A kick-off celebration at 换妻社区 and author visits on Oct. 28-30 are among the more than 150 events in Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties during this year鈥檚 and accompanying programs for younger readers.
Running throughout October and November, the programs are exploring the timeless weaving of identity, societal expectations, and personal goals and dreams. The Big Read Lakeshore is featuring the 1925 novel 鈥淭he Great Gatsby,鈥� by F. Scott Fitzgerald and pairing it with the 2006 graphic novel 鈥淎merican Born Chinese,鈥� by Gene Luen Yang. Taking place at the same time, the Middle Read Lakeshore is featuring 鈥淢exikid: A Graphic Memoir,鈥� by Pedro Martin, for upper-elementary and junior-high grades. The picture-book memoir 鈥淒reamers,鈥� by Yuyi Morales, for middle-elementary grades is the focus for the Little Read Lakeshore program. The Mini Read for the youngest readers is focusing on the board book 鈥淟ove: A Celebration of Mindfulness / El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena,鈥� by Katie Wilson.
To provide historical and cultural context for 鈥淭he Great Gatsby,鈥� the opening keynote event on Monday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium at Hope will feature presentations by Hope faculty members Dr. Jeanne Petit, who is the Betty Roelofs 鈥�53 Miller Professor of History and department chair, and Dr. Kristin VanEyk, assistant professor of English. The event will include a special Gatsby-themed dance performance by the college鈥檚 Strike Time Dance Company. The public is invited, and admission is free.
Award-winning author Pedro Martin, who is a former Hallmark artist, will participate in multiple events on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 29 and 30. He will share his journey growing up Mexican-American and experience writing and illustrating 鈥淢exikid鈥� during a keynote presentation on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Herrick District Library North Branch. The public is invited to the event at the library, and admission is free. While in West Michigan, he will also be making several presentations for school children.
换妻社区鈥檚 Big Read, Middle Read, Little Read and Mini Read Lakeshore programs bring the community together around a common book each fall, using the shared experience of reading, discussing and exploring the themes of the book as a springboard to listen to and learn from each other. Presented in collaboration with 75 community partners including lakeshore libraries, non-profits, businesses, school districts and academic institutions, they involve thousands of readers along the Lakeshore each year.
The programs together feature events for all ages, ranging from exhibitions and concerts, to lectures and book discussions, to outdoor adventures. The complete schedule is available online at .
鈥淭he Great Gatsby鈥� centers on enigmatic Long Island millionaire Jay Gatsby and the characters in his orbit during the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties. As paths cross and tragedy ensues, the narrative contrasts the glamor Gatsby鈥檚 extravagant lifestyle with the decadence, social stigma, racial and gender bias, and disillusionment that are beneath the glittering surface. Considered Fitzgerald鈥檚 magnum opus, 鈥淭he Great Gatsby鈥� has been hailed by the New York Times as a masterwork of American literature, has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, and has been adapted to stage and screen multiple times.
鈥淎merican Born Chinese鈥� is considered a classic in the graphic-novel world. It tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters whose lives come together with an unexpected twist: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he鈥檚 the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny鈥檚 life with his yearly visits. A New York Times bestseller, 鈥淎merican Born Chinese鈥� has won several awards, including the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New. In 2023, the television adaptation of the graphic novel was aired on Disney+.
鈥淢exikid: A Graphic Memoir,鈥� a 2024 Newbery Honoree, shares Martin鈥檚 childhood memory of traveling with his parents and eight siblings from California to Mexico in 1977 to help his abuelito (grandfather) take care of an important task before bringing him back to the U.S. to live with them. The memoir鈥檚 unpredictable fusion of humorous and reflective moments provides insights into his family鈥檚 many stories while hinting at larger questions and histories. The heart of the story surrounds Martin鈥檚 abuelito and their distanced but invested relationship as they connect and Martin learns more about his own Mexican identity.
鈥淒reamers鈥� is Morales鈥檚 memoir of making a new home in the United States. When she came to the U.S. in 1994 with her infant son, she left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn鈥檛 arrive empty-handed. 鈥淒reamers鈥� celebrates making your home with the things you always carry 鈥� your resilience, dreams, hopes and history 鈥� and navigating an unfamiliar world and finding the best parts of it. The book has been published in both English-language and Spanish-language editions.
鈥淟ove: A Celebration of Mindfulness / El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena鈥� guides young readers through the many ways they can experience love through the day, from finding ways to love learning, to finding love in friendship, to loving the earth. The book is available in English, in Spanish and as a bilingual English and Spanish edition.
Dr. Deb Van Duinen, who is the Arnold and Esther Sonneveldt Professor of Education at Hope, founded the Big Read Lakeshore in 2014 and added the Little Read Lakeshore in 2017. The programs have engaged an estimated 20,000 people annually, including thousands of students from pre-school through college age in Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties.
In May 2022, Michigan Humanities named the Big Read Lakeshore and Little Read Lakeshore the Statewide Community Partner of the Year for 2021. Also in 2022, the Big Read Lakeshore expanded its scope and reach to include Muskegon.
This year鈥檚 programs have received a $2,500 Bridging Grant from Michigan Humanities to support a visit to Holland and presentations on Nov. 13-14 by author Yuyi Morales. Herrick District Library received a $20,000 Humanities grant from Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Big Read Lakeshore encourages book clubs interested in reading any of the chosen titles to sign up on the program鈥檚 website. Book discussion material and information on how to get involved are available on the website,
The 换妻社区 Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., between 10th and 13th streets. To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu.
Herrick District Library鈥檚 North Branch is located at 155 Riley St.