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Our Story

Pat Campbell, the President of Grass Roots Press, coordinated an adult literacy program in the 1980s. Pat, like other educators, was frustrated with the paucity of low-level reading materials for adults. Educators, out of sheer necessity, were writing easy-to-read books for their classes. In 1997, Pat co-founded Grass Roots Press, with the dream of creating a collection of books for adults with low-literacy skills.

Pat experienced a steep learning curve as she transitioned from the world of education, where she had earned a doctorate degree, to the business of publishing. As a reading specialist, Pat knew that adults would benefit from reading books at an accessible level. Since 1997, Grass Roots Press has produced a variety of resources, including diagnostic reading assessments, photostories, hi-lo biographies and chapter books, along with comprehension and spelling workbooks.

Pat has a special place in her heart for adults who are learning to read. Pat convinced her best friend Linda Kita-Bradley to produce a set of photostories, written at a Grade 1 level. Linda, armed with a camera, a can-do attitude, and a wicked sense of humour, started writing. Twenty years later, Linda is still adding photostories to our ever-growing collection.

In 2005, Pat’s husband, Terry Barber, entered semi-retirement, but that did not last long. Pat asked Terry to write a biography series, written at a Grade 2 level. The illustrated biography collection focuses on well-known people who have overcome challenges; such stories inspire students.

By 2020, Pat’s thoughts turned to semi-retirement. She wanted more time to spend with friends and family and to pursue her passions. Pat shut down the bricks and mortar portion of Grass Roots Press, turning her attention to online sales. Today, customers can purchase ebooks, PDFs, and audio books directly from the Grass Roots Press website. And the softcover books are available from Amazon.

Get in touch with us: info@grassrootsbooks.net