I am currently in my final semester at Hope College where I am majoring in Secondary English Education, Creative Writing, and Classical Studies. I live in Allegan, MI, which is where I am currently student teaching, but I originally hail from Ann Arbor, MI. After this semester, I am hoping to find a teaching position …
Author Archives: The Big Read '
Behind the Big Read: Alex Goodwin
Hi everyone! I am a senior Secondary Education at Hope College, with plans to become a social studies teacher in the West Michigan area after graduation. Besides taking classes and working for Big Read Lakeshore, I also work for the Hope College branch of TRIO Upward Bound and am active in Hope’s Swing (Dance) Club. …
“That’s Me” The Power of Visual Diversity in Graphic Novels and Comic Books
By Hannah Lever Getting students and people of all ages engaged in books is not simply about a mastery of the mechanics of letters, words, and sentences. Reading is a valuable skill and a fulfilling hobby because human beings are created to create, to understand the world around us, and tell stories. We don’t read …
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Enemies in the Orchard
By Greta VanDenend The author of Enemies in the Orchard is Dana Vanderlugt, an ‘01 Hope College graduate and a former Hudsonville middle school English teacher. During her time as a middle school teacher, Dana worked on and received her MFA in Creative Writing from The Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing at …
Reflections on Leading Multiple Book Discussions
By Hannah Lever I was fortunate enough to be involved in four different community discussions of the 2023 Big Read novel Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi. I attended discussions at HASP, Third Reformed Church, Warner Norcross and Judd law firm, and Freedom Village, all of which granted different insights into the novel as well as how …
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Power in Sharing Stories: the Lynda Lowery Lecture
By Nellie Wilcox On Monday, November 20, Lynda Blackmon Lowery presented at Hope College, and she started her lecture with a story. In a dark crowded cell, meant for a total of two, packed with over fifty girls’ bodies, among the crying, hugging, and fear, an alto voice sings, “We will overcome.” Her tale is …
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Reflections on Jerry Craft’s Middle School Event
Andrew Silagi: On Tuesday, November 14, author and illustrator Jerry Craft spoke at Hope College in front of hundreds of students. It was a joy to hear the students cry out at Craft’s mention of a time before there was internet and watch with wide eyes how he turned a bunch of seemingly random shapes …
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Thoughts on Home and Yaa Gyasi’s Book Talk
By Kelsey Sivertson What’s the origin of your last name? I like this question. It’s a good icebreaker when getting to know new friends over a cinnamon roll for the table on a warm fall Saturday afternoon. I learned about one friend’s annual pesto parties where her extended family gathers to make fresh pesto and pasta …
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Byron Borger’s Bookshelf
As part of Byron Borger’s lecture on Thursday, November 9, he mentioned, quoted, or read from a variety of literature, all of which he recommended to the audience as “good books.” Here are his book recommendations in no particular order: Enjoy your reading!
Books, Big Read, and Byron Borger!
By Katie Mouganis Big Read had the pleasure of welcoming the self-proclaimed “Book Person” Byron Borger to Hope College this past Thursday, November 9th. Byron owns an independent bookstore in York Pennslyvania called Hearts and Minds. For 41 years, Byron has been providing literature for his community and beyond! Byron spoke on “Why Reading Widely …