Second Chance to Win James Patterson PageTurner Awards

James Patterson, the bestselling author is, for the second year, awarding cash prizes to those promoting a passion for reading -- booksellers, teachers, festival organizers, philanthropic groups, and others -- through the 2006 James Patterson PageTurner Awards. For 2006, however, he has dramatically upped the ante. "I decided to increase the amount of the awards," Patterson told BTW, "because, well, things did work out in the first year and I have that much more confidence that the message is working."

The James Patterson PageTurner Awards are given to individuals and groups who "get people of all ages excited about books and reading, and successfully transform non-readers into lifelong page-turners." This year, a total of $500,000 in cash prizes will be distributed among 44 winners.

Patterson plans to continue to offer the awards in the future and said that he's been happy with the response so far. "You never know when you start something like this how things are going to end up, but I couldn't be more pleased with what we saw in 2005 and what we're seeing in 2006," he noted. "I gave away 34 awards last year -- more than I was planning, I can tell you -- and I definitely could have given away more. This year, we will."

Among last year's winners were two independent booksellers -- Nancy Quinn of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops in Milwaukee and Mary Gay Shipley of That Bookstore in Blytheville, in Blytheville, Arkansas, and Patterson is encouraging independents to participate again this year. "I'd love for everybody in anyway involved with Book Sense to look around them and to please, please go to the website, www.pattersonpageturner.org, and nominate the best person, company, or organization they know that's out there spreading the joy and excitement of reading," he said. "And if it happens to be themselves they want to nominate, that's great, too."

Asked why he chose to create the awards, Patterson explained, "I really want to leave this world a better place than when I came into it. And if there's one thing that would improve this planet, it's having more people read more books. The book is hands-down the best thing we humans have ever invented.  There's no better way for us to tell each other stories, to share wisdom, to experience each other's lives -- and, it seems to me, this is what life is all about.... I hope the PageTurners, by recognizing the people out there showing passion for this message, will work to get us back on the right track on a bigger scale than we're seeing just in our bookstores, libraries, and the occasional school."

This year's prizes amount to two awards of $100,000, two awards of $50,000, and 40 awards of $5,000 each. One of the $100,000 PageTurner of the Year Awards is open to any individual, group, or organization that encourages reading in an original and exciting way. The second $100,000 award -- The PageTurner School of the Year Award -- is earmarked for an educational institution that best instills a love of reading in its students. Both awards will be dispersed over five years, with $20,000 given each year. The winning school will also receive a visit from Patterson, who will read, sign, and talk about books.

The two $50,000 PageTurner Par Excellence Awards will go to individuals, schools, organizations, groups, or companies that promote the pleasure of books and reading. Each winner will receive $10,000 annually over five years.

Forty PageTurner Champion Awards of $5,000 each will be presented to those who demonstrate a notable contribution to the cause of making reading fun. Anyone may nominate themselves or another candidate through an electronic form on the PageTurner website, by October 16. The winners will be announced before the end of November.

Harry W. Schwartz's Quinn and Shipley of That Bookstore in Blytheville received PageTurner Champion Awards, which, last year, were $1,000 each. Quinn was recognized for her work in securing approximately 250 author visits a year, as well as creating unique events, partnering with local businesses, and reaching out to the community. Shipley was honored for her "ceaseless enthusiasm about books and reading [that] has created a thriving book community in a relatively poor state with a low literacy rate."

In honor of the two $100,000 winners, this year First Book, a national nonprofit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books, will donate 1,000 books to programs serving disadvantaged children in cities chosen by the winners. --Karen Schechner