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
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+.
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.
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.
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.
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