Book chosen for literacy program
Committee members Wanda Crocker, Rachael Bowers and chairperson Courtney Wallace are planning this year’s One Book, One Community events.
This year’s One Book, One Community selection revisits one of the event’s most popular genres: young adult fiction. The book, “Things Seen From Above,” is by Ohio author Shelley Pearsall. The book celebrates those who may view the world from a little different perspective. One Book, One Community kicks off in the fall of this year.
One Book, One Community is presented in conjunction with the Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition, whose President Denise Cooley said choosing a book to feature each year is a bit of an arduous process.
“We have such a great committee, and they read a wide variety of books as part of the selection process. We know we’ve had good success with past titles in the young adult fiction category. Those tend to reach a wide audience. The committee really focused on a number of possibilities and did a lot of reading and discussion to arrive at just the right book.”
Cooley said the committee also spends time talking with the authors of books in the narrowed-down list of possibilities.
“It happens that the author of ‘Things Seen From Above’ is from Ohio and is familiar with the Tuscarawas County area. She really made a real connection with the committee, working closely with them, and it was a huge plus in making the selection,” Cooley said.
Committee chairperson Courtney Wallace said the purpose of One Book, One Community is to unite the community on a shared experience. “The idea is to get everybody reading the same book while promoting literacy across the board. It’s a shared community experience.”
Pearsall will not be able to attend in-person events associated with the event this year, Wallace said. “She is an Akron native but now lives most of the year in Scotland. She will be doing some virtual appearances for us this fall. We’re working on that.”
The book is targeted at middle school students, Wallace said. “The age range is around 9-12. That makes it a great family read because there’s something for younger readers who can read it in the classroom with younger kids, or teachers can read it aloud to students. At the same time, kids can grasp the story and enjoy the book as well.”
The committee looks at a number of criteria in selection including practical maters like the cost of the book and how well it may fit with the community of local readers. The committee makes the selection, and the Literacy Coalition offers final approval.
While the book is available from many sources, One Book, One Community begins in the fall, when it will be widely available at local libraries and in schools. An official kickoff date has not yet been determined.
“We’re in the planning stages. We’re planning a literacy field trip day for schools, and that has to be worked out. There are workshops, panel discussions and other parts of the whole program. We’re putting all that together now,” Cooley said.
The book will be available in both print and audio versions.
Cooley spoke of the ongoing popularity of the program. “We know people seek out the One Book, One Community book every year to read. The program goes back to 2008. Every year we’ve gotten so much amazing feedback from readers about all of the books that have been presented. Area schools are also very supportive of One Book, One Community, and that helps us a lot in getting the book out there and into the hands of readers.”
Look for “Things Seen From Above” online or wait for the official event, coming to a library near you later this year.