In observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month and National Hunger Action Month, Storyline Online® releases a new Spanish language read-aloud – La nevera de Maddi read by actress Isabella Gomez

September 12, 2022

LOS ANGELES (September 12, 2022)In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month and National Hunger Action Month, Colombian-American actress Isabella Gomez, star of One Day at a Time and HBO Max’s reboot of Head of the Class, brings La nevera de Maddi, the Spanish language version of Maddi’s Fridge, to life for SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy program Storyline Online®.

La nevera de Maddi, written by Lois Brandt and previously read in English by Jennifer Garner for the online children’s literacy program, addresses the critical issue of child hunger through a tale of two friends who carry a secret about food insecurity and support each other through it. This children’s book, read by Gomez, who speaks both English and Spanish fluently, invites native Spanish speakers or any child learning the language, to consider these difficult circumstances with empathy and love.

Illustrated by Vin Vogel and published by Flashlight Press, La nevera de Maddi is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Human Rights in Children’s Literature Honor. According to SAG-AFTRA Foundation President Courtney B. Vance, Gomez’s read-aloud is a timely and excellent addition to Storyline Online’s growing multicultural library.

“We are proud to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month and National Hunger Action Month by releasing our second Spanish language read-aloud, La nevera de Maddi, read by the young, rising star Isabella Gomez,” Vance says. “We’ve been eager to add to our Spanish language library after receiving an overwhelming global response from Jaime Camil’s brilliant English and Spanish read-alouds. In addition, there are a great number of children going to school hungry all over the world right now, and La nevera de Maddi is a way for millions more children to be introduced to these difficult, real-life struggles with compassion and care. We are grateful to Isabella for contributing her artistic talents and Spanish language fluency to Storyline Online to advance children’s literacy worldwide.”

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15 and runs through October 15. National Hunger Action Month is during the month of September.

As with all Storyline Online videos, La nevera de Maddi is accompanied by a complementary supplemental activity guide that aligns with Common Core Standards that strengthen verbal, written and comprehension skills. Aimed at 1st-3rd grade students, these activities encourage children to engage in critical thinking activities and explore the themes of each book, including topics such as childhood hunger, friendship, and keeping secrets.

A trusted, educational brand since 2001, Storyline Online saw significant growth during the pandemic when remote learning became more common within households. Boasting over 250 million views since March 2020, Storyline Online has seen a sharp spike in interaction, shares, and likes, proving to have been an essential online resource for families. Storyline Online remains committed to providing the extra help to teachers in classrooms, as well as parents with school-age children who remain at home.

Isabella joins the illustrious cast of Storyline Online readers including Angela Bassett, Kristen Bell, Connie Britton, Terry Crews, Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Garner,  Allison Janney, John Lithgow, Rami Malek,  Marc Maron, Seth Meyers, Chris Pine, Justin Theroux, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Yeoh, and many more who have volunteered their time and talent to promote literacy and inspire a love of reading in hundreds of millions of children worldwide. To watch La nevera de Maddi and all of the Storyline Online read-alouds, visit storylineonline.net. Keep up with new videos by subscribing to Storyline Online on YouTube and following Storyline Online on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Isabella Gomez reads for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s children’s literacy program Storyline Online® / Photo courtesy of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

ABOUT STORYLINE ONLINE®
An Emmy®-nominated program of the nonprofit SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Storyline Online® streams 70 videos at no cost to children, parents, and educators worldwide. The site receives 9 million views every month and is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Library Association, as well as named one of the best websites by the American Association of School Librarians. In addition to the website, Storyline Online offers a free app for iPhone and Chrome devices. Storyline Online, like all SAG-AFTRA Foundation programs, relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to produce new content. For more information, visit storylineonline.net.

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public at large through its award-winning children’s literacy program Storyline Online®. The Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. For more information, visit sagaftra.foundation.

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Contact: Caroline O’Connor
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