LIFE OF A READER
What’s in a Number?
by Judy Newman with Alana Pedalino
When I was a kid—and I guess right up until recently, April 2021—the area code for Washington, D.C., was always 202. The numbers 202 had a certain palindromic symmetry to it that I felt suited the place—along with being associated with some of my very good friends who lived there, and my son John’s summer internships working for the Washington Nationals baseball team. My brief research on this subject explained to me that 202 was the second (201 in New Jersey was the first) assignment in AT&T’s North American numbering plan—or what we, in Newton, Massachusetts, growing up with 617 (or visiting my grandparents in Florida with the exotic-sounding 305) always called area codes.
It turns out that Washingtonians now need more than just 202 to initiate their calls, so if you know someone living or working or making education policy in Washington, D.C., you might have to reach them with 771 at the beginning of their phone number. To me, 771 feels more like an airplane suffix than a cell phone prefix, and it is not as balanced as 202, but this is one of those (many) cases where no one asked me for input on the decision.
I got off on this track because the original Washington area code—202—in addition to being balanced and evocative for me—are the three numbers that launch yet another hopeful year in the 202x series. The rounded equilibrium (ha!) of 2020 and then our collective optimism of getting 2020 behind us and moving on to 2021 (with that lucky “21” tucked in there) had nothing to do with how these years played out in people’s real lives.
Now, as I sit down—not to dwell on 2020 and 2021 but to think about the new year, 2022, that’s fast approaching—I am going to put aside all my numerical expectations and switch back to the topic I am most comfortable with: making sure all children in every single area code have access to the very best children’s books every single year.
Speaking of numbers: if things keep going as they have been for the past several years, something like 28,000 brand-new children’s books will be published in 2022.
That’s a huge number to sort through. So, my #1 New Year’s resolution is that on the pages of Story Monsters Ink, in Scholastic Book Clubs flyers, and via all the work that goes on in our physical and virtual Scholastic offices, we do whatever is needed to help every teacher and student in each classroom discover, choose, and read great children’s books—and share their ideas about new ways to share this wonderful, ginormous bounty.
Some of my favorite math and counting-oriented books.
And as a bonus: some new books from Scholastic’s Trade division that I’m looking forward to in 2022!
Children’s books are uniquely able to connect with all kids: to help them see themselves, meet new friends, and learn about their worlds. Access to newly and previously published books and the ability to choose which ones they want to read are inalienable rights for all children.
All children need to develop a sense of themselves as readers, to form and nurture their literacy, to develop vocabulary from reading to be able to express themselves and be understood, to enjoy the unparalleled richness and inspiration of stories, and to be active participants in our democratic society so that each child can grow up to make their own New Year’s resolutions and thrive in all the new years ahead of them.
Here are a few of my other—clearly related—top resolutions, as of this writing (I typically add to my annual list until Valentine’s Day, which this year happens to fall on quite a nicely balanced number: 2/14/22).
I resolve to read at least one new and one classic picture book every day. Of course, I will try to read with Sophie Rae (her arrival in 2020 was a high point!) for as many days as possible. But if she’s not available, I will film myself reading picture books daily and text them to her mom, Rebecca, from my (347) cell phone number. Please send me any suggestions for new picture books or old favorites you think we might enjoy. Sophie Rae loves bright colors and big faces of all children, and her reactions (and my own) lead me to suggest titles for our Scholastic Book Clubs and United States of Readers editors to consider.
I resolve to read and discover and rediscover culturally relevant books—picture books and novels and biographies and all types of nonfiction—to offer through Scholastic Book Clubs so that all children can see themselves reflected in the books they read. Of course, I will read all the picture books with Sophie Rae as well, and gradually, as she gets older, we will devour longer books together. I also resolve to find ways to work with diverse authors to share their books and stories, so as wide an audience of teachers, students, families, and caregivers as possible can discover the books for themselves and share their magic and their journeys.
I resolve to continue to find ways to help all classroom teachers—particularly teachers from schools with high needs and poverty—give all their students access to wonderful new, culturally relevant books that they can choose for themselves to read and own and share with their families and caregivers, and create virtuous cycles of shared funds of knowledge and of literacy development … and joy.
I resolve to try to always listen to what children are telling me. They have such big, bold, beautiful ideas, and I want to hear every one of them. Even when sometimes they ramble on and take an extra minute or two (or ten!) to get to the point. I never want to be too busy to hear what they—our readers and our future—have to say!
I want to be kind and generous to my family and friends and be the best partner possible to all my Scholastic colleagues around the globe, including our amazing teams in Jefferson City, Missouri (yes, that’s area code 573)—and our passionate and dedicated (417) Customer Service department in Neosho, Missouri, who worked tirelessly all semester to get Scholastic book orders to classrooms in spite of truly overwhelming global supply chain challenges. And to the Scholastic NYC teams from all their personal phone numbers and from our collective home of area code 212 on 130 Mercer Street in SoHo.
Good things and bad things happen every year. The year 2022 is going to pose some challenges for sure. But it will also bring happiness and joy and new opportunities. That joy and happiness and new opportunities will be brighter and stronger for all children if we can help them connect to books they love to read and see themselves as readers. Let’s please all resolve to work together to make literacy a beautiful, life-affirming reality for all children.
On behalf of all my colleagues at Scholastic Book Clubs, I send you very best wishes for a new year filled with health, much happiness, so many wonderful, diverse brand-new books (and old favorites), and beautiful, curious, creative children to read them with.
XX,
Judy
Judy Newman is President and Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs. For more information, visit judynewmanatscholastic.com.