CommunityREAD

2013 Community Read:     

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  

Ms. Diffenbaugh visited Hancock County on March 15th during CommunityREAD month for a public presentation at Winebrenner Auditorium.

The book, Diffenbaugh’s first novel, creates a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others as she struggles to overcome her difficult youth in the foster care system and adult homelessness. Copies are available at the public library.  For a list of read-a-like books and book discussion questions, click here.

Community READ History

Community READ was started in March 2003 as a way to celebrate the Community Foundation’s ten-year anniversary, bring attention to the fact that illiteracy is an issue in Findlay and Hancock County and help promote the HancockREADS endowment fund.  Local residents were asked to read and discuss a book and its related themes with friends and family during March of each year. Over the years, selected adult and children’s books have included: 

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and The Fall of Freddie the Leaf  by Leo Buscaglia (2003)
• The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews and The Traveler’s Gift by Mark Kimball Moulton (2004)
• Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam and Blueberries for the Queen by John and Katherine Patterson (2005)
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson (2006)
• Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde and Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed written by Emily Pearson (2007)
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis and The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern (2008)
• Marley & Me, Marley, A Dog Like No Other, and Bad Dog, Marley! all by John Grogan (2009)
• Teach with your Heart by Erin Gruwell, The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg, Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco and Don’t Be Silly Mrs. Millie by Judy Cox (2010)
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Best Friends Forever by Beverly Patt, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai and Yoko’s Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells.
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova, The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park and Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

The 2013 YouthREAD books:

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting (grades K-2)

The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jen Wojtowicz (grades 3-5)

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett (grades 6-8)

In December 2011, The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation approached the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library about assuming the administration of CommunityREAD in 2013 with the understanding that the Community Foundation would continue to support CommunityREAD through the grant process.  In January 2012, the library Board of Trustees approved the library becoming the program administrator.