The National Book Foundation has named Scholastic chairman, president, and CEO Dick Robinson the recipient of its 2017 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Robinson will receive the award at the 68th National Book Awards ceremony and benefit dinner on November 15.
Robinson, the son and successor of Scholastic founder M.R. Robinson, has helped the company become the world's largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, and has published books including J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series, and The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Under Robinson, Scholastic has donated millions of books annually to organizations serving children in need.
"The mission of the National Book Foundation is, first and foremost, to increase the impact of books on our culture, and nobody has done more to encourage reading than Dick Robinson," National Book Foundation board of directors chair David Steinberger said in a statement. "Under Dick Robinson's leadership, Scholastic has brought books into the lives of literally millions of young people in the United States and around the world.”
Robinson has previously been honored for his service work with awards that include the Corporate Leadership Award from Save the Children, the Robin Hood Foundation’s John F. Kennedy, Jr. Corporate Hero Award in recognition of his efforts to improve literacy, and the Cleveland E. Dodge Medal for Distinguished Service to Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
