The Big Read features Poe Soon.

Great News: our local DEARBORN PUBLIC LIBRARY won another grant for a Big Read Program.

This time, many children in our community will read and celebrate the stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe.  Our public library won a ten thousand dollar grant to promote reading for pleasure.   The book chosen for this time around is The Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.  The Big Read Dearborn will attempt to “bring Poe back to life.” The tagline is Do You Know Poe? and the theme is Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared to Dream Before.   Activities will take place February through March 2016 with a teaser event in October 2015.

Library Director, Maryanne Bartles is looking forward to Big Read Dearborn 2016.  “We are thrilled to be awarded The Big Read grant for another year. Our success with ‘Do You Hear the Call?’ in 2014, based upon Call of the Wild by Jack London, has inspired all the partners and sponsors to come together again to bring the community another literary adventure. We hope that you will join us!” she said.

The “awakening” begins with a project launch from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 8, the day after Poe’s recorded date of death, at Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn.  The event will include a film screening, a call for original Poe inspired stories or poems, and a craft to make flat Poes, ravens, or black cats, which can be used for a photo op.  Who knows what form Poe will take?

There are plans to purchase 400 copies of the book in paperback for the kickoff and print 10,000 copies in tabloid format for the entire program. In addition to this, dual language Arabic/English copies will be available.  Local area schools will incorporate Poe into their curriculum in fun and exciting ways.

Get ready to dream dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before!