We have two books to celebrate this year! Our wonderful community readers and staff selected The Other Americans by Pulitzer Prize finalist Laila Lalami as the 2021 read. We are also pleased to introduce the A Novel Idea: Youth Edition with the award-winning debut novel Front Desk by Kelly Yang, which is ideal for readers in third through eighth grades.
The three weeks of A Novel Idea are filled with dynamic programs and book discussions and conclude with presentations by esteemed authors Laila Lalami and Kelly Yang. Programs for The Other Americans delve into theme-related topics, from the Moroccan revolution to an exploration of Joshua Tree National Park. We’ll tackle some tougher topics too, such as immigration as well as opioid addiction. And, we’ll tantalize your senses with a tasty cooking demonstration and a lively jazz program. Programming for Front Desk includes a family book discussion, a motel design contest, and a presentation about how to talk to kids about difficult subjects. April is full of wonderful programming opportunities to encourage readers to engage more fully with both books; we hope you’ll join us as we celebrate Novel Idea 2021.
Author Kelly Yang will present on Saturday, May 1, at 4:00 p.m. via YouTube, and author Laila Lalami will be featured in conversation with Jason Graham on Sunday, May, 2 at 4:00 p.m. via YouTube. All programs, including the author presentations, are free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and will be available to view online.
Thank you for continuing to make the A Novel Idea community read program that largest of its kind in Oregon. We send much gratitude to our sponsors and donors who make a difference for the library and our community by supporting this program. We hope you are able to find comfort and joy in the A Novel Idea program we have planned for you. There is no better time than the present to come together and restore a bit of our social fabric through this experience. Happy reading!