HOLLAND — The Big Read Lakeshore is pairing a quintessential American novel with a more modern classic to explore themes of identity, societal expectations and the American Dream in 2024.
This year’s Big Read will feature two books, published 81 years apart, according to an announcement made Tuesday, Aug. 13. Participants in the 2024 Big Read Lakeshore will read — or re-read, in many cases — F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic “The Great Gatsby” alongside “American Born Chinese,” a highly acclaimed graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang.
“'The Great Gatsby' is often referred to as ‘The Great American Novel.’ We’re excited for our Lakeshore readers to read or re-read this book and think about and discuss it through this lens,” wrote Deb Van Duinen, founding director of Big Read, in a press release. “Is it an American classic? If so, what makes it a classic? How do the book’s themes speak to us today?
“We’ve intentionally paired ‘The Great Gatsby’ with other books that also explore issues of identity, the American Dream, societal expectations and belonging. It’s our hope that reading this ‘text set’ of books leads to rich conversations and insights as we explore what it means to flourish as individuals, a Lakeshore community and global citizens.”
“The Great Gatsby,” published in 1925, is the first book chosen for Big Read Lakeshore whose author is not alive. It centers on Long Island millionaire Jay Gatsby and those he interacts with during the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties. The book has been called a masterwork of American literature by The New York Times, has sold more than 30 million copies and has been adapted into multiple movies, plays and musicals.
“American Born Chinese” is “considered a classic in the graphic-novel world,” according to Tuesday’s announcement. It focuses on three apparently unrelated characters whose lives come together with an unexpected twist. The book has won several awards, is a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a television series that debuted on Disney+ in 2023.
The Middle Read, Little Read and Mini Read selections for younger readers were also announced Tuesday.
Participants in Middle Read Lakeshore, aimed at upper elementary and junior high students, will read “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir” by Pedro Martin. A 2024 Newbery Honoree, the book shares Martin’s childhood memory of traveling with his parents and eight siblings from California to Mexico in 1977 to help his grandfather take care of an important task before bringing him back to the United States.
“Dreamers,” a picture-book memoir by Yuyi Morales, is the featured title for Little Read Lakeshore, meant for middle-elementary-aged readers. The book, which has been published in both English and Spanish, is a memoir detailing Morales’s journey of making a new home in the United States when she came to the country with her infant son in 1994.
Katie Wilson’s “Love: A Celebration of Mindfulness/El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena” is the selected Mini Read book for the youngest Lakeshore readers. The story guides readers through ways to experience love, including a love of learning, love of friendship and loving the earth. The book is available in English, Spanish and a bilingual English and Spanish version.
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This year’s programming will include more than 150 events for readers throughout Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties. A keynote event at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, featuring Hope College faculty members Jeanne Petit and Kristin VanEyk will provide historical and cultural context for “The Great Gatsby.”
The program will also include author visits by Martin from Oct. 29-30 and Morales from Nov. 13-14. More events will be added in the coming months. A schedule is available at bigreadlakeshore.com .
The Big Read turns 11 this year. The program aims to bring the community together around a common book, and use the shared experience as a springboard to listen and learn from one another.
The project is presented in collaboration with 75 community partners, including libraries, nonprofits, businesses, school districts and academic institutions along the lakeshore.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com .
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: From 'Gatsby' to graphic novels, Big Read announces books for 2024
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