What is the United States of Readers?
The United States of Readers is a version of Scholastic Book Clubs that is administered by teachers and, in this pilot year, is being entirely funded through our partnership with James Patterson.
The program empowers every student in participating Title 1 schools to choose and own books from book flyers curated by Scholastic Book Clubs editors. Flyers are distributed five times a year; each student selects two books, which equals ten books of their choice by the end of the school year.
Teachers are also provided with 25 preview books for their classroom libraries, along with resources throughout the school year to share with their students and families to encourage reading in the classroom, home, and community.
How can my school participate?
During this pilot year, a limited number of high Title 1 schools across the nation were selected to participate. In the coming years, our goal is to make this program available to all teachers and students who demonstrate a need for books and resources in the classroom and home.
Please check our website, the United States of Readers, for more information and program updates. (We will post news about the 2022–2023 program and school eligibility as soon as we can!)
How many students are you serving in the 2021–2022 pilot year?
During the 2021–2022 pilot year, the United States of Readers is serving 32,000 students in schools in every single state in the country, including Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico!
Can you tell me how the books were selected?
Students receive flyers offering a wide variety of age-appropriate, high-quality books hand-selected by Scholastic Book Clubs editors. Every effort was made by the editors to create flyers that are inclusive and representative of the classrooms we reach. Flyers include books that help students build knowledge about themselves and the world around them, books that empower students by building connection and belonging, and books that transport students to worlds and experiences that are new and different. Additionally, every flyer includes at least one bilingual title.
Is the Patterson Partnership Classroom Library Grant still available to teachers this school year?
For the past seven years, Scholastic Book Clubs has partnered with James Patterson to find new and exciting ways to get books into the hands of teachers and students. The United States of Readers is an evolution of this partnership. This year, classroom libraries and student home libraries will be supported through this program.