PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation launches PJ Our Way--a program for older children, ages 9 to 11

Starting in September, PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation will broaden its reach to an older group of children, ages 9 to 11, with PJ Our Way, bringing Jewish books into older children’s lives as effectively as PJ Library has done with younger children over the last nine years.

PJ Our Way will be piloted in 10 target communities nationwide: Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Boston’s North Shore, Seattle, Silicon Valley, St. Louis, and one location in New York City. The program plans to expand nationally within the year. The Jewish Federation of St. Louis, in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, is bringing PJ Our Way to St. Louis.

Building on the success of PJ Library, which gives the gift of Jewish children’s books each month to more than 130,000 children, ages six months to eight years old, in North America, PJ Our Way will allow program participants to select one of four books every month, giving them more choice on their journey toward being life-long readers while introducing them to Jewish ideas. Book monthly selections begin September 1st.

As part of the program, PJ Our Way participants can create book trailers, videos, quizzes, author interviews, and other media to communicate with peers about the books. A separate PJ Our Way website – www.pjourway.org – will provide these new avenues for discussion.

“We believe these stories and their values help shape young people in their understanding of being Jewish, and it’s our hope that PJ Our Way will ultimately build a strong community of young Jewish people,” said Harold Grinspoon, Founder of PJ Library and PJ Our Way.

Starting in September, each launch community will host a contest seeking one young participant to be part of the national PJ Our Way Design Team. These children will have early access to books of their choice to read and create content-based dialogue, including videos and reviews, through the online portal. They will work together to interview authors, participate in workshops and lead the conversation amongst their peers. Applications to be part of the PJ Our Way national Design Team are due by October 15th. On November 1st, the winners will be announced.

“We’ve thought a great deal about how to engage older readers by giving them more say in what they read and then giving them creative platforms to talk to their peers about the books,” said PJ Our Way Director Catriella Freedman.

The PJ Our Way program is supported by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation based in Agawam, Mass. Sign-up at www.pjourway.org.

About PJ Library

PJ Library is an award-winning Jewish family engagement program designed to strengthen the identities of Jewish families and their relationship to local Jewish community. Created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library started in 2005 by providing free, high-quality Jewish books and music each month to 200 families. Now, more than 130,000 children between the ages of six months and eight years receive the books in 200 communities in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 220,000 schoolchildren in Israel receive Hebrew language, Jewish values-based books through PJ Library sister’s program, Sifriyat Pijama. PJ Library is also available in Australia and Mexico with further international expansion anticipated. Originally inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which sends books to children in underprivileged areas of the US, PJ Library (“PJ” is short for “pajamas”) strives to contribute to the magic that books bring to bedtime. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation works in partnerships with philanthropists and Jewish non-profit organizations to bring PJ Library to families raising Jewish children. For more information, visit www.pjlibrary.org.

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