In addition to providing the latest news about our books, this website also offers: free teacher's guides; articles for professional development; links to lesson plans; author biographies; and an educational calendar marking key anniversaries with teachable book suggestions.

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Win a FREE trip to Antarctica with author and environmentalist, Robert Swan

This November, join Robert Swan on his International Antarctic Treaty Expedition (IATE). On the trip, 80 teachers, students, corporate leaders and experts will gain first-hand knowledge and observe Antarctica's fragile ecosystems. Robert Swan is the author of the forthcoming book, Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth's Last Wilderness, available October 2009.

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will win passage for one on IATE November 16-30, 2009 with Robert Swan, roundtrip airfare to Ushuaia, Argentina, a signed copy of Antarctica 2041, and Carbon Offsets to cover the winner's trip related emissions provided by NativeEnergy, plus a personal carbon footprint consolation. Approximate Retail Value is $28,000.

Click here for complete trip details and to enter today! Entries valid through September 4, 2009. Winners alerted by October 1, 2009. Expedition begins on November 16, 2009.

Free Author Event for NYC Educators

Are you a teacher in the New York City area or are you going to be in NYC this summer? If so, we would like to invite you to our Free Author Event for NYC Educators. Held at the Random House, Inc. building in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, August 18th from 3-5pm, the event will feature three fascinating authors: Hannah Tinti (The Good Thief), John Elder Robison (Look Me in the Eye), and Warren St. John (Outcasts United). Each author will speak about their books, and experiences touring schools. Refreshments, prizes, and free signed books will be available.

RSVP necessary. Click here for the official invitation.

Click here to RSVP: (note: under "Book Selection" field, enter "Luncheon")

John Francis's Earth Day Planetwalk

Coinciding with Earth Day and the trade paperback release of Planetwalker, author Dr. John Francis, with his nonprofit educational organization Planetwalk, is conducting a 5-day expedition in East Central Ohio, April 22-27, 2009, during which time about 12 participants will continue to develop the environmental curriculum, Planetlines.

The goal of the walk that began from Cape May in 2005 is to raise awareness of the human environment and how each person can make the difference in preserving Planet Earth. On April 23, Dr. Francis will make a live satellite presentation from the road to the Missouri State University Public Affairs Conference on Sustainability in Springfield.

Read more about the Earth Day Planetwalk here.

Free Book Download

Random House is offering, for a limited-time-only, a completely free download of the book Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas.

Funny in Farsi is fast becoming a favorite among teachers, librarians and readers everywhere, and continues to be selected for freshman year reading programs, One Book, One Community Programs and reading groups throughout the country. So, we are offering this special download to readers who are looking for a good story for their classroom, community or book group.

In addition to the full text of the book, the free download also includes: a letter and two essays from the author, a Teacher's/Discussion Guide for Funny in Farsi and an excerpt from Firoozeh's latest book Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad.

Click here now to download your free copy!

• Two Random House, Inc. titles win 2008 National Book Critics Circle awards: The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul by Patrick French (Biography) and The Forever War by Dexter Filkins (Nonfiction).

• Netherland by Joseph O'Neill wins the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

• Browse these books by and about our new President: 08, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama For Beginners, Change We Can Believe In, and Dreams From My Father.

• New teachers guides are now available for the following: Boom! by Tom Brokaw, Ms. Cahill for Congress by Tierney Cahill and Linden Gross, Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz, and Last Night I Dreamed Of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram.