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                        Rubenstein Associates, Inc.

                        Public Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHILDREN READING IN BRAILE AND LARGE TYPE FACE BOOKS

 JOIN AUTHOR FOR SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEW BOOK

BRONX, NY; July 19, 2011 – Seventy students ages 5-14 with blindness, visual impairments and emotional and learning needs from the New York Institute for Special Education, read along in Braille and large type face books with children’s author Jason Alter, as he read excerpts from his new book, John Fastramp and the Mystery of the Ghost.

Alter, a molecular biologist by trade, developed the John Fastramp book series based on bedtime stories he tells his children. Aimed for all ages, the eagerly awaited sequel to John Fastramp and the Dakota 3000 Challenge, introduces new friends and villains as well as an exciting adventure set high in the Himalayan Mountains. For more information visit www.johnfastramp.com.

“The John Fastramp stories are full of excitement, imagination, and wonder,” said Dr. Bernadette Kappen, Executive Director of The New York Institute for Special Education. “This story is great for our kids because they encourage children to use their imagination to its fullest capacity. We are so excited to welcome Jason to our school again.”

Encouraged by his friends and family, Alter translated his stories into a manuscript and tested it in his children’s elementary school. Children loved it and demanded to know where they could buy the book.

            "I am very excited to have been invited to read my sequel with the children at the NYISE,” says Alter. “When I came to read my first book in 2007, the interest expressed by the children and the staff at NYISE was the most gratifying experience I have had. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do it again."

            NYISE, which celebrated its 180^th Anniversary, encourages students to fully participate in life. In addition to special events, the school also encourages students to participate in sports, musical and dramatic performances, fundraising, art, and the like.

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NYISE-Alter / P. 2

            The New York Institute for Special Education, founded in 1831 as The New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, is one of the oldest and most respected schools in the nation that provides specialized services for children with disabilities.

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