To date, James Patterson has donated $7.25 million to school and classroom libraries through his partnership with Scholastic Book Clubs—this year brings that total to $8.5 million. To learn more about the program, and to apply for a grant, please visit: scholastic.com/pattersonpartnership.
James Patterson said, “Illiteracy—or lack of reading proficiency—is a huge and often daunting issue in this country. In many, many states, more than 40% of students read below grade level. This is a shocking statistic. Tackling this epidemic can be overwhelming for parents and educators alike. But we have to start somewhere. And I think getting books into the hands of children is an excellent place to start. My hope is that my partnership with Scholastic helps teachers fill their classroom bookshelves, and gives their students access to books that they’re excited to read—and ultimately, to foster a lifelong love of reading, as I strongly believe that better readers make better people.”
“We at Scholastic Book Clubs are thrilled to be partnering with James Patterson for the fifth year in a row,” said Judy Newman, President and Reader in Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs.James’ vision of making great books available to all students is perfectly aligned with the work we do every day. The 800,000 classroom teachers who use Scholastic Book Clubs, on behalf of the millions of children they teach, need resources to build classroom libraries filled with books that are well suited to their students’ interests, reading abilities, and imaginations—and provide easy and barrier free access to those titles. I continue to be awed and inspired by James’ generosity and his determination to put ample resources behind the vision of great books—and literacy—for all. We applaud James’ recognition that teachers are critically important in this work and that many teachers—particularly those new to teaching—struggle to find the funds to put books on their classroom library shelves. We stand with teachers who are so grateful for James’ recognition and we are geared up and ready for the tremendous, enthusiastic response we know the 2019 #PattersonPledge with Scholastic Book Clubs will get from tens of thousands of teachers across the country.”
Patterson hopes that teachers and students will share their experiences in their communities using #PattersonPledge. The application process is simple: teachers just need to say in 50 characters or less how they plan on using $250 dollars and 250 Bonus Points to help build their classroom libraries. All teachers in PreK through grade 12 in US schools are eligible to apply for a grant. All funds are being personally donated by James Patterson, and all Bonus Points are being donated by Scholastic Book Clubs.