The Council Bluffs Public Library proudly announces the theme for OUR Community Reads 2024: “Water Connects Us All.” OUR Community Reads, sponsored by the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation, and in partnership with organizations from around our community, aims to raise awareness of a community or regional challenge through a book selection that supports community discussion, awareness, and action. This year’s theme focuses on how water, essential for all life, connects our communities.
"OUR Community Reads brings us together as a community through reading. This year, our three books – ‘Riverman’ by Ben McGrath, ‘Ocean! Waves for All’ by Stacy McAnulty and ‘Sunny Makes a Splash’ by Jennifer Holm focus on water. We’ll look at oceans, rivers, and even community pools and discover how they relate to us. With our public and school- focused events, we will engage all ages in our community in thinking about this incredible resource that we often take for granted," says Antonia Krupicka-Smith, Director of the Council Bluffs Public Library
During OUR Community Reads, we invite the Community to read one of three titles and participate in events throughout March and April, including our kick-off event, WaterFest, on March 9 and the author talk by Ben McGrath, author of the adult book selection, “Riverman” on April 16. The two youth authors – Stacy McAnulty and Jennifer Holm - will speak to students at schools in Council Bluffs during April. Thanks to the Library’s partnership with Raise Me to Read, every second grader will get the book “Ocean! Waves for All” and through a generous grant to the Council Bluffs Library Foundation from the Iowa West Foundation, every sixth grader will get the book “Sunny Makes a Splash.”
For complete information about titles and events, visit the OUR Community Reads page.