The official kick-off to the Big Read season is just around the corner! Join us Monday, October 28 from 7:00-8:30pm! It will be held in Maas Auditorium at Hope College on 264 Columbia Ave Holland, MI. There will be two keynote speakers, Drs. Jeanne Petit and Kristin VanEyk, along with a Gatsby-themed performance by the Hope College dance group StrikeTime.
Read below to hear from the speakers and get a sneak peak of what they will be talking about!
A Historical Background to The Great Gatsby:
Dr. Jeanne Petit will be presenting on some of the major historical events that happened around the 1920s and the creation of The Great Gatsby:
The 1920s was a decade that saw women gain new social freedoms even as their influence in the realm of politics waned. Members of the Ku Klux Klan boldly marched in Washington DC while Black artists instigated the Harlem Renaissance. Conspicuous consumption led the stock market to soar, only to have it crash by the end of the decade. The talk will explore how 1920s Americans navigated these contradictory cultural forces and how F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a reflection of those times.
An English Teacher’s Perspective on The Great Gatsby:
Dr. Kristin VanEyk will discuss reading The Great Gatsby as a teacher of English and dive into some of the moral implications of the text:
I’ll be talking about Gatsby’s enormous striving, but his striving toward the wrong goals. Gatsby’s goal, to be with a married woman, is corrupt from its inception, and leads to further corruption and decay. Along the way, Gatsby is willing to sacrifice his integrity, to compromise the integrity of those around him, and to sacrifice his well-being (indeed, his very life) for material gain. The willingness to sacrifice one’s life and integrity for goals that are corrupt from their inception is an ancient problem, but it’s also a modern problem. What solutions might we pursue? Sabbath: the ultimate revolt, the radical owning of who we truly are.
If either of these talks or the performance of StrikeTime sound intriguing to you, we invite you out for a night of conversations, dance, and community-building!
Our Little Read Lakeshore pick for this year is Yuyi Morales’ Dreamers. If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, I’d encourage you to pick up a copy. The nonfiction children’s book follows Yuyi Morales’ journey to the United States from Mexico with her young son, Kelly. In America they experience the struggles many immigrants face but find a place of sanctuary in stories and a local library. Even for older readers, there are a lot of things you can get out of this story.
Creating Dreamers:
One of the first things I noticed while reading Dreamers is the illustrations throughout. Yuyi Morales not only wrote the words, but also created all the illustrations herself. This allowed her to have a unique control on how the story was told, changing the words throughout when she felt the illustrations could tell that part of the story in a fuller way.
The creation of these images was also unique. Morales started her process with the words already mostly picked out, then created paper sketches that she transferred over to her computer to complete. While she paints some of these images, she also used real life inspiration, taking pictures of fabrics or materials that she then can photoshop into the illustrations to give them more depth.
She also took a lot of time creating images that hold a lot of meaning to her personally and culturally. Things like the animals that show up and follow the duo throughout the book were very purposeful. A free-tailed bat, a swallow, and a monarch butterfly all show up throughout the book and for a good reason: they are all migrants themselves. The free-tailed bats come from South-America and Mexico and make their way up to the United States and the swallows make a similar trip up from Argentina. The monarch butterflies are the most symbolic as they spend generations making the migrations from Mexico to Canada and back, each generation sacrificing things for the lives of their descendants.
Other images like the objects that she brings with her in her green backpack each also carry their own meaning. She wanted to fight against the belief that immigrants bring nothing but needs with them, showing the way immigrants can contribute in their own ways. The heart is a symbol of her intuition and the way she views the world, the volcano symbolizes her emotions and passions, and the pencil shows her talent and creativity, with many more messages hidden among those items.
What is a “Dreamer”
Starting this book knowing it had something to do with immigration and seeing the title, I assumed this book would be touching on the Dreamer’s Act.
A “Dreamer” refers to a young immigrant who was brought to the U.S. as a child, typically without legal documentation. While most Dreamers are Latino, it is a very diverse group with people from all-over the world. Three-fourths of Dreamers have lived in the US for the most of their lives and have grown up living typical American lives with some not knowing that they weren’t legal until later in life when they didn’t have documentation to get a driver’s license, apply for a job, or get aid to go to college.
The term “Dreamers” stems from the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act), first introduced in Congress in 2001. Though it has been proposed multiple times, the DREAM Act has not passed. The act would offer a path to legal residency for Dreamers who meet certain criteria, such as graduating from high school, attending college, or serving in the military. In response to the stalled DREAM Act, the Obama administration established DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in 2012. DACA allows Dreamers to receive renewable two-year deferrals from deportation and apply for work permits, though it does not provide a path to citizenship. To qualify for DACA, applicants must meet specific age, residency, and education or military service requirements. However, DACA has faced legal challenges and uncertainty, leaving the status of Dreamers in limbo.
Morales and Her Definition of Dreamers
Morales also touched on this topic in her interview with Deanna Day and Barbara A. Ward in the article, “Yuyi Morales: Dreamweaver and Teller of Tales.”
Morales wasn’t originally going to title the book “Dreamers,” and that suggestion actually came from her editor. She said she “was very cautious because I didn’t want to dilute the power of the word dreamers because it is political… I didn’t want to say that we are all dreamers because that weakens the fight for the Dreamers’ movement. At the same time, I wanted to signal that making the journey of leaving your country, all of the risk, all of the changes that you have to encounter in a new country, is the result of how we dream for a better future. We are dreamers because we come here hoping to do something better for ourselves and our children.”
This highlights one of the key takeaways from this text. We frequently discuss the “American Dream,” especially in connection with works like The Great Gatsby, this year’s Big Read selection. However, we often overlook how that dream has evolved over the past century for different people. Individuals from diverse countries and backgrounds come to America in search of a better life, and their dreams and stories are crucial to understanding the broader narrative of our country. Many of this year’s Big Read Lakeshore books explore the idea of coming together to celebrate the diverse experiences and aspirations of Americans, all united by the shared hope of building a better life.
Another quote from Yuyi also touches on exactly what we at the Big Read strive to do through our program:
“We need diverse children’s literature that is just, allows for voices that are invisible that we don’t normally hear from. We need to hear from others with the same care and love that we have been hearing all of the other stories. The publishing industry needs to produce literature in which we are all heroes and participate, where we learn to listen to the voices of others we are not accustomed to. We don’t need to tell others’ stories because we know nothing about their cultures. We need to give space for those voices to tell their stories by passing the mic, allowing their voices to be richer because it comes from diverse authors.”
Rather than just reading one perspective on this text, I encourage you to go get the full story by reading Dreamers!
Nothing is more boring than staring at a book and having to read the endless account of words. The worst part is when you have to go back to try and understand what it is saying because your brain keeps telling you there’s no purpose and it’s stupid.
That is why I hate reading. There is no musical number, no real people in front of you, and absolutely no adventure. Why would anyone want to waste their time reading? Why would anyone in their right mind want to read for fun!
The fact that you’re reading this probably means you like reading. You’re probably in shock right now because how on earth could someone possibly make this claim – especially on The Big Read Lakeshore Blog?
In my freshman year of college, my sister, a geeky English nerd, was a student intern at The Big Read Lakeshore. Now, being the supportive younger sister I am, I thought to myself I’ll attend this probably lifeless lecture about a book for her. I was willing to check out this program that she loves dearly, I guess just one time. Well, that one time, turned out to be two times, then three, four – you get the point. I fell in love with the real people sharing stories that all stemmed from one book. One book had so much meaning, heartache, pain, and adventure, and touched so many important issues. How could books have the audacity to do such a thing?
Last year’s Middle Read event with Jerry Craft, where middle schoolers could explore topics through graphic novels.
My whole opinion and perspective shifted because of this program. I love how part of the mission of The Big Read Lakeshore is to “foster a culture where reading matters” because, at the end of the day, I might not choose a book to read for fun, but I recognize the value of reading and the meaning books can carry.
Wherever your opinion falls about books and reading, The Big Read Lakeshore has a place for you! From so many amazing events and experiences that bring books to life, I can guarantee you’ll have a good time! And maybe, just maybe, you’ll pick up a book and enjoy it for the first time.
Bio:
Nellie Wilcox is from Dexter, MI and is in her sophomore year at Hope College. She is studying Elementary and Special Education LD & EI. On the Big Read Lakeshore team she also runs the social media platforms and loves getting to connect with you all there!
Mexikid by Pedro Martin is a graphic novel memoir illustrating a young Mexican-American boy’s family and their adventure-filled road trip on a mission to bring their abuelito back from Mexico. Author Pedro Martin is a Mexikid, a child of Mexican parents but was born in the United States. This memoir involves characters with big emotions and exciting characters which makes it appropriate for kids ages 10-14 to read, however, this is also based on the child’s reading level.
Reading Graphic Novels
Looking from within, I found myself enjoying Mexikid because I hadn’t encountered graphic novels in my years of being a student, which surprised me. Like many of us, we are visual learners, but we are also visual readers, and the colorful artwork and engaging story kept me reading. Though I found myself getting lost while reading because I am so used to reading from left to right, you almost have to read a graphic novel from a different lens I wish I could practice more as a student.
As a future Special Education teacher, I couldn’t help but think about how beneficial this type of reading would be for students who struggle with a reading disability. However, students around may think that graphic novels make one “lesser of a reader”, which is a myth. It places a new perspective of reading into their hands where they can look at reading as something exciting. Because of this, I believe that Mexikid along with other graphic novels should be used in future middle school classrooms as it teaches students to change their pace and perspective of reading.
Windows and Mirrors in Reading
Furthermore, Mexikid illustrates windows and mirrors in other experiences. The concept of windows and mirrors in education refers to the idea that books and other learning materials should serve as a look in and within. Mirrors represent literature and other materials that reflect a student’s own experiences and identity, allowing them to see themselves represented in what they are learning. This representation helps to build self-esteem and promotes a sense of belonging.
Windows, on the other hand, represents literature and other materials that provide students with a view of the experiences and cultures of people who are different from themselves. By exposing students to diverse perspectives, they can develop empathy and an appreciation for other cultures and ways of life. Windows and mirrors in education are important because they promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. By ensuring that students have access to literature and other materials that reflect their own experiences, expose them to different perspectives, and allow them to imagine new possibilities, educators can create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.
Family in Mexikid
In addition, an element of importance in Mexikid is family. This family consists of many generations who live closely knit together. Their mission to Mexico might look different than what our everyday family missions look like.
As they start their journey in this great big camper, I imagine complete chaos but deep excitement at the opportunity to gather as one family. This is an example of unity within the Mexican culture and knowledge of their family’s history. “Our house was built to comfortably fit a family of five. But we were a family of eleven! And we were about to get EVEN BIGGER” (Martin, 5).
Gathering together as one big family is important to me, but it looks different because this may only be once a week and during holidays. While reading, this deep sense of nostalgia developed when thinking back to how I grew up alongside my family. In another class, I remember we were assigned a family research project and it developed a huge shift in perspective within my family’s history. My mom, dad, and grandparents shared amazing stories of sacrifice, courage, love, faith, and perseverance. Through these stories, I have a better understanding of myself. Now getting the opportunity to read Mexikid, I was able to deepen this understanding of what family means to me. Family is filled with joy, sacrifice, and walks in between yet choosing to stick together means that we will never be alone. I admired this about Pedro and his family.
Bio:
Greta VanDenend, born and raised in Holland, Michigan, is a senior at Hope College majoring in Special Education with a minor in English Education and Youth Ministry. She is highly involved with Campus Ministries as a Bible Study Leader, and in Athletic Ministries. She is also on the Cheer team at Hope. Outside of Hope, you will likely find her at the KIN coffee shop in Holland, Engedi Church, or playing pickleball with friends!
When you think of The Great Gatsby, it’s impossible not to envision the 1920s—flappers, lavish parties, prohibition-era cocktails, and of course, the music. Music has always been an essential part of the story’s adaptations, serving as a bridge between eras and moods. Whether it’s the jazz mentioned in Fitzgerald’s novel, the vintage tunes from the 1974 film, the modern twists in the 2013 adaptation, or the musical interpretations of text in the new musicals, each soundtrack captures the glitz, glamor, and heartbreak of Gatsby’s world.
What was the Jazz Age?
The Jazz Age, spanning the 1920s, was a time of cultural change marked by the rise of jazz music, speakeasies, and a carefree, rebellious spirit in the wake of World War I. This period saw a break from traditional norms as people embraced more liberal social behaviors and extravagance. In The Great Gatsby, the Jazz Age is central to both the setting and themes, highlighting the clash between wealth and morality, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Some of the songs mentioned in the original text include “The Sheik of Araby” sung by a group of young women at one of Gatsby’s parties, “Ain’t We Got Fun” mentioned during a conversation between Daisy and Gatsby, and “Three O’Clock in the Morning” a waltz at one of the parties.
Click here to listen to some of the songs that set the scene of The Great Gatsby
Music in the 1974 Film
The 1974 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby remains faithful to the Jazz Age through its soundtrack, which captures the authentic feel of the 1920s. The music, including both new compositions and period pieces, was chosen to immerse viewers in the decadent world Fitzgerald created. Iconic jazz numbers alongside fresh orchestral compositions play a vital role in portraying the characters’ emotions and the era’s opulence. If you want to dive into this classic soundtrack, it offers a more traditional take on the novel’s musical backdrop.
Click here to listen to the music from the 1974 film
Music in the 2013 Film
Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation took a bold and controversial approach by mixing modern music with a story set in the 1920s. Featuring artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, will.i.am, and Florence and the Machine, the soundtrack was met with mixed reactions. Some critics were confused by the decision to forgo an all-jazz soundtrack, but Luhrmann explained that he wanted today’s audiences to feel the same excitement that jazz evoked for Fitzgerald’s contemporaries. He used modern music to tap into the emotions of excess and grandeur that characterized Gatsby’s world. Tracks like “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey, with its haunting melodies, perfectly capture Daisy and Gatsby’s longing for youth and perfection. The music is one of the more divisive elements of the newer film, with some people writing off the whole movie because of the music choices. While it may be controversial, there are still great elements in these songs that are worth another listen.
Click here to listen to the music from the 2013 film
While the movie focused on a lot more modern music, the backing music and a separate version of these songs with an original jazzy take also showed up throughout the film. If you are someone who didn’t like the new take, maybe check out these other playlists, focusing on the instrumental and jazz versions of this movie soundtrack.
Click here to listen to the orchestral score of the 2013 film
Click here to listen to the jazz versions of the songs created around the movie
The Musical Adaptations
Last but certainly not least, another example of how important music is to The Great Gatsby is the musical adaptation that premiered in the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2023. Starring Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, the show became an instant hit and moved to Broadway in 2024. Many of the songs are inspired from lines in the book with songs like “Beautiful Little Fool” and “My Green Light” taking on iconic quotes while others like “Secondhand Suit” take small sections from the book and dive into them a bit deeper.
Click here to listen to the musical soundtrack
The first Great Gatsby musical was actually premiered back in 1926, but due to copyright expiring in 2021, there are now several takes on the story popping up. Another noteworthy musical adaptation, Gatsby: An American Myth, debuted in 2024 with lyrics and music by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. Directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin, this version presents a darker and more experimental interpretation of the story.
Music has played a key role in bringing The Great Gatsby to life, whether through the jazz of the 1920s or modern tracks that evoke the same emotions for today’s audiences. Each soundtrack, from film to stage, enhances the themes of glamour, desire, and heartbreak that are found in the original text. Check out a new soundtrack today and see if you find a new connection!
The Great Gatsby might be a famous classic, but there are some fun facts surrounding the novel that you probably haven’t heard of before. Take this trivia test below to see how much you really know about The Great Gatsby!
Question 1:
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a bit indecisive on what the novel that later became The Great Gatsby should be named. Which title below was one of his working titles?
A) “Trimalchio in West Egg” B) “Among the Ash-Heaps and Millionaires” C) “The High-Bouncing Lover” D) All of the above
If you chose D, you are correct!
Fitzgerald was certainly creative when it came to his titles. While he eventually settled on The Great Gatsby after it was pushed by his editor Max Perkins, he later regretted making that choice. Trimalchio, mentioned in the first title, was a character in the 1st-century Roman fiction Satyricon by Petronius. Like Gatsby, Trimalchio had a focus on wealth and a higher status in society. This comparison was probably made to highlight Gatsby’s desire to reinvent himself to fit in with the old money groups.
Question 2
How many copies of The Great Gatsby had sold by the time of Fitzgerald’s death in 1940?
A) 10,000 B) 25,000 C) 50,000 D) 75,000
Answer: A) 10,000 Though now a classic, The Great Gatsby was not commercially successful during Fitzgerald’s life, selling fewer than 10,000 copies by the time of his death.
Question 3
If it didn’t sell well when it was first published, then how did it become the famous classic we know now? What was the reason for the novel’s sudden popularity in the 1940s?
A) Fitzgerald’s death B) World War II C) A Hollywood movie adaptation D) Inclusion in the Modern Library series
Answer: B) World War II
During World War II, soldiers were given special paperback editions of books known as Armed Services Editions (ASEs). These were lightweight, portable books distributed to U.S. troops to boost morale and provide entertainment during the war. The books were specially formatted to fit into a soldier’s pocket, making them easy to carry. The Great Gatsby’s themes of disillusionment and the pursuit of the American Dream resonated with soldiers who had experienced the harsh realities of war, contributing significantly to its revival and eventual status as an American classic.
Question 4
Due to its portrayal of drinking, partying, and illicit affairs The Great Gatsby was considered a banned book A) True B) False
Answer: True!
While some people might consider it a high school classic, it has been challenged at various points in time for some of the content within.
Question 5
The dedication in the beginning of The Great Gatsby reads “Once Again to Zelda.” What does this mean?
A) Zelda was a place referenced in a book by A.A Milne where people could obtain their deepest desire but had to go back to the real world afterwards without it. B) Zelda was the name of his wife, and he was dedicating this book to her. C) Zelda was a character in another one of Fitzgerald’s books whom he wrote about as the example of the perfect woman. D) Fitzgerald really liked the game “The Legend of Zelda” and wanted to dedicate this book to it.
This dedication confused me in high school when I first read Gatsby and my teacher never explained it. The only reference I had to any kind of Zelda was playing the Legend of Zelda on my brother’s gameboy, and I assumed for some reason that those things decades apart were somehow connected. (Spoiler alert: They are not.) Zelda was actually the name of Fitzgerald’s wife whom he dedicated this book to.
Question 6
How did Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda, feel about The Great Gatsby?
A) She loved it and praised his writing B) She disliked it, calling it shallow C) She hadn’t read the book before it was published D) She was indifferent, as she preferred his earlier works
Answer: B) She disliked it, calling it shallow
Zelda was famously critical of the book, expressing disappointment in its themes and characters, especially compared to his earlier works. Fitzgerald also reportedly based parts of Daisy on Zelda, which she didn’t take as a compliment.
Question 7
What incident almost caused the original manuscript of The Great Gatsby to be lost?
A) Fitzgerald was involved in a small shipwreck and many of his possessions were lost B) Fitzgerald’s wife threw it out during a fight C) Fitzgerald’s apartment building caught on fire D) Fitzgerald’s editor misplaced the manuscript on a train
Answer: C) Fitzgerald’s apartment building caught on fire
In 1939, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s apartment in the Grove Street area of New York caught fire. The blaze destroyed many personal belongings, including some manuscripts and papers. While the fire caused significant damage, it fortunately did not destroy the original manuscript of The Great Gatsby. However, other important drafts and notes for his later works, along with personal letters, may have been lost or damaged in the fire.
Question 8
Fitzgerald is considered part of the “lost generation.” What was the lost generation?
A) A group of artists and writers who rejected consumerism and embraced environmentalism in the 1940s B) The generation of soldiers who fought in World War II and struggled with the aftermath of the war C) A group of American writers and intellectuals disillusioned by World War I, known for their critiques of post-war society D) The group of activists involved in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s
Answer: C) A group of American writers and intellectuals disillusioned by World War I, known for their critiques of post-war society
The Lost Generation refers to a group of American writers and artists, including figures like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who were disillusioned by the devastation of World War I and critical of the materialism and moral decay of post-war society. Many of them moved to Europe, particularly Paris, to express their discontent through their works.
Question 9
When did the first film adaptation of The Great Gatsby come out? A) 1926 B) 1949 C) 1974 D) 2013
Answer: A) 1926
The original version was a silent film, but unfortunately it is considered lost, as there are no known copies still in existence. The film also reportedly took some liberties on the plot, with Daisy renouncing Gatsby for being a bootlegger and trying to confess to killing Myrtle. She also doesn’t find out about Gatsby’s death in this version as she and Tom leave town before he is killed. While we can’t watch the whole thing, we do still have the movie trailer for it, which you can watch below!
Question 10
True or False: The recently released musical of the same name had some legal struggles in the beginning of its run due to copyright issues A) True B) False
Answer: False!
As of 2021, The Great Gatsby became public domain. This means that new adaptations and creative interpretations can be created without as many restrictions. The Broadway musical is a huge example of this, and we are excited to see other takes on this classic story!
How did you do? Share your score or something interesting you learned below!
For our 2024 Middle Read, we’ve enthusiastically chosen Mexikid by Pedro Martin and we encourage all of our Lakeshore readers to pick up a copy and enjoy this amazing story!
After the wide-spread success of last year’s Middle Read book (New Kid by Jerry Craft), our Big Read team decided to choose another graphic novel for our middle-grade readers. Last year, we heard so many amazing stories of parents and grandparents who read New Kid, their first ever graphic novel experience, along with their children/grandchildren. We’re so proud of our older Lakeshore readers for being willing to engage with a new storytelling medium and we’re thrilled that so many of our middle grade readers were willing to help them with this!
We also heard many questions about graphic novels last year. As we prepare for this year’s program (and Pedro Martin’s visit to our community!), we thought it might be helpful to address these questions here on our blog.
What’s a graphic novel?
Great question!
Generally speaking, a graphic novel is a book-length narrative using text and visuals. It’s important to remember that graphic novels don’t refer to a genre but to a medium or way of telling a story. Many graphic novel genres include fiction, nonfiction, drama, memoir, history, or fantasy.
Graphic novels are similar to comic books but also different. Comic books (often superhero, humor, or non-fiction) are serialized stories that can continue over months and years.
Graphic novels, on the other hand, are generally stand-alone stories with more complicated plots.
Are graphic novels “graphic”?
If you mean “graphic” in terms of how the story is told, then yes! Graphic novels tell a story through text and illustration AND through the interplay of text and illustrations. Panels, frames, speech/thought balloons, white space, font, and so on are used sequentially to tell the story.
If you mean “graphic” in terms of content (sexual, violence), then it depends. Some graphic novels do have graphic content. However, this is not true for all graphic novels. Elementary-age and middle-reader-age graphic novels aren’t “graphic” in content.
Are graphic novels “real” literature?
Some people have a snobby attitude toward graphic novels because they lack text, contain “comics,” and can be quicker to read. We disagree!
First, remember that “graphic novel” refers to a medium and a particular way of telling a story. So, while some graphic novels aren’t very complex and have light-hearted content, themes, and topics, others have very complex and complicated plot lines, character development, and literary themes.
Fun fact – “expert” graphic novel readers often take much longer to read one page in a graphic novel compared to “novice” graphic novel readers. Why? They’ve learned how to “read” the illustrations and the interplay between the words and the illustrations. Novice graphic novel readers often just read the text and miss how the visuals tell the story (or complicate what is being said in the text).
Are graphic novels just a new fad?
Nope.
The term “graphic novel” was coined in 1964 by Richard Kyle and became more widespread in the 1990s when Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. In 2001, the publishing world first used the graphic novel category to track sales of these books. Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis: A Story of Childhood won the Alex Award in 2004. In 2020, Jerry Craft’s New Kid won the Newbery Medal.
We don’t think graphic novels are going anywhere! In fact, there is a significant and consistent rise in their popularity and change in reputation.
Are graphic novels only for struggling and unmotivated readers?
Absolutely not! Graphic novels are for everyone!
This said, struggling and unmotivated readers often gravitate to graphic novels because they can be more accessible and approachable than print-only books. Graphic novels are also often high-interest and can give a reader a sense of accomplishment for finishing them. Reading and enjoying graphic novels can help foster a love for and confidence in reading, which is particularly important for readers who don’t see themselves as “readers”. Graphic novels can help readers gain background knowledge, new vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
Why read Mexikid?
Where do we start?!
It’s an award-winner. Mexikid has won the Newbery honor award, Pura Belpre author award, Pura Blepre illustrator award, and the Odyssey Honor audiobook award. It’s been deemed one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library.
It’s a great story! It’s a graphic memoir about Pedro’s family and their road trip to bring back their abuelito from Mexico. Pedro grew up hearing stories about his abuelito but wasn’t excited to hear that Abuelito was coming to live with his family. Mexikid is about the family road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home. However, it’s really about so much more than this. It’s about Pedro’s journey of learning who he is, where he belongs, and what it means to grow up.
It connects with topics and themes from our other 2024 chosen books! We encourage you to read Mexikid and put it in conversation with The Great Gatsby, Dreamers and Love.
In the first few years of our Big Read Lakeshore program, we chose one book to read every year. This book was geared toward high school students and older, and our events and book discussions were geared toward this audience.
In response to community members, librarians, and elementary school teachers who requested that kids and their families also be able to participate in our community-wide reading program, we did our first book “pairing” in 2016 with our Big Read book, When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka and Amy Lee-Tai’s children’s picture book, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow.
Love: A Celebration of Mindfulness/El Amor: Una Celebracion de la Conciencia Plena is our 2024 Mini Read and features bilingual English and Spanish!
This pairing went so well that we decided to make Little Read Lakeshore an official sibling program to our Big Read program. In fact, in the years that followed, and again in response to community member requests, we also added a Middle Read Lakeshore program for our middle-aged readers (upper elementary and middle school) and a Mini Read Lakeshore program for our youngest readers (birth to age 5).
Our approach to book selection has always remained the same. We start with our Big Read book selection and then choose Middle, Little, and Mini Read books based on the Big Read book’s topics and themes.
In recent years, we’ve been trying to lean into discussion or guiding questions that run across all of our book selections. We’ve also been trying to foreground the concept of a “text set” as we present our book selections to our Lakeshore readers.
What is a “text set?”
A “text set” is a commonly used term in the K-12 teaching world. It refers to a collection of texts (or other materials) on a particular topic or theme representing varying perspectives or ideas while collectively building a shared understanding.
Mexikid, our Middle Read book could be a great addition to your reading list in a text set approach.
As an educator, I love dreaming up “text set” ideas and using them with my students! There are so many possibilities with different ways to approach topics and using a variety of texts. Coming up with our Big, Middle, Little, and Mini Read books is a complicated and complex process with lots of input from librarians, teachers, professors, and community members but it’s also a creative process and it’s one of my favorite things to do each year!
We chose our 2024 books (or text set) based on the themes of identity, dreams, and belonging.
What do these stories say about dreams? Identity? Belonging?
How do cultural and societal norms in each story affect the characters’ search for who they are?
What are your dreams? What are your dreams for our community?
Each book explores characters’ journeys of self-discovery, identity formation, cultural traditions and heritage, social class and inequality, the pursuit of dreams, and the importance of belonging in its own way.
We also wanted to choose books with a variety of author voices. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gene Luen Yang, Pedro Martin, Yuyi Morales, and Katie Wilson represent different ages, races/ethnicities, citizenship, genders, and so on.
Our challenge to our Lakeshore readers is to read all of our 2024 books (or at the very least more than one!). How do the books complement each other? How do they challenge each other? What do they say collectively?
It’s always a happy day when we get to announce the books for our upcoming Big Read program! In fact, to our Big Read team, it feels a bit like Christmas!
We’ve been preparing our 2024 program for months and doing lots of work behind the scenes. We’ve been arranging author visits, researching our books’ authors, topics, and themes, collaborating with our amazing community partners to offer over 150 book-related events in October and November, meeting with local teachers to support their use of our books in their classrooms…the list could go on!
Big Read Lakeshore’s 2024 Book Selection
This year we’ve chosen a Big Read book unlike any of our previous selections. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is our “oldest” book to date (first published in 1925!) and the only book we’ve chosen by an author who is not alive. It’s also the book that might be the most familiar to our Lakeshore readers.
Many people “had” to read The Great Gatsby in high school. For a future English major like me, reading and discussing The Great Gatsby was like opening up a door to an exciting world of literary symbols, complicated characters, and complex themes. In fact, I still have my 9th grade copy of the book with all of the notes I wrote in it!
For others, a required reading of The Great Gatsby during high school days wasn’t as magical. It might be the book you disliked the most or maybe you only “fake read” it because it didn’t seem interesting.
Regardless of any earlier experiences with Gatsby, we encourage everyone to join in our program by rereading this book. Good books are often books that we can read at different times in our lives and notice, delight in, or reflect on new or different things.
We’re excited for our community to discuss the following questions:
Is The Great Gatsby “the great American novel”? If so, why? If not, why not?
Is it a classic? If so, what makes it a classic?
The Great Gatsby was written 100 years ago. How does it speak to our day and age today?
To deepen our conversations, we’ve paired The Great Gatsby with Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese. Yang’s book, written in 2006, is considered a classic in the graphic novel world. Like the characters in The Great Gatsby, the characters in Yang’s book wrestle with identity, belonging, and their dreams. We encourage our Lakeshore readers to read American Born Chinese alongside The Great Gatsby and reflect on how these two texts might speak with and against each other.
We also encourage our Lakeshore readers to attend one of our many Big Read related events. There truly is something for everyone! Our amazing community partners, from libraries and museums to non-profit organizations, have organized an impressive array of Gatsby and 1920s themed events. Go to our Big Read Lakeshore website for more information about all of these exciting events.
In next week’s blog post, I’ll discuss our Middle Read book choice, Mexikid, by Pedro Martin along with our Little Read book choice, Dreamers, by Yuyi Morales. Stay tuned!
There are so many modern adaptations of novels, but one type of adaptation has recently gained popularity—the musical adaptation. The Great Gatsby is taking Broadway by storm in its new musical format. Other musical adaptations of novels have also gained more traction in more recent years; Matilda and The Notebook are just two other examples of novels that have become musicals.
The Great Gatsby, published in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a quintessential American novel set during the “Roaring Twenties.” It details the life of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws extravagant parties in hopes of winning back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, the reader witnesses the glittering yet hollow lives of the wealthy on Long Island. Themes of love, ambition, and the American Dream intertwine as Gatsby’s obsession with the past leads to tragedy.
For Gatsby fans, it was truly a dream come true when Broadway announced that The Great Gatsby would be made into a musical! The show premiered in March of 2024, and officially opened in April. The musical stars Jeremy Jordan (Newsies) as Jay Gatsby and Eva Noblezada (Hadestown) as Daisy Buchanan. It is directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), choreographed by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), and produced by Chunsoo Shin, acclaimed Korean musical producer, 5-time winner of Korea’s most prestigious theatrical award and OD Company president. Entertainment Weekly described it as a “great, big Broadway extravaganza that explodes with life and energy,” and The New York Times called it “a lush, bewitching, and dazzling new musical.” The cast recently performed at the Tony Awards, and dazzled the crowd with the costuming, acting, and stellar jazz- and pop-influenced original score by Jason Howland (Little Women). If you want to listen to the full playlist, it is available for free on Spotify.
The Great Gatsby was not the only novel turned musical that came to life on Broadway this year. Also in March, The Notebook came to New York at the Gerald Schoenberg Theatre. The Chicago Tribune claimed it is “absolutely gorgeous, not the be missed,” and CBS News aptly reported that this musical “brings romance to broadway.” For romance lovers everywhere, this musical is truly spectacular, and has an equally spectacular production team—directors are Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (The Wiz, Aida), and music and lyrics are by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson.
Most famous for its movie adaptation with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, The Notebook (1996) by Nicholas Sparks, follows the love story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson, who fall deeply in love one summer in North Carolina during the early 1940s. Despite their passionate bond, social differences and World War II eventually tears them apart. Years later, Allie, now engaged to another man, rediscovers Noah through a notebook chronicling their love story. The novel explores themes of enduring love, fate, and the power of memories as Noah and Allie confront their feelings and the choices that shaped their lives.
A bit of an older musical, but equally as spectacular, is the musical Matilda. While it is no longer playing on Broadway, as the last performance was in January of 2017, and closed in London in May of this year, don’t be dismayed if you missed it because you can still see it on Netflix! It is written by Dennis Kelley with music by Tim Minchin, and directed by Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, The Norman Conquests, Boeing-Boeing, La Bête, Ghost). While still on Broadway, the musical won several awards—seven Olivier Awards, including Best Musical, and four Tony Awards. If that doesn’t convince you it’s worth a Netflix subscription, I don’t know what will!
The novel Matilda was published in 1988, and written by Roald Dahl who eloquently tells the story of a precocious young girl with extraordinary intelligence. Despite her neglectful and abusive parents, Matilda finds solace and inspiration in books, eventually discovering her powers. She forms a bond with her kind schoolteacher, Miss Honey, who helps Matilda navigate her challenging home life and encourages her academic talents. The novel culminates in a showdown with the tyrannical headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, where Matilda uses her wit to bring justice and happiness to herself and Miss Honey.
If you are a book lover, a music fan, or a broadway buff, these musical adaptations of classic novels will thrill you! Whether watching them on Netflix or taking a trip to NYC with friends, I highly recommend checking out at least one (if not all!) of these musicals!
