THIS BOOK IS COOL! is a series of 100 webisodes to encourage a love of reading. It premiered on June 1, 2020, and since then, thousands of children from across the Suncoast region have qualified to receive free books thanks to the generosity of The Patterson Foundation. In 2021, 9,192 children participated; combined, they read 182,648 books!
Thanks to the generosity of The Patterson Foundation, children who are registered for THIS BOOK IS COOL! will receive:
20 free books
An activity guide with activities and word puzzles that correspond to the books
Regular contact with a Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Engagement Team member
Invitations to family engagement events throughout the summer
SCGLR will distribute books and hand out rewards to qualifying children (grades PreK–3) who are registered and fully participating in THIS BOOK IS COOL!
To maintain an active status in THIS BOOK IS COOL!, parents must submit a weekly total of the number of books their child has read.
*To qualify for THIS BOOK IS COOL!, you must be:
A resident of Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, or Sarasota counties
Entering PreK-3rd grade
Enrolled at a Title I school, eligible for free/reduced lunch, or have other demonstrable need
Want to explore the possibilities? Email Beth Duda, director of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading at bduda@thepattersonfoundation.org.
