SIMON MALLS BRING BOOKS TO LIFE THROUGH SIMON KIDGITS CLUB BOOK BLAST EVENT AT THE MALL AT ROCKINGHAM PARK

Simon Malls® are welcoming families to experience the magic of reading at the mall. On March 1st, Simon Kidgits Club® at The Mall at Rockingham Park and local sponsor Small Smiles are hosting its free annual Book Blast event and inviting parents and children to bring books to life through special read-aloud sessions, giveaways and story-inspired activities.

Simon Kidgits Club’s Book Blast will provide families the chance to make reading a fun, social experience with various kid-focused offerings. Book Blast event activities will kick off with exciting read-alouds, scheduled from 11:00am to 1:00pm by special guest readers Corrie Chiknas, Children's Librarian at the Kelley Library in Salem and Officer Matt Norcross of the Salem Police Department. Fun activities include dressing your own Corduroy bear, create your own “How Do You Say Good Night chart and more! Kidgits members are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite pajamas and get cozy in the reading corner while they listen to readings of Corduroy by Don Freeman & How Do You Say Good Night? by Raina Moore. To add to the fun, Corduroy the bear will be on site for a meet and greet with the kids! Children are also invited to bring a new or gently used book to the event to be donated to our book drive, helping families give back to their own communities.

“Because Simon Malls are destinations for families and friends to do more than just shop, Simon Kidgits Club is giving children the chance to experience all that books have to offer in a social setting,” said Jayne Stilson, assistant vice president of business development for Simon Brand Ventures, the business-to-consumer division of Simon Property Group. “We’re combining education with fun and allowing kids to simply have a blast with reading.”

The Simon Kidgits Club is a fun and informative program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3-8. Since 2003, the Simon Kidgits Club has kept children and parents alike amused with various events and activities while providing incentives for club members, such as special offers, rewards and games.

Simon Kidgits Club members receive a variety of goodies, including a Simon Kidgits Club T-shirt, membership card, birthday card and gift, discounts and scheduled activities. For more information about the Simon Kidgits Club, visit http://www.simon.com/kidgits/.

About the Mall at Rockingham Park
The Mall at Rockingham Park is located by Route 28 and Exit 1 off I-93 in Salem, New Hampshire and is managed by Simon Property Group, Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The Mall at Rockingham Park is a super-regional mall currently anchored by Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, jcpenney and Sears and has over 130 retailers. 

Visit The Mall at Rockingham Park on Facebook: facebook.com/TheMallatRockinghamPark

or on Twitter: @RockinghamMall

Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG) is an S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry.  The Company currently owns or has an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America, Asia and Europe comprising approximately 243 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S.  For more information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

About Simon Brand Ventures

Simon Brand Ventures (SBV), Simon's business-to-consumer arm, is pioneering the transformation of shopping centers into a medium where consumer brands can build relationships with Simon shoppers who make over 2.8 billion visits each year.  Simon's vast franchise of market-leading shopping centers nationwide provides SBV the foundation to monetize the distribution system through numerous consumer ventures. SBV and its affiliates have engaged in a number of consumer business initiatives, including the Simon Visa Giftcard® and the American Express®/Simon Giftcard; launch of Simon platform programs such as Simon dTour Live® and Simon Kidgits Club®; a national media delivery channel including static, digital and experiential marketing and advertising vehicles; and multiple national and local marketing alliances with Coca-Cola and Visa U.S.A. among others.

About Better World Books

Better World Books (www.BetterWorldBooks.com) is a for-profit social enterprise that collects and sells books online matching each purchase with a donation, book for book, and with each sale generating funds for literacy initiatives in the U.S. and around the world. One of their key programs which helps consumers contribute to supporting global literacy is through their Drop Box book collection program. By participating in the Drop Box program, both the host of each site and their non-profit literacy partner of choice will receive a portion of the sale of the collected books. Those books that can't be sold are donated or recycled. Not one book will ever see a landfill.