In order to spread the good word of ‘reading’, The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is promoting a city-wide initiative with the goal of getting as many people as possible to read the same book during the month of May. The book that the library has chosen for the massive group read is the 2013 runaway bestseller The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics* by Daniel James Brown.
This unique reading initiative first got its start via one location (the Clarence Public Library) with a brilliant idea. Today, that initiative has grown to include 37 sites throughout WNY, all promoting the reading action. Partners include the entire Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System, the Town of Clarence Youth Bureau, Monkey See Monkey Do Bookstore, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, University at Buffalo Libraries, the Buffalo Maritime Center, and Bistro Bookers.
Aside from the community reading measure, there will also be a number of free public activities related to the chosen book.
A #1 New York Times bestseller, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics tells the remarkable story of nine working-class Seattle boys attending the University of Washington who, despite significant personal challenges in the depths of the Great Depression, found the strength, endurance and unity to defeat the best rowing teams in the world. They persevered to win the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, upsetting Adolf Hitler’s display of German superiority. This truly American story of the underdog rising above all disadvantages in class, birthright, economics and human endurance has been critically acclaimed and inspired a PBS documentary, The Boys of ’36, which aired in 2016. The book has been optioned for a major motion picture by The Weinstein Company, though a release date is not yet announced.
Schools and book clubs are encouraged to participate and can learn more by clicking here for details or by contacting the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System at 716-858-8900. The “One Community, One Book” Facebook page can be found here, and here is a list of related programs.
Get your copy of The Boys in the Boat by visiting your local library or bookstore.
Lead image: Look Who’s Reading… Be part of the One Community One Book Picture Challenge by posting a picture of someone with his or her copy of Boys in the Boat. Individual or group photos welcome!
*There is a young-reader edition by the same author, titled The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics.