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Press Release

Monday, November 29, 2010

DOE Press Office
(850) 245-0413

2010 Holiday Reading List Highlights Festive Season

~ Families encouraged to read during the holidays ~

TALLAHASSEE – The Department of Education’s Just Read, Florida! office released its 2010 Holiday Reading list today covering a broad array of seasonal topics such as lights, snow, winter animals and the many holidays celebrated by families at the end of the year. Released annually, the holiday reading list provides suggested literary works to encourage families and students to both share and enjoy the gift of reading and literacy throughout the holiday season. Research suggests that students who continue to read while on school breaks and vacations maintain their academic progress made during the school year.

“There is no greater gift than sharing the love of reading and literacy with students of all ages,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. “I highly encourage all Florida families to choose some selections from the list, cozy up around a fire, beach umbrella or other handy location and start spreading the wonder and enjoyment of reading with their children.”

Families can also use “Find a Book, Florida” to supplement the holiday reading list with other books tailored to a child’s interests. Tens of thousands of fiction and nonfiction books are available through the “Find a Book, Florida” resource at http://florida.lexile.com. The Department re-launched the book search this fall as a means to match a child’s reading ability with a book’s text complexity using Lexile® measures. Lexile measures are the most widely adopted reading metrics used in the country, with more than 30 million Lexile measures reported annually from reading assessments and programs - representing more than half of U.S. students.

The Department of Education’s Recommended Reading List is located on the Just Read, Florida! website at www.justreadfamilies.org. The site also offers parents the tools they need to nurture a reading-friendly environment at home, and in day-to-day activities. Resources include links to county and municipal public libraries and tips for parents on how to make the most of the time they spend reading with their families.

The Department of Education’s Just Read, Florida! office makes reading a priority in Florida's public schools and the community groups and volunteer organizations that support them. For more information about the Just Read, Florida! office, please visit http://www.justreadflorida.com/.