James Patterson is on a quest for literacy and his next stop is Baltimore. But apart from promoting the importance of reading, he has another noble itinerary. According to CTV News, the renowned "Zoo" author will give away 25,000 copies "Public School Superhero," his new illustrated children's book following the intrepid black sixth grader and his daring adventures to kids (grades 3 to 7) from the area's public schools.

According to the site, Patterson felt the urge to drop by Baltimore after the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray Jr. while he was being held by the police hit the headlines. As Yahoo details, Gray died of a spinal injury five days after his arrest on Apr 12, when the police chained and handcuffed him to their transport van but did not seatbelt him.

In an Associated Press interview picked up by CTV News, Patterson said "I like the city very much, and I think part of the reason is that it reminds me of where I grew up, Newburgh (in New York), which is a smaller but also very tough river town."

"So watching what's been happening to kids in Baltimore made me think, 'How I can help?' And I thought the best thing I can do is try to keep ringing the bell and get kids reading," he added. The 68-year-old novelist will come together with civic leaders and members of the city council as well as school and library officials, on Sept 16. He will also be meeting up 300 fifth graders on that same day.

Just recently, Patterson donated £110,000 to 69 independent UK and Ireland-based bookshops with children's book sections. The fund will allow the recipients to hold author events, children's reading challenges and even a Book Bus. A good sum will go to the renovation of children's sections that need it as well as the allocation for quarters intended for storytelling.

In an interview picked up by The Bookseller, Patterson revealed he was "completely overwhelmed," "impressed and enthused" by the amount of bookshops that applied for the grants and the quality of each of their applications, which included "everything from a bedtime reading project to a refurbishment of children's sections now underway."

"I have again worked to identify independent bookshops for whom this money can make a difference and for whom getting children reading is a real passion. I can't wait to see what the UK and Ireland's incredible and pioneering bookshops propose for next year," the novelist said. All for the love of books, Patterson also previously donated $1m to independent bookstores in the US.