James Patterson isn't just a best-selling author, he is also a great advocate for school libraries. On March 23, Patterson announced that in addition to the $1.25 million school libraries grant he and Scholastic Reading Club publicized earlier in March (as reported by SLJ), he is donating an additional $250,000 to the grant, raising the total to $1.5 million. Scholastic Reading Club will match each dollar with bonus points that teachers can use to purchase classroom materials. The reason for his additional donation is simple: the outpouring of need. In the two weeks following the donation announcement, Patterson and Scholastic have received more than 10,500 applications for school library grants for a "wide variety of requests, from flood damage repairs to new books to better shelving systems," states a Scholastic press release. “I’m blown away by the number of parents and teachers who have shared the urgent needs of their community’s school library,” said Patterson in a prepared statement. “It’s clear that our school libraries require critical help. I know we can’t solve the issues overnight, but I hope at the very least we’re able to raise awareness about the important position the school library plays in the educational achievement of children.” Visit the official Scholastic Reading Club website for James Patterson's Pledge to Libraries grant application.

James Patterson Partners with Scholastic to Give Away $1.25M to School Libraries