Verizon and Barnes & Noble Deliver One Million Books to One Million Ch

NEW YORK, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Children across the country will have more choices in their school libraries and in some cases, the first children's book in their home as a part of nationwide book donation events concluding next month. Verizon, America's largest telecommunications company and Literacy Champion, and Barnes & Noble Inc., the world's largest bookseller, have been distributing more than 1 million books to needy children as a result of one of the largest book drives in the nation, Season's Readings: One Million Books for One Million Children.

Books were collected during the holiday season from customers and employees of Barnes & Noble and Verizon in a unique donation drive. Book distributions began in January and will continue through March. The books are being distributed to schools, literacy organizations and children throughout the country in an effort to help introduce them to the joy of reading.

"The Department of Education reports that 61 percent of low-income families do not have books for their children to read at home. Our partnership between Barnes & Noble and Verizon Reads allows us to share books with families in need," said Tom Tauke, executive vice president, public affairs, policy and communications for Verizon. "Verizon's commitment to our community and this important cause is demonstrated each year by our employees' tireless efforts in support of the Season's Readings campaign and other literacy initiatives."

Each year Verizon sponsors events such as Season's Readings to help increase the level of literacy in America. Since the Season's Readings program began in 2001, more than 1,800,000 books have been donated. Additionally, Verizon employees have pledged 229,000 hours, equivalent to more than two-and-a-half decades, of reading time to their own children or to others.

"Our partnership with Verizon has enabled us to make a real difference in the lives of children," said Mary Ellen Keating, senior vice president of corporate communications for Barnes & Noble Inc. "The importance of literacy guides everything we do here at Barnes & Noble, and participation in the Season's Readings campaign provides a great opportunity to share books with those who need them."

Barnes & Noble and Verizon volunteers in cities across the country are helping to deliver the donated childrens books. In some cities, special activities and book readings for children at schools, libraries and local Barnes & Noble stores are planned. It's an opportunity for the volunteers to see first-hand how their efforts are having an impact directly on children in need.

Sharon Darling, president and founder of the National Center for Family Literacy, shares these sentiments. "I applaud the efforts of Barnes & Noble and Verizon in coordinating this year's Season's Readings campaign," said Darling. "By putting books in the hands of 1 million children, the companies are helping to ignite an interest in reading that we hope will burn brightly for years to come."

For more information about Season's Readings: One Million Books for One Million Children, visit Barnes & Noble online at http://www.bn.com/ or Verizon Reads at http://www.verizonreads.net/ .

For a complete list of beneficiaries in your area, please contact Lisa Pollack at lisa@vollmerpr.com or 972.488.4790.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc

Barnes & Noble, Inc. , the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 840 bookstores in 50 states. For the third year in a row, the company is the nation's top retail brand for quality, according to the EquiTrend(R) Brand Study by Harris Interactive(R). Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (http://www.bn.com/ ), one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites and the number-one brand among e-commerce companies, according to the latest EquiTrend survey. In addition to its retail operations, Barnes & Noble is one of the largest book publishers in the world. Its subsidiary, Sterling Publishing, publishes over 1,300 new titles a year and has an active list of over 6,000 titles.

General financial information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's corporate Web site: http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/financials .

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. With a diverse work force of approximately 208,000, Verizon has four business units: Domestic Telecom serves customers based in 29 states with wireline telecommunications services, including broadband, nationwide long-distance and other services. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 42.1 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com/ .

About Verizon Reads

Verizon is committed to being America's Literacy Champion. Working under the banner Verizon Reads, the award-winning philanthropy program reaches out to the more than 40 million Americans who have low literacy skills. Verizon Reads is dedicated to the fight for a more literate America through meaningful programs that create awareness, raise funds and encourage collaboration among literacy providers. For more information, visit http://www.verizonreads.net/ .

Contact: Lisa Pollack 972.488.4790 lisa@vollmerpr.com