NEA BIG READ LAKESHORE LOGO
Loutit District Library Logo

Hope College’s 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.

2024 Theme: The American Dream

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald Book Cover

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby 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 of Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle with the decadence, social stigma, racial and gender bias, and disillusionment that are beneath the glittering surface. Considered Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby 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.

    American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

    American Born Chinese 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’s 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’s life with his yearly visits. A New York Times bestseller, American Born Chinese 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+.

    American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang Book cover
    Mexikid by Pedro Martin book cover

    Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martin

    Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir, a 2024 Newbery Honoree, shares Martin’s 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’s unpredictable fusion of humorous and reflective moments provides insights into his family’s many stories while hinting at larger questions and histories. The heart of the story surrounds Martin’s abuelito and their distanced but invested relationship as they connect and Martin learns more about his own Mexican identity.

    Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

    Dreamers is Morales’s 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’t arrive empty-handed. Dreamers celebrates making your home with the things you always carry — your resilience, dreams, hopes and history — 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.

    Dreamers by Yuyi Morales book cover

    Love: A Celebration of Mindfulness by Katie Wilson

    Love: A Celebration of Mindfulness / El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena 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.

    Loutit Community Craft Project

    Loutit District Library is inviting people of all ages to participate in a community art project, one dream at a time, as part of this year’s Big Read! Visit the Youth Desk in the library to claim a cloud, or click here to download a printable sheet of four.

    Take a paper cloud and decorate it with your dream. Your dream can be anything! It could be a future goal, a dream career, or something you find aspirational. Use crayons, paint, colored pencils, or any art medium that you’d like. When you complete your cloud, turn it in at the Youth Desk at the Loutit District Library! We’ll assemble them all together to showcase everyone’s dreams in our downstairs hallway.

    Cloud Craft with color pencil art

    Big Read Programs

    We have some fantastic Big Read programs this fall! Discuss your thoughts on this year’s Big Read books at our book clubs, travel back to the Roaring ’20s at our Gatsby Vinyl Night, and enjoy movies, classes, and crafts that share this year’s themes. Click any of the images below to learn more, or click here to view our program calendar.

    Dreamers Storywalk® at Ottawa Sands October 1 to 31
    Teen Book Discussion: American Born Chinese by Yang October 1, 2024, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
    Learn to Swing Dance October 25, 2024, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
    Gatsby Vinyl Night at the Grand Armory October 29, 2024, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
    Scandal & Shine - Prohibition in West Michigan November 4, 2024, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
    Big Read Lakeshore Book Club - The Great Gatsby & American Born Chinese November 13, 2024, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
    Tween Club November 14, 2024, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
    Friday Movie Matinee Fridays 2:00pm - 4:30pm November 1: The Great Gatsby (1974) November 8: The Great Gatsby (2013)
    Click here to view our full calendar

    2024 Big Read Partners

    • 3rd Grade Classrooms from Mona Shores’ Campbell Elementary School, Muskegon Heights Academy’s MLK ELementary, and Holton Elementary
    • Centro de Esperanza
    • Great Start Collaborative
    • Hackley Public Library
    • Hope College
    • Lakeshore Museum
    • Latinos Working for the Future
    • Loutit District Library
    • Muskegon Area District Library
    • Muskegon Area Intermediate School District
    • Muskegon Community College
    • Muskegon Heights Academy
    • Muskegon Museum of Art
    • Read Muskegon
    • Rotary Club of Muskegon
    • White Lake Community Library
    • With funding support from Gerber Foundation and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County