WASHINGTON-- "Summer slide," where a kid can lose as much as two months of reading achievement during the lazy days of summer, was not an issue for the more than 4,500 kids who completed Reading Is Fundamental's (RIF) Summer Reading Challenge, presented by Target, right before the school year began. Winners were almost equally divided between boys and girls with more than two-thirds of participants being between the ages of 5 and 10.

"We are please that so many children were able to make reading an enjoyable part of their summer," stated Patricia Cornell, RIF's vice president and chief development officer. "We are also grateful to Target for their support of the reading challenge and for providing such a wonderful reading motivator to our nation's youth."

The Summer Reading Challenge was launched on May 1, 2006. Youths ages 5-15 were invited to track the number of hours they spent reading books, magazines and other materials. To meet the challenge, children 5-7 years old were required to read for 5 hours or more; 8-10 year olds were required to read for a minimum of 7 hours; 11-12 year olds were required to read for 10 hours; and 13 - 15 year olds must read for a total of 15 hours. Summer reading logs were due by August 11 and parental confirmations by September 1.

"Target recognizes that reading is a foundation for lifelong learning, so we're excited to see the response to the Summer Reading Challenge," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. "Together with RIF, we are committed to keeping students engaged in reading year round as it helps them to reach their fullest potential."

Participants in RIF's Summer Reading Challenge can learn of their status by visiting their Reading Planet homepages at www.rif.org/readingplanet. Winners will receive their Target GiftCard no later than October 31, 2006.

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through a national, grassroots network of community volunteers at 21,000 program sites, RIF provides 5 million children with 17 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information and to access reading resources, visit RIF's website at www.rif.org.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,494 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

Reading Is Fundamental

Reading Is Fundamental

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information and to access reading resources, visit RIF's website at www.rif.org.

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