"Every child deserves a classroom that gives them access to limitless independent reading opportunities, and teachers should not have to personally bear the burden of filling their classroom library shelves with books."
James Patterson and Scholastic Book Clubs revealed the names of 4,500 teachers across the United States who won Patterson Partnership grants to help build their classroom libraries. Four thousand teachers will each receive $250 in cash and 250 Scholastic Book Clubs Bonus Points, while an additional 500 "new" teachers (those with less than three years’ experience) each receive $500 in cash and 500 Bonus Points. This school year marks the fifth annual installment of the Patterson Partnership, created to save classroom libraries and assist teachers in acquiring books and other materials desperately needed in their classrooms.
From Aledo to Wylie, more than three hundred Texas teachers were awarded a Patterson Partnership grant. For a complete list of awards, go here.
"I write children's books with the sole goal of getting kids reading—by (hopefully) giving them a story they like to read, that in turn gets them to pick up another," Patterson said. "But without teachers, who are first showing their students how to read, and second, giving them access to books in their classrooms, we'd be nowhere. So whether they're pointing kids towards the right book, inspiring creativity, or encouraging kindness, teachers change lives every single day. And I'm humbled to be able to give back to them in some way."
The 2019 Patterson/Scholastic Book Clubs campaign drew a total of nearly 125,000 applicants, with more than 26,000 applications coming from new teachers. Patterson has now donated $8.5 million to school and classroom libraries through his partnership with Scholastic Book Clubs.
Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, commented: "Thanks to James Patterson's unwavering commitment and generosity, we've been able to expand our reach to teachers—including new teachers—across America with this year's Patterson Partnership giveaway .... Every child deserves a classroom that gives them access to limitless independent reading opportunities, and teachers should not have to personally bear the burden of filling their classroom library shelves with books."
For information on how to enter for next year, go here.
