Patch, AOL’s leading platform of local news, information and engagement sites, and ReadKiddoRead.com, the website founded by number-one best-selling author James Patterson, announced a partnership designed to encourage childrens' passion for reading and to support parents’ efforts to interest their kids in books throughout the year, and especially during the summer months when school is out.
"Patch and James Patterson's/ReadKiddoRead’s Summer Reading List,” the first program in the partnership, has launched on all 850+ Patch sites.
Aimed at parents, teachers, librarians and, of course, kids, the attached video message from Patterson introduces Patch readers to the program, along with four age-specific reading lists chosen by Patterson as great summer reads.
Kids and parents will be encouraged to share their own recommendations, their responses to the books and their progress with the list on their hometown Patch site.
"We hope moms and dads will be inspired to take an even more active role in getting their kids into books and reading,” said Patterson. "That’s what ReadKiddoRead is all about. I’m proud to be working with Patch to get more children reading good books. I’m really excited to be getting a conversation going this summer with such a lively and active network of families across the country."
Patch also recently announced that May was its highest traffic and revenue period to date, with nearly 12 million users (comScore, June 2012). In just over three years, Patch has grown from 3 to more than 850 sites in 23 states and now employs nearly 1,000 professional editors in those communities.
"James Patterson’s passion for inspiring children to read made this partnership a perfect fit for Patch, given our commitment to supporting our communities — and by extension, the kids and families in those communities, ” said Warren Webster, Co-Founder of Patch. "We’re excited to work with ReadKiddoRead and hope that this initiative will foster a love of reading that will last well beyond this summer.”
Patterson has been the number-one selling author in America for the past three years, with more than 16 million books sold in North America during 2011 alone. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's bestseller lists.
Patterson is a champion of reading and for several years sponsored the James Patterson Pageturner awards, which rewarded people and organizations that spread the excitement and joy of books and reading.
Through this and other efforts he has given millions of dollars to people and causes that are working to spread the joy and excitement of reading. He launched ReadKiddoRead.com — which helps parents and educators connect their children with the books that will turn them into lifelong readers — in 2008, and since then the site has won acclaim with the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize, and has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands across the country.
So, are you looking for a great book to read this summer? Here are the links to Patterson's four age-grouped lists of recommendations.
What are your favorite books? What books had the biggest impact on you growing up?
