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Media Kit
Press Releases Post-it Teams Up with Brady Brady to Inspire Kids to Read National Stick With-it Literacy Tour launched today to help curb illiteracy TORONTO Oct. 1, 2007 - Did you know that on average, boys are 1.5 years behind girls when it comes to reading levels? Or that boys now fall well behind girls in reading and writing at the primary and junior levels? To help fight falling childhood literacy rates, especially among boys, 3M Canada and the creators of the popular Brady Brady books have teamed up to host a national literacy tour to encourage kids to make reading a priority. Brady Brady co-creator and illustrator, Chuck Temple, will visit schools and community centres in 10 cities nationwide starting in Toronto today. Not only will Temple perform entertaining and interactive presentations, but, during the tour, 3M will distribute over 25,000 Brady Brady books to Canadian children (at 80 venues in 7 provinces). "Research proves that children who read have significantly brighter futures than those who don't" said Dr. Laura Shoemaker, research coordinator, Waterloo Catholic District School Board. "There is a clear need to generate an interest in reading at a young age and the Brady Brady series does just that." Brady Brady was conceived in the early 1990s by author Mary Shaw, who at the time was unable to find engaging reading material for her young son, Brady. Since the inaugural book, 12 more have been added to the series. All books focus on sports (primarily hockey, also baseball and football) and target male and female readers, ages four to eight. The books are recognized by school boards across Canada as a tool to help motivate young male readers - an at-risk group. "Hockey and Canada are synonymous, especially among young boys, so using sports as a carrot to encourage more kids to read is a no-brainer," said Temple, co-creator and illustrator of Brady Brady. "We want kids to make reading a fun goal and by taking this message directly to them in an interactive way, we hope to motivate more young children to stick with literacy." With over 50 years of giving, 3M is committed to making a positive contribution in the communities it operates in and to Canadian society. "Literacy is a proven gateway to increased learning and opportunity among young people," said Sue Romyn, community relations manager, 3M Canada. "The Stick With-it Literacy Tour is a natural extension of our commitment to education and the development of young people to improve Canada's future competitiveness." For a complete list of tour stops and dates, parent and educators are encouraged to visit www.bradybrady.com. About 3M Canada: Established in 1951, 3M Canada Company was one of the first international subsidiaries opened by 3M and remains one of the largest. 3M Canada's head office and original manufacturing site is in London, Ontario where approximately 1,000 of the company's 1,950 employees work. Other Ontario plants are located in Toronto, Brockville, and Perth with one in Morden, Manitoba. 3M has sales offices in major cities nationwide and a national service network to support customers. About Brady Brady Inc. Brady Brady Inc. is the exclusive publisher for the bestselling Canadian children's illustrated book series, Brady Brady. Mary Shaw (author) created Brady Brady in 2000 to encourage her son to read. Together with Chuck Temple (illustrator), the co-creators produced 13 sports-themed children's books for readers aged four to eight including hockey, football and baseball. Scheduled new releases over the next year expand into soccer and basketball. The series is distributed internationally and is translated in French. Brady Brady Inc. is based in Waterloo, Ontario. For more information visit www.bradybrady.com. -30- Media Contact: Sarah Tattersall, 3M Canada, Corporate Communications Manager Phone: (519) 452-6035 Email: setattersall@mmm.com
Backgrounder Mary Shaw developed Brady Brady after an incident with her hockey-obsessed four-year-old son, Brady. She found it difficult to get her son’s attention and noticed she called his name twice each time she needed him to listen, constantly calling him “Brady Brady.” There was a limited supply of sports-themed books aimed at early readers, so to encourage Brady to read, Shaw wrote books that interested her son. Shaw wrote her first book, Brady Brady Gumface, a football story, after Brady stuck gum to his face during a road trip. After putting her ideas on paper, she sent copies to a few publishers in Canada and the United States, but only received rejection letters. Eventually, Shaw sought guidance from a friend, Dave Chilton, author of the bestselling book, The Wealthy Barber, who then introduced her to Chuck Temple, an illustrator. Temple immediately drew the Gumface manuscript. Chilton recognized the potential of the script, and arranged a meeting with Stoddart, Canada’s largest publisher at the time. In 2001, Stoddart signed Shaw and Temple to a four book deal, featuring the loveable Brady Brady characters from Gumface. Rather than launch with a football theme, the publisher took advantage of the mass appeal of hockey in the Canadian market. It was a natural fit considering Shaw’s close association with the sport, as husband, Brad Shaw, is a former National Hockey League player. Within weeks, a then-pregnant Shaw, wrote Brady Brady and the Great Rink followed soon after by Brady Brady and the Runaway Goalie. After a highly successful series launch, Stoddart decided to develop the series beyond the initial four books. Those plans changed however, when Stoddart filed for bankruptcy protection. Following Chilton’s personal advice and his successful marketing model used with the Wealthy Barber Calendar which sold 2.5 million copies, Temple and Shaw acquired their rights back. In 2004, and despite overwhelming odds, the two set up an independent publishing company, Brady Brady Inc., and assumed complete control over the production, distribution and marketing of the brand. Since 2004, the independently owned company has carved a niche in the competitive publishing industry. Signed contracts with Scholastic Canada in both the English and French divisions, and an inked deal with a production company for future animation along with international distribution make Brady Brady a true Canadian success story. The series grew from a simple idea to a published list of 13 titles with scheduled new releases in several new sports including football, baseball, basketball and soccer. To download an Acrobat PDF file of the backgrounder, click here
Fact Sheet - Brady Brady Scroll down to view the following Fact Sheets: Brady Brady, Post-it(R), Canadian Literacy Statistics OVERVIEW
FUN FACTS
AWARDS
EACH BOOK
BRADY BRADY INC.
To download an Acrobat PDF file of the Fact Sheet - Brady Brady, click here
3M - In The Community With over 50 years of giving, 3M is committed to making a positive contribution in the communities it operates in and to Canadian society. 3M’s support focuses on education, health and human services and the arts. In 2006, 3M Company donated more than US$37 million to charitable organizations and gave 42 per cent (US$15.6 million) of this to education. To strengthen the link between learning and the workplace, 3M supports post-secondary education in the areas of science, technology and business. 3M also has a long-standing commitment to continuous, lifelong learning and supports various literacy organizations. 3M National Teaching Fellowships Take Your Kids to Work Bursaries Literacy Now Virtual Voices Born to Read 1,2,3 Read With Me Books for Babies Calgary Reads Stick With-it Literacy Tour 3M’s support of the United Way and other designated programs in communities across Canada enables employees to touch many lives in many communities. Women’s Wellness United Way Abilities First 3M is proud to celebrate culture and diversity and supports a variety of registered charitable organizations. Community Arts Organizations Community Festivals Nokee Kwe Around the world, 3M is known for its innovative products, which is why it’s not surprising that 3M routinely supplies products for community organizations in need. 3M Canada reaches out to communities by donating over 60,000 products annually to over 400 charities. Schools Hospitals Non-profit organizations As talented and enthusiastic volunteers, 3M employees and retirees generously give their time to countless organizations and causes that help people in need. Schools Hospitals Non-profit organizations To download an Acrobat PDF file of the 3M - In The Community, click here
Fact Sheet - Post-it ® HISTORY 1968 Dr. Spencer Silver, 3M scientist, discovers an adhesive – sticks lightly, not permanently LATE 1970s Art Fry, 3M scientist, needs a reusable bookmark, uses Silver’s adhesive 1980 3M Canada starts selling Post-it® 3”x5” pads in Canary Yellow™ TODAY Symbol of fast, effective communication, over 400 different products sold worldwide ESSENTIAL
EDUCATIONAL
USES
INTERESTING
To download an Acrobat PDF file of the Fact Sheet - Post-it, click here
Fact Sheet - Canadian Literacy Statistics OVERVIEW
OPPORTUNITIES
EXPERTS SAY “Children are active participants in the processes of learning language and literacy. Literacy activities for young children need to be meaningful and purposeful to them and appropriate to their age and development.” “Storybook reading, particularly family storybook reading, has a special role in young children’s literacy development. Shared book experiences and the verbal interactions they promote help to broaden children’s knowledge of print and their background knowledge.” “Access to books is an environmental factor strongly related to children’s literacy development (DeTemple, 2001; Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998).” Reading aloud is a proven strategy for building children’s reading habits. BOYS LITERACY Boys do not perform as well as girls in reading and writing at the primary and junior levels. On average, boys read1.5 years behind girls. A recent study from Great Britain showed boys read about 2.3 hours a week, girls read 15.6. Boys relate well to male readers as role models. In 2002, James Moloney explained, “a good book for a boy is one he wants to read” and:
To download an Acrobat PDF file of the Fact Sheet - Canadian Literacy Statistics, click here
Biographies
CHUCK TEMPLE, ILLUSTRATOR AND CO-CREATOR, BRADY BRADY Chuck Temple,co-creator and illustrator of the internationally renowned children’s book series, Brady Brady, began his career at the age of 18 as one of the youngest syndicated cartoonists with his first comic strip, Bernie on the Beat, in the early 1980s. Temple was born on March 10, 1962 in Burlington, Ontario and holds a degree in fine art from the University of Guelph and graduated from the Ontario College of Art. Currently, Temple teaches communications technology part-time at the secondary school level for the Wellington District Catholic School Board and is the principal illustrator for The Drayton Festival Theatre, a well-known Ontario-based theatre company. Temple’s other notable works include E-Trivia and The Wealthy Barber calendar which sold 2.5 million copies. While Temple continues to master his craft and develop the Brady Brady series, he enjoys photography, skiing, cycling, golf, and coaching and playing hockey.
MARY SHAW, AUTHOR AND CO-CREATOR, BRADY BRADY Mary Shaw grew to fame in the literacy world as co-creator and author of the hit children’s series, Brady Brady. Together with co-creator and illustrator, Chuck Temple, Shaw transformed a one-story idea, into the largely successful Brady Brady enterprise complete with 13 storybooks, book signings, a mascot, international appearances and a travelling presentation. Born in Oshawa, Ontario on March 20, 1965, Shaw spent most of her life travelling. She received a bachelor of arts from Wilfred Laurier University where she majored in history and English and completed a children’s literacy course at the Institute of Children’s Literature in Redding, Connecticut. Shaw is married to former-professional-hockey-player-turned-coach, Brad Shaw, and is the mother of three children: Taylore, Brady and Caroline. The Shaw family resides in Kanata, Ontario. In addition to her writing career, Shaw is a sports fan and an active volunteer, spending time at her children’s school where the kids call her “Mrs. Brady Brady.” To download an Acrobat PDF file of the biographies, click here
Photo Captions  STICK IT, SEE IT, LEARN IT Help your child's transition from speaking to reading easier with Post-it Sight Word Notes. Play games or have your child stick the notes around the room. These notes make learning to read fun. For more ideas, visit www.post-it.ca and see how 3M supports literacy. Click on photo to view larger version.  WRITE YOUR OWN BRADY BRADY STORY Become an author or an illustrator in minutes with Post-it Super Sticky Story & Sketch Pads. Great for home or school, kids can make complete storyboards and share easily. For more great ideas, visit www.post-it.ca and see how 3M supports literacy. Click on photo to view larger version.  BRADY BRADY AND THE B TEAM Even Brady Brady jumps to conclusions but he learns the value of admitting he's wrong in Brady Brady and the B Team. This fall, 3M Post-it(R) is giving over 25,000 copies of this book to children nationwide on the Stick With-it Literacy Tour. Come and join illustrator, Chuck Temple, at a community event near you. Click on photo to view larger version.  BRADY BRADY MASCOT Brady Brady is touring the country this fall on the Stick With-it Literacy Tour sponsored by 3M Post-it(R) starting in Toronto's own Rolph Road elementary school. Over 25,000 Canadian children will receive a copy of Brady Brady and the B Team, one of the 13 hockey-themed books in the hit series. Come join illustrator, Chuck Temple, at the Central Library in Hamilton, Ontario on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. Click on photo to view larger version.  TEMPLE KNOWS HOW TO "STICK WITH-IT" For over 30 years, Chuck Temple, co-creator and illustrator of the hit children's picture book series, Brady Brady, has been mastering the art of drawing. This fall, Temple travels the country making live multimedia drawing demonstrations at school and community events, sponsored by 3M Post-it(R). Click on photo to view larger version.
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