Tag Archives: Children’s literature

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On this Day …


Women’s Rights Activists >> On This Day: March 12
Find out more about our diverse group of featured women’s rights activists, including activist Coretta Scott King, suffragist Susan B. Anthony, and writers Gloria Steinem and Alice Walker

1933
80 years ago
Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses Americans over the radio in his first fireside chat during the lowest point of the Great Depression.
Read Franklin D. Roosevelt’s biography >>

1957
56 years ago
Dr. Seuss‘ beloved children’s book The Cat in the Hat is published.
Read Dr. Seuss’ biography >>

Cover of
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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Scholastic Lies to 4th Graders …change.org


Let’s say you’re the CEO of McDonald’s. You know kids love to eat your food, but their pesky teachers keep telling them it’s not healthy. Don’t worry! You have options.

Scholastic (the company that publishes tons of children’s books) has a program where companies like McDonald’s, the American Coal Foundation, and SunnyD can pay to have teachers teach kids about their products to create “brand awareness” and “consumer loyalty.”

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-scholastic-stop-pushing-corporate-pr-in-classrooms?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=XjZTygzXWR_JMKqNQJEBS

It’s called Scholastic InSchool Marketing –– and it has nothing to do with education.

Here’s how the program works: A corporation gives Scholastic a pile of money. In turn, Scholastic creates a curriculum designed to further “client interests,” cleverly masked as actual learning opportunities for students. (For example, Scholastic sometimes says these materials will help improve students’ scores on standardized tests.)

According to Scholastic, this program reaches more than 66,000 classrooms.

Some terrific groups (including the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Rethinking Schools) are fighting hard to end Scholastic InSchool Marketing. This week, they had a big win when Scholastic agreed to stop selling its “United States of Energy” curriculum (paid for by the American Coal Foundation) which teaches 4th graders about the benefits of coal while hiding all the risks to public health.

Momentum is on their side. Now it’s time to stop this practice for good. Sign the petition today to tell Scholastic to end its insidious InSchool Marketing division:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-scholastic-stop-pushing-corporate-pr-in-classrooms

Thanks for taking action,

– Patrick and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support RAN …they support rainforests …a message from Executive Director


A home for Indigenous communities. A sanctuary for endangered species. A priceless ecosystem.

That’s what Indonesia‘s rainforests are to me. But for unethical logging companies Asia Pulp & Paper and APRIL, these forests are nothing more than a source of cheap paper—and their bottom line is wiping out rainforests that can’t ever be replaced. We need your support today to stop this tragic destruction.

Many U.S. children’s book publishers have been using paper from these unethical companies, pitting children’s books against the survival of Indonesia’s rainforests. But, thanks to your actions and generous support, this is changing.

Already eight major publishers committed to get Indonesian rainforest destruction and human rights violations out of their supply chain. That’s major. Your support made this possible.

Disney Publishing and HarperCollins, on the other hand, have been lagging behind. Finally, last week Disney announced their new policy. Though this is a step in the right direction, their policy is terribly weak—and HarperCollins has ignored all calls to change their ways. With your support, we can push Disney and HarperCollins to go the distance to protect rainforests.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TVtEorsQa1urJhdD7OQGg2Q0%2FaHxGn20

Disney’s new policy does not begin to address the rights of forest communities or really help to protect rainforests. If we can move Disney and HarperCollins, it will mean that the top ten children’s book publishers will no longer have Indonesia’s rainforests in their books, and that you and I will have shifted the status quo for an entire industry.

Just two more to go. We can do this!

Please make a generous donation today to get these major publishers on board to protect Indonesia’s rainforests.

Believe me when I say there is no time to lose in this battle. Indonesia is losing its forests at an alarming rate., If we don’t act quickly, these forests—this home, this sanctuary, this precious ecosystem—will be lost forever. Please make an urgent contribution today.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TVtEorsQa1urJhdD7OQGg2Q0%2FaHxGn20

Thank you for your support,

Rebecca Tarbotton

Executive Director