As part of his Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program, James Patterson, in partnership with the American Booksellers Association, is distributing grants to 500 booksellers, including one hundred children's booksellers, each of whom will receive $500, the Associated Press reported.

The winners were chosen from a pool of more than 2,500 nominations, with applications based on one question: "Why does this bookseller deserve a holiday bonus?"

In a statement, Patterson observed: "I've said this many times before, but I can't say it enough: booksellers save lives. Children's booksellers especially—they guide children to books they'll genuinely enjoy and in turn create a new generation of readers. I'm happy to be able to acknowledge them and the important work they do in any way that I can this holiday season."

Your lucky, hardworking Texas holiday bonus recipients are:

Celia Bell, Malvern Books, Austin

Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston

Tom Blute, Interabang Books, Dallas

Athena Cuadra, The Storybook Garden, Weslaco

Chelsea Green, Bibliobar, Garland

Julia Green, Front Street Books, Alpine

John Kwiatkowski-McDougall, Murder By the Book, Houston

Madison Lawson, Bibliobar, Murphy

Diane Mayes, Patchouli Joe's Books & Indulgences, Leander

Joy Prebble, Brazos Bookstore, Houston

Cristina Rodriguez, Deep Vellum Books, Dallas

Eugenia Vela, BookPeople, Austin

The program is administered by Patterson and the ABA, which represents the country’s independent bookstores. Patterson has donated millions of dollars in recent years to bookstores, school libraries, and literacy programs.