Hilo Union Elementary School recently received a $3,000 grant from best-selling author James Patterson and the Scholastic Reading Club to support its school library.
Hilo Union Elementary School recently received a $3,000 grant from best-selling author James Patterson and the Scholastic Reading Club to support its school library.
Teachers also will recieve funds for books and other materials for their classrooms.
Hilo Union was selected from 27,924 applications for funding grants. As part of an ongoing effort to keep books and reading a No. 1 priority in the United States, Patterson and Scholastic Reading Club made a commitment to help save school libraries nationwide.
In 2015, Patterson donated $1.75 million to school libraries, with grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 allocated to each of the 467 selected schools.
Fourth-grade teacher Brandi Mahuna applied for the grant after her students struggled to find specific information about Native Hawaiian plants and Hawaiian history in the school library’s Hawaiian section.
“These grants are my humble acknowledgement of some of the terrific work taking place in libraries,” Patterson said. “Here’s to communities supporting school libraries. Here’s to a country that makes reading a priority.”
“It continues to be inspiring and motivating to work with James Patterson to support school libraries across the country,” said Judy Newman, Scholastic Reading Club president.
To learn more, visit mediaroom.scholastic.com/scholasticreadingclub and follow #PattersonPledge on social media.