James Patterson has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today.  Worldwide, James Patterson has sold 300 million books, including the Middle School books and the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, and Maximum Ride series.  For the past decade, Patterson has been devoting more and more of his time to championing books and reading. His website, ReadKiddoRead.com, is designed to helped parents, teachers, and librarians ignite the next generation’s excitement about reading.  James has donated over 250,000 books to kids across the US as well as over 650,000 books to soldiers at home and overseas.  Last year, he distributed over one million dollars in grants to independent bookstores with children’s sections.   This year, he plans to donate 1.5 million dollars to school libraries.  He has established scholarships in teacher education at twenty-two schools, including Vanderbilt University, the University of Wisconsin, and Manhattan College. Mr. Patterson’s awards for adult and children’s literature include the Edgar Award, the International Thriller of the Year Award, and the Children’s Choice Award for Author of the Year.  He lives in Palm Beach with his wife, Sue, and his son, Jack.