This was a fantastic finish to a year in which you helped us give out almost 9,000 books to children and their families, 1,180 books to teachers, and 1,320 library-bound books to our four participating Los Angeles schools. Thanks so much for helping to inspire communities of very deserving children with a love of reading!

Let's work together to make next year an even bigger success. Please click here to submit your RSVP for the next reading clubs on January 14th!

THANKS TO OUR SANTAS!

Santa took some time off from his hectic North Pole activities to make surprise visits to each of our reading clubs, much to the delight of our unsuspecting participants! To Santa Bob at Esperanza, Santa Jerry at Gratts, Santa Jeff at Magnolia, and "Mr. Lozano" (as the kids all seemed to recognize) at Noble, please accept our heartfelt thanks for bringing the jolly spirit of Kris Kringle to the reading clubs!

And, many thanks to Palace Costumes for donating the use of two Santa costumes, to Ms. Kurilich and Mr. Reyes for making Santa costumes available at Esperanza and Gratts, and to Reading to Kids intern Amy Wong for coordinating the Santa event.

Thanks are also due to all of the teachers and volunteers who made an extra effort to reach out and encourage the students to attend this month, including volunteer Matthew Jones, who visited every classroom at Esperanza on the Friday before the reading clubs to encourage the children to attend! Please send us an e-mail at info@readingtokids.org if you would like to help with this type of outreach effort!

Finally, thanks to several of the volunteers who donated scores of books and some fantastic prizes, including a digital camera, holiday DVDs, and a computer printer, for our end-of-the-day raffles. The children and their families truly appreciated the treat!

JANUARY READING CLUBS!

The first 2006 Reading Clubs will feature a "Diversity" theme, and the books for the January clubs are sure to enrich and entertain adults and kids alike.

Some of our teacher-selected books this month include the fun and lively Hatseller and the Monkeys and the zany and rollicking Mice and Beans. Look for more information on our January books and crafts in the coming weeks!

Thank you again for all your hard work for Reading to Kids!