Starting today, readers can visit a new specially created online reading platform at ReadWell.PenguinRandomHouse.com and read free, timed excerpts from over 200 Penguin Random House titles. We believe that the simple act of reading can have far-reaching social impact: which is why the more minutes a user reads, the more book donations are triggered from us to Save the Children – putting up to 300,000 books into the hands of children in need in the US, Canada and Mexico. How #ProjectReadathon Works:

• Each excerpt on the platform notes how many minutes will be added and how many books will be donated throughout the campaign.
• For example, reading a 20-minute excerpt unlocks a 5-book donation from Penguin Random House to Save the Children; reading an hour unlocks a 20-books donation.
• The books will go to Save the Children literacy programs, which help young students transition from learning to read to reading to learn.

Contributing Partners: Also joining the #ProjectReadathon Million Minutes campaign are Charity Miles and Tab for a Cause, two organizations that enable consumers to give back through everyday activities. Users will be invited to add minutes to the Project through reading at ReadWell.PenguinRandomHouse.com, as well as through the Charity Miles and Tab for a Cause platforms for special in-app and on-platform opportunities. A Worldwide Celebration of Books and Giving Back: #ProjectReadathon takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico, and culminates on April 23 in honor of UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day, World Book Night (UK) and St. Jordi Day (Spain). Penguin Random House employees across the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, and Spain are taking part in local celebrations in honor of these events, as they join together in celebration of books and reading to give back to their local communities. Visit ReadWell.PenguinRandomHouse.com now to join #ProjectReadathon and #ReadWell. 

1.   Add our #Readathon2016 Badge to your Facebook profile picture today! 2.  Read Markus Dohle's latest blog post to Penguin Random Houseemployees to find out how he is celebrating National Readathon Day. 3.  Commit to support early childhood literacy by contributing to our Facebook Donate campaign. 4.  Get ready for the weekend with a post from Bustle, and catch up on stories from DBW here and here. 5.  Download our handy one-sheet with tips and ideas on how to host a Readathon Day party. 6.  Follow #Readathon2016 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 7.  Watch these authors talk about their best binge reads and get ready for your own. Happy Reading!

[caption id="attachment_1927" align="alignright" width="300"] Reading The Girl on the Train in 2015 #TBT[/caption] When the trailer for the film adaptation of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN debuted a few weeks ago, I was reminded of reading Paula Hawkins’s novel during the 2015 National Readathon Day, which was on January 24 last year. What an amazing ride we’ve had with that book—one that I know will only continue as more and more people learn about this thrilling story through the movie. Word of mouth is still the primary way that people get connected to potential new reads. Only now that “word” also gets delivered by tweets, Instagrams, and Facebook posts. The power of grassroots movements is inspiring, and social media has brought new and powerful ways to share and connect over common causes. Just look at last year’s Red Nose Day or the Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014. We also can’t underestimate the ability that we as Penguin Random House have to use our scale and reach for good. As a community of over 10,000 passionate colleagues, we have the potential to be more than a company. We can have an impact as a cultural institution—not just with the books we publish but through our efforts to nourish a passion for reading and to create lifelong readers. We are doing that with National Readathon Day, which is partnering this year with the American Library Association and harnessing the power of connections via Facebook, which lets users create custom National Readathon Day profile frames and make donations directly. You can spread the word about reading, and #Readathon2016, by updating your profile picture [caption id="attachment_1934" align="alignright" width="241"] You can spread the word about reading, and #Readathon2016, by updating your profile picture[/caption] I hope that you will support and participate in National Readathon Day – it is another important way we can promote the power of books to connect and transform, all while making the communities where we work and live even better. In fact, many of us take advantage of our Service Days to volunteer in your communities, and last year alone we received tens of thousands of dollars in requests for donation matching—which I encourage you to make use of when you donate to Every Child Ready to Read in support of the Readathon, or any other causes you support. In addition to my excitement about #TBT, I have one more reason to be hashtag-happy: the start of shareable media with Igloo Share, which lets you share our stories with your world and give your friends, family, and followers a glimpse of our company from #InsidePenguinRandom. As we use our power to do good, some of our causes and stories—including this blog—will be available to share on social media. Start your sharing by letting the world know how you spend your National Readathon Day—and be sure to tag your own tweets, Instagrams, and Facebook posts with #Readathon2016. This coming Saturday, I’ll be celebrating the Readathon with my teenagers and discovering my next great read. I can’t wait to see the impact we’ll have with @PenguinRandomHouse, @ALALibrary, and all of us spreading the word together across social media and, of course, IRL. Happy #Readathon2016 and happy reading! Markus

1)     Visit https://www.facebook.com/profilepicframes 2)    Select “causes” from the dropdown menu  3)    Click on the American Library Association logo You can also add from this post by clicking “Use Frame” when you roll over the image. Be sure to edit your post or add comment so your friends and followers know you are celebrating #Readathon2016 and supporting early childhood literacy. Suggested text: I am supporting early childhood literacy development by celebrating #Readathon2016 this Saturday, May 21! Join me and start now by updating your profile picture by visiting facebook.com/profilepicframes, selecting Causes in the dropdown menu, and clicking on the American Library Association. Don’t forget to post reading pictures to social on National Readathon Day this Saturday, May 21 and tag them #Readathon2016. Happy Reading!  

Users will also be able to share their love of reading by updating their Facebook profile picture with a soon-to-be-released custom National Readathon Day profile picture frame, which will be available on the ALA and Penguin Random House Facebook pages. National Readathon Day is a fundraising and social media awareness campaign dedicated to promoting children’s literacy and reading at any age. Leading up to and during the Readathon, readers everywhere will share their love of reading on social media using the hashtag #Readathon2016, and raise funds for early childhood literacy through ALA’s Every Child Ready to Read initiative, helping programs in public libraries nationwide. The #Readathon2016 Facebook Donate campaign enhances and unifies these core goals, enabling any Facebook user to make a commitment to Readathon and the ALA with one click, and to join together with friends and fellow readers around a common cause. All readers are encouraged to join National Readathon Day by using the hashtag #Readathon2016, to visit ALA’s Facebook page to make a contribution, and to update their profile picture with the National Readathon profile picture frame. Libraries, bookstores, schools and other community gathering places across the country are planning Readathon events. Visitors to the National Readathon Day reading parties page will find ideas about how to host a party or locate the nearest National Readathon Day event. Visit www.readathonday.com for more information.