What California is Reading: Community reading programs . CaliforniaAuthors.com

What California is Reading: Community reading programs

Artesia

2004: School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School by Edward Humes. Life inside California’s No. 1 public school, Whitney High in Cerritos. Read an excerpt. Info: Artesia branch of the Los Angeles County Public Library.

Bakersfield

2005: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. More info: One Book, One Bakersfield.
2004: It's Not About the Bike By Lance Armstrong. Info: “One Book, One Bakerfield,” Kern County Library System and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and other sponsors.

California

2002: The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck. Read an excerpt. Read Gerald Haslam’s essay about reading the book. Info: California Council for the Humanities. National Steinbeck Center.

Carlsbad

2006: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. More info: Carlsbad City Library, Friends of the Carlsbad Library.

Fallbrook

2005: The city hosts a spring Steinbeck fest with Cannery Row, East of Eden, and Travels With Charley. More info: Friends of the Fallbrook Library.

Long Beach

2006: My California: Journeys by Great Writers, edited by Donna Wares, introduction by Pico Iyer. Travel anthology featuring twenty-seven of California’s finest writers. More info: mycaliforniaproject.org, Long Beach Public Library Foundation.
2005: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. More info: Long Beach Reads One Book.
2004: The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World. . The website.
2003: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
2002: Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom
Info: “Long Beach Reads One Book,” Long Beach Public Library Foundation

Los Angeles

2005: Little Scarlet by Walter Mosley. More info: Los Angeles Public Library
2004: Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of the famed racehorse. Read an excerpt.
2003: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
2002: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Info: Los Angeles Mayor's Office and Los Angeles Public Library.

Malibu

2005: Gidget by Frederick Kohner. More info: One Book, One City — Malibu.

Nevada County

2005: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. More info: Nevada County Reads.

Orange County

2004: Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas Info: Orange County Reads One Book

Palo Alto

2006: Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. Info: Palo Alto City Library.

Pasadena

2005: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. More info: Pasadena Public Library.
2003: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.
2002: The Soloist by Mark Salzman

Pico Rivera

2004: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
2002: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
Info: “One Book, One City,” sponsored by The city of Pico Rivera, the County of Los Angeles Public Library, the El Rancho Unified School District and the Friends of Pico Rivera Libraries.

Sacramento

2006: California Uncovered: Stories for the 21st Century, edited by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, William E. Justice and James Quay and My California: Journeys By Great Writers, edited by Donna Wares. More info: Sacramento Public Library.

San Francisco

2005: China Boy, by Gus Lee. More info: San Francisco Public Library.

San Joaquin County-Stockton

2004: Epitaph For A Peach, by David Mas Masumoto
2003: The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle.
2002: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Info: "One Book, One San Joaquin"

Santa Barbara

2006: My California: Journeys By Great Writers, edited by Donna Wares., introduction by Pico Iyer. More info: Santa Barbara Public Library. Also, mycaliforniaproject.org.
2005: When the Emperor was Divine, by Julie Otsuka. More info: Santa Barbara Reads program.
2004: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon.
2003: The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
2002: The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle
Info: Santa Barbara Book Council, Santa Barbara Public Library System, and others

Santa Clarita

2005: Life of Pi by Yann Martel. More info: www.santa-clarita.com/book.

Santa Monica

2005: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. More info: Santa Monica Public Library.
2004: Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood.
Info: “Citywide Reads,” sponsored by the Santa Monica Public Library.

Silicon Valley

2005: Epitaph for a Peach by David Mas Masumoto. More info: Silicon Valley Reads.
2004: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2003: Breaking Through, by Francisco Jiminez. More info: "Silicon Valley Reads: One Book, One Community", San Jose Library Foundation and the Santa Clara County office of Education and others.

Whittier

2007: My California: Journeys By Great Writers, edited by Donna Wares., introduction by Pico Iyer. More info: Whittier Public Library.
2005: Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. More info: Whittier Public Library

Additional Resources:

The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress

AmericanLibrary Association

California Center for the Book

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