1
Reading time builds a stronger relationship between children and parents, families and caregivers.

2
The earlier children are exposed to reading, the better chance they have for academic achievement and excellence.

3
Children improve their basic language skills by listening to parents, adults and caregivers read.

4
Teaching even very young children about the basics of reading can provide learning opportunities, by showing them a world where text and images come together.

5
Reading helps children gain better listening and communication skills.

6
Early reading helps youngsters grasp the fundamentals of language and increases their vocabulary.

7
Discovering abstract concepts and scenarios in reading can help develop logic and critical thinking skills.

8
Stories help children interpret new experiences that they will encounter at school or in life.

9
Reading sharpens children’s capacity for concentration and discipline.

10
It’s fun! Children who are engaged in early reading often choose to read over watching TV, video games or other forms of entertainment as they get older.

The Nation
• Illiteracy has become such a serious problem in our country that 44 million adults are now unable to read a simple story to their children

• 50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth grade level

• 44% of the American adults do not read a book in a year

• 6 out of 10 households do not buy a single book in a year

The Economy
• 20% of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage

• 50% of the unemployed between the ages of 16 and 21 cannot read well enough to be considered functionally literate

• Illiteracy costs American taxpayers an estimated $20 billion each year

• School dropouts cost our nation $240 billion in social service expenditures and lost tax revenues

Impact on Society:
• 3 out of 5 people in American prisons can’t read

• 85% of juvenile offenders have problems reading

• Approximately 50% of Americans read so poorly that they are unable to perform simple tasks such as reading prescription drug labels

(Source: National Institute for Literacy, National Center for Adult Literacy, The Literacy Company, U.S. Census Bureau, National Education Association, Reading is Fundamental, National Center for Education Statistics and Council on Early Childhood, National Center for Children in Poverty, Literacy, Inc., CNN)

The Fairy Bunch, LLC is dedicated to making reading fun, exciting, and part of every child’s life. Our goal is to instill an early passion for reading – to entertain, inspire, and provide access to future opportunities.

Imagine not being able to read. That idea is a reality for 93 million Americans. The Book Fairy™ was developed to halt illiteracy and encourage children to read.

While the Book Fairy™ is here to help boost your child’s learning potential through the exploration of books and reading, she also has another important job… fighting illiteracy and educational disparities in the United States.

For each Book Fairy™ sold, a portion of the proceeds will be directed to support community organizations in the United States that are working to ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds learn to read!

Lily, The Book Fairy™ is the first of a fun, relatable group of characters that will tell their stories and inspire children to read. Be on the lookout for more characters in the The Fairy Bunch Series! Our goal is to introduce Storyteller Sam in 2018.

Melanie has spent the majority of her career as a professional fundraiser. She is passionate about education and believes in giving back to the community. In 2016, Melanie became a social entrepreneur by creating The Fairy Bunch, featuring the Book Fairy. She is currently working on several new books and characters, all designed to inspire children to develop a life-long love for reading.

Melanie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Communication from Buffalo State College and a Master of Science degree in Education from the University at Buffalo. She lives in Hamburg, New York with her husband Bradley, and four fur babies: two crazy German Shorthaired Pointers, Ike and Elsie, and two feisty felines, Sherman and Gracie.

At the end of each calendar year beginning in 2018, the Fairy Bunch, LLC will invite literacy organizations to submit proposals for funding. Additional details and guidelines will be coming soon.