This year’s community-wide Big Read Lakeshore and accompanying programs for younger readers organized by Hope College will pair a mainstay of American literature classes that is nearing its centenary with more recently published books, including two graphic novels and a children’s picture book, to explore the timeless weaving of identity, societal expectations and personal goals.
Running throughout West Michigan from Monday, Oct. 28, through November, the Big Read Lakeshore will feature the 1925 novel “The Great Gatsby,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the 2006 graphic novel “American Born Chinese,” by Gene Luen Yang. Running at the same time, the Middle Read Lakeshore will feature “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir,” by Pedro Martin, for upper-elementary and junior-high grades. The picture-book memoir “Dreamers,” by Yuyi Morales, for middle-elementary grades will be the focus for the Little Read Lakeshore program. The Mini Read for the youngest readers will focus on the board book “Love: A Celebration of Mindfulness / El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena,” by Katie Wilson.
“The Great Gatsby is often referred to as ‘the great American novel.’ We’re excited for our Lakeshore readers to read or reread this book and think about and discuss it through this lens. Is it an American classic? If so, what makes it a classic? How do the book’s themes speak to us today?” said Dr. Deb Van Duinen, who is founding director of Hope College’s Big Read and the Arnold and Esther Sonneveldt Professor of Education at Hope. “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 programs have received a $2,500 Bridging Grant from Michigan Humanities to support a visit to Holland and presentations on Nov. 13-14 by author Yuyi Morales. Herrick District Library received a $20,000 Humanities grant from Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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.
In May 2022, Michigan Humanities named the Big Read Lakeshore and Little Read Lakeshore the Statewide Community Partner of the Year for 2021. Also in 2022, the Big Read Lakeshore expanded its scope and reach to include Muskegon.
This year’s program will feature more than 150 events for readers of all ages in Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties. To provide historical and cultural context for “The Great Gatsby,” the opening keynote event on Monday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. will feature presentations by Hope faculty members Dr. Jeanne Petit, who is the Betty Roelofs ’53 Miller Professor of History and department chair, and Dr. Kristin VanEyk, assistant professor of English. The program will also include author visits by Pedro Martin on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 29-30, and Yuyi Morales on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13-14. Events are continually added, and the complete and current schedule is always available at bigreadlakeshore.com
“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 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” 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+.
“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” 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.
“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.
Van Duinen founded the Big Read Lakeshore in 2014 and added the Little Read Lakeshore in 2017. The programs have engaged an estimated 20,000 people annually, including thousands of students from pre-school through college age in Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties.
The Big Read Lakeshore encourages book clubs interested in reading any of the chosen titles to sign up on the program’s website. Book discussion material and information on how to get involved are also available on the website, bigreadlakeshore.com