This year亚洲色吧檚 community-wide and accompanying programs for younger readers organized by Hope College will pair a mainstay of American literature classes that is nearing its centenary with more recently published books, including two graphic novels and a children亚洲色吧檚 picture book, to explore the timeless weaving of identity, societal expectations and personal goals.
Running throughout West Michigan from Monday, Oct. 28, through November, the Big Read Lakeshore will feature the 1925 novel 亚洲色吧淭he Great Gatsby,亚洲色吧� by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the 2006 graphic novel 亚洲色吧淎merican Born Chinese,亚洲色吧� by Gene Luen Yang. Running at the same time, the Middle Read Lakeshore will feature 亚洲色吧淢exikid: A Graphic Memoir,亚洲色吧� by Pedro Martin, for upper-elementary and junior-high grades. The picture-book memoir 亚洲色吧淒reamers,亚洲色吧� by Yuyi Morales, for middle-elementary grades will be the focus for the Little Read Lakeshore program. The Mini Read for the youngest readers will focus on the board book 亚洲色吧淟ove: A Celebration of Mindfulness / El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena,亚洲色吧� by Katie Wilson.
亚洲色吧淭he Great Gatsby is often referred to as 亚洲色吧榯he great American novel.亚洲色吧� We亚洲色吧檙e excited for our Lakeshore readers to read or reread this book and think about and discuss it through this lens. Is it an American classic? If so, what makes it a classic? How do the book亚洲色吧檚 themes speak to us today?亚洲色吧� said Dr. Deb Van Duinen, who is founding director of Hope College亚洲色吧檚 Big Read and the Arnold and Esther Sonneveldt Professor of Education at Hope. 亚洲色吧淲e亚洲色吧檝e intentionally paired The Great Gatsby with other books that also explore issues of identity, the American Dream, societal expectations and belonging. It亚洲色吧檚 our hope that reading this 亚洲色吧榯ext set亚洲色吧� of books leads to rich conversations and insights as we explore what it means to flourish as individuals, a Lakeshore community and global citizens.亚洲色吧�
The 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.
Hope College亚洲色吧檚 Big Read, Middle Read, Little Read and Mini Read Lakeshore programs bring the community together around a common book for a month 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, the programs involve thousands of readers along the Lakeshore each year.
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亚洲色吧檚 program will feature more than 150 events for readers of all ages in Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties. To provide historical and cultural context for 亚洲色吧淭he Great Gatsby,亚洲色吧� the opening keynote event on Monday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. will feature presentations by Hope faculty members Dr. Jeanne Petit, who is the Betty Roelofs 亚洲色吧�53 Miller Professor of History and department chair, and Dr. Kristin VanEyk, assistant professor of English. The program will also include author visits by Pedro Martin on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 29-30, and Yuyi Morales on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13-14. Events are continually added, and the complete and current schedule is always available at
亚洲色吧淭he Great Gatsby亚洲色吧� 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亚洲色吧檚 extravagant lifestyle with the decadence, social stigma, racial and gender bias, and disillusionment that are beneath the glittering surface. Considered Fitzgerald亚洲色吧檚 magnum opus, 亚洲色吧淭he Great Gatsby亚洲色吧� 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.
亚洲色吧淎merican Born Chinese亚洲色吧� 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亚洲色吧檚 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亚洲色吧檚 life with his yearly visits. A New York Times bestseller, 亚洲色吧淎merican Born Chinese亚洲色吧� 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+.
亚洲色吧淢exikid: A Graphic Memoir,亚洲色吧� a 2024 Newbery Honoree, shares Martin亚洲色吧檚 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亚洲色吧檚 unpredictable fusion of humorous and reflective moments provides insights into his family亚洲色吧檚 many stories while hinting at larger questions and histories. The heart of the story surrounds Martin亚洲色吧檚 abuelito and their distanced but invested relationship as they connect and Martin learns more about his own Mexican identity.
亚洲色吧淒reamers亚洲色吧� is Morales亚洲色吧檚 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亚洲色吧檛 arrive empty-handed. 亚洲色吧淒reamers亚洲色吧� celebrates making your home with the things you always carry 亚洲色吧� your resilience, dreams, hopes and history 亚洲色吧� 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.
亚洲色吧淟ove: A Celebration of Mindfulness / El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena亚洲色吧� 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.
Van Duinen 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.
The Big Read Lakeshore encourages book clubs interested in reading any of the chosen titles to sign up on the program亚洲色吧檚 website. Book discussion material and information on how to get involved are also available on the website,