasury.

U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein: “I love reading because it opens different worlds to me as well as new ideas. I like to read about other people and their lives. I also learn with every book I read.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Costa identified The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as his favorite book and wrote in his Valentine, “Reading is an exciting way to become familiar with our history. Through the adventures of Americans before us, we can paint a picture of where we came from.”

U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes encouraged children to read in his Valentine. “I love reading because books give you a window to the rest of the world. My favorite book is Horton Hears a Who.”

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KENTUCKY

A third grader from Kentucky: “I can travel to another world through reading,”

Kentucky First Lady Glenna Fletcher: “I love reading because reading strengthens your imagination and expands your knowledge. It opens a world of adventure and excitement. I encourage you to develop a love for reading and explore the world that awaits you. My favorite book is Gone With the Wind,” she wrote on her Valentine heart.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell wrote in his “Valentine to Reading” card: “Reading is one of the most valuable tools for a lifetime of success. Even with my busy schedule I always manage to find time to pick up a good book. I encourage everyone to read.”

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning: “I love reading because it takes me to places I normally can’t go and allows me to use my imagination. It teaches me things I can share with others. Reading is the key to a good education and a bright future.”

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers identified The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman as his favorite book and wrote, “I love reading because it challenges my mind, allows me to learn new things and enables me to examine different views and issues that shape my opinion on subjects of national and global importance.”

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MISSISSIPPI

Gov. Haley Barbour: “I love reading because that's how I learn. My favorite book is Modern Times, A History of the World from the Twenties to the Nineties, by Paul Johnson.”

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran: “I love to read because reading is fun, and it is the most rewarding skill one can have. My favorite children’s books are The Story of Ferdinand and The Call of the Wild,” he wrote.

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NEVADA

A sixth grader from Nevada: “I love reading because you can learn lessons from the book… You can lean how to make things or also do things, like cooking and origami.” Her favorite book is Inkheart.

Gov. Kenny Guinn: “I love to read because you can learn about so many things, and that can help you decide what type of person you want to be when you grow up, and what kind of adventures you want to experience. My favorite book when I was in first grade was Run, Spot, Run!”

U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons: “Reading is one of the most important aspects of education; it opens new doors and fuels our imagination. Reading is fun and allows us to continue learning throughout our lives. Not only does it allow us to learn about our history, it helps us prepare for our future. My favorite book as a child was Black Beauty.”

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NEW MEXICO

A fourth grader from New Mexico: “It is fun reading now that I can read alone. I can read to my sisters and I can read hard words. I like to read chapter books because they can be sad, funny or full of adventure.”

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici: “I love to learn. Reading provides my mind with the exercise it needs to be prepared and efficient. It allows me to gain new perspective as well as learn about things that are out of my everyday life. Reading helps me to harden my knowledge and sparks new ideas. My favorite book is Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola.”

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson: “I love reading because I get to snuggle with my kids and go to wonderful places with them. My favorite book to read to my kids is I Love You the Purplest.”

State Sen. Leonard Tsosie: Reading “opens the doors of the past, the present and the future.”

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SOUTH CAROLINA

A fourth grader in South Carolina whose favorite book is The Wolf Who Cried Boy : “I love reading because it is fun. You can get lost in your book and not get in trouble.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn: “I love reading because reading opens doors to the world. You learn about unknown people, places and things. I have always loved history, and I enjoy reading about our country's past in hopes that I can learn ways to make its future better. The beauty of reading is that you can do that, too. My favorite book is Truman by David McCullough.”

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TENNESSEE

A fourth grader in Tennessee: “I love reading because it can be funny, sad, happy, scary or mysterious.”

Gov. Don Bredesen: “I love reading because when I was growing up in a small town, reading was my ticket to foreign lands, scientific exploration, and adventure. My imagination really took me to those places in the books that my Uncle Ozzie would read to me as a child. Reading not only provides hours of entertainment, but it also gives each of us the knowledge we need to do the best job possible. When you read, you open up your mind to ideas and concepts that can change your life and the lives of others around you.”

U.S. Sen. Bill Frist: “I love reading because it’s a fun way to learn new things, have exciting adventures and, most importantly, share some of my most favorite stories with my family. One of my favorite books to read to my sons when they were young was Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.”

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander: “My mother and father made sure I had a library card when I was 3 years old, and I’ve loved reading ever since. One of the reasons I love reading is because I love to write, and reading helps me to be a better writer.”

U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis: “I love reading because growing up in rural Fentress County, reading allowed me to learn about our nation's history and explore other parts of Tennessee and distant lands... Reading and having an education is one of life's most liberating influences.”

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