If you enjoy reading, Orange County Library System has teamed up with Valencia College for the fourth year to offer the NEA Big Read.
NEA Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book, returns to Orange County Library System on April 2 and will run through April 30.
The library will host author Ross Gay, who will read from Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, at a kickoff event and give away free copies of the book to those who register and attend on April 2. The book is a sustained meditation which studies the wisdom of the garden and the orchard. There will be a book signing immediately following.
“It will be a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community with the author to explore our connection to poetry and nature,” Vanessa Neblett of Orange County Library System said.
The book will serve as the theme of what will be a month-long period of events which tie into the library’s vision to be a place where you engage in amazing experiences and opportunities to learn, explore and create the best you.
Neblett said, “Our NEA Big Read supports our vision with book discussions at 10 OCLS locations, providing an opportunity to hear the author read from his National Book Award Finalist title, and presenting various programs throughout the library system on topics such as gardening, water conservation, PLAY-based yoga for families, and gratitude journals. We are always looking for opportunities to engage our community with thoughtful stories and events.”
Additional companion titles that complement the theme of gratitude for readers of all ages include:
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams [Adult]
- The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur [Teen]
- ThankU: Poems of Gratitude by Marlena Myles and Miranda Paul [Kids]
- Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems by Kate Coombs [Early Learners]
- Hello Earth! Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman [Early Learners]
To find programs and events to participate in NEA Big Read this year, visit here.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Be sure to get your free library card to take advantage of the many other resources offered by Orange County Library System by signing up online or visiting any branch location.