Patch Partners with James Patterson to Promote Summer Reading for Kids

You'll see summer reading lists for kids of all ages across Patch starting Wednesday. Here's the reason why:

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, today announced a partnership designed to encourage kids’ 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, launches this week on all 850+ Patch sites. Aimed at parents, teachers, librarians, and, of course, kids, the sites will feature a video message from Patterson that 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. 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,” says Patterson.

James 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.

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.