Five employees of The Book House in Maplewood are among 300 book stores nationally to receive grants from novelist James Patterson, totaling $350,000, as part of his Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program, according to the American Booksellers Association.
Patterson partnered with the ABA to distribute the funds, which were awarded to individual booksellers in amounts ranging from $750 to $1,250.
The grant application asked one question: “Why does this bookseller deserve a holiday bonus?” Patterson personally selected winners from bookstores all across the country.
Patterson said, “This holiday season, in particular, underscored how deserving these booksellers are — many of the recipients came from stores that dealt with major damage from hurricanes and wildfires, in addition to the challenges they faced in an ever-changing retail environment. These bonuses are my humble acknowledgment of their commitment to putting books into the hands of readers, and I hope these grants make a positive difference in their lives.”
American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher said, “James Patterson continues to demonstrate his extraordinary commitment to literacy and independent booksellers. In a year that has proved so challenging to many booksellers because of natural disasters, we are even more grateful. Thanks to his ongoing generosity, over twice as many independent booksellers who are working so hard to serve their communities by connecting authors and readers of all ages will receive well-earned bonuses.”
See more information and the full list of recipients from the ABA.
A big ” Thank You ” shout out to James Patterson for including five employees of Maplewood’s own The Book House, to be recipients of his 2017 Holiday Bonus. I know the award was gratefully received by them. Maplewood is proud to have them as a great addition to their businesses here in our town…..and may all in Maplewood enjoy their Christmas and have the best year coming up in 2018.
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