Patch has partnered with a website founded by No. 1 best-selling author James Patterson, READKIDDOREAD.com, to encourage children to read. The first program in the partnership, "Patch and James Patterson's/ReadKiddoRead's Summer Reading List," launches this week on all 850+ Patch sites. A video message from Patterson will be featured on the sites that introduces Patch readers to the program and its four age-specific reading lists (ages 2-7, ages 6-9, ages 8-12 and tweens and teens) chosen by Patterson as great summer reads. Kids and parents can share their own recommendations, their responses to the books and their progress with the list on their hometown Patch site.

Patterson has been the number-one selling author in the U.S. for the past three years, with more than 16 million books sold in North America in 2011. He's the first author to have No. 1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's best-seller lists. A champion of reading, Patterson launched READKIDDOREAD.com to help parents and educators connect their children with books that will turn them into lifelong readers. The site, which debuted in 2008, won the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize.

In a press release yesterday, Warren Webster, Co-Founder of Patch, said "James Patterson's passion for inspiring children to read made this partnership a perfect fit for Patch, given our commitment to supporting our communities - and by extension, the kids and families in those communities." Patterson said he's "excited to be getting a conversation going this summer with such a lively and active network of families across the country" through Patch.