If you have been reading "On Our Minds" the past few weeks, you know that school libraries need critical help. Today, author James Patterson has stepped up to the plate (again) to ensure all children experience the power and joy of reading.
Because of the immediate and overwhelming response to his initial $1.25 million donation to school libraries, James Patterson will increase his contribution by $250,000, raising the total donation to $1.5 million. Scholastic Reading Club will match each dollar with bonus points that teachers can use for classroom materials.
In the two weeks following the donation announcement, James Patterson and Scholastic received more than 8,500 applications for school library grants. The grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 per school and include a wide variety of requests, from flood damage repairs to new books to better shelving systems. Patterson hopes that the high volume of requests and the publicity surrounding the donation will raise awareness for the problems facing school libraries today.
Be sure to nominate you school library today! James Patterson and Scholastic Reading Club will accept nominations of all types: for repairs to a computer system, for example, or for a school project focused on books and reading. Any U.S. school with students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade is eligible for a grant. Applications for the grantscan be made through the Scholastic Reading Club website: www.scholastic.com/pattersonpartnership.
#PattersonPledge
David Burnett
