PUEBLO, Colo. — An internationally bestselling writer, an award-winning poet and a children’s book author are the featured writers for Pueblo City-County Library District’s (PCCLD) annual literacy project.
Kristin Hannah author of The Four Winds is the adult fiction selection for the NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads. Hannah is also the author of the international bestseller The Nightingale as well as Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) sponsored poet Ross Gay and children’s author Alicia Ortego round out the offerings for young adults and children.
Centered on the theme of mental wellness, the NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads begins October 1 and concludes November 5 with a free online author talk featuring Hannah. Due to ongoing construction at Robert Hoag Rawlings Library, the Booklovers Ball, a fundraiser for the Pueblo Library Foundation, will once again be an online affair featuring Hannah as its guest on Friday, Nov. 4.
Now in its 18th year, the literacy project hosts six weeks of more than 70 free activities, both in person and virtual, at all eight library branches as well as at CSU Pueblo, Pueblo Community College and the Pueblo YMCA. The community-wide literary project typically reaches more than 30,000 individuals in person and online during October and November.
For younger readers, PCCLD is providing participating classrooms copies of Ortego’s books to students in grades 3-5. Her series My Superpower offers lessons on compassion, confidence, empathy, gratitude and kindness.
Gay’s book of poetry, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, will be provided to participating high school and college classrooms; he will give a free online talk to the public at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 streaming on the Pueblo Library Facebook and YouTube pages.
The project kicks off with a family wellness festival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Rocky Mountain SER Empowerment Center, 330 Lake Ave. Enjoy the Bubble Tower - the world's largest bubble toy - fun with Fire Fit Kids, face painting, haircuts (for ages 18 and younger) and styling tips from Intellitec, Zumba, wellness and self-care activities, food trucks and more. This event is free and open to the public.
About the authors
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels; her book The Four Winds takes place during the Great Depression and follows Elsa Wolcott from her drought-ravaged farm and tenuous marriage to the dream of a better life in California.
Hannah is also the author of the international blockbuster, The Nightingale as well as Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane.
The virtual Booklovers Ball featuring Kristin Hannah is on Friday, Nov. 4. Tickets can be purchased at www.pueblolibrary.org/allpuebloreads.
Kristin Hannah’s virtual public author talk streams on Saturday, Nov. 5 on the Pueblo Library Facebook and YouTube pages.
Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry, including Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, this year’s NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads young adult book. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude is winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
Ross Gay’s virtual presentation to the public is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 streaming on the Pueblo Library Facebook and YouTube pages.
Alicia Ortego’s children’s book series My Superpower is this year’s NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads selection for younger readers. Her superpower series offers lessons on compassion, confidence, empathy, gratitude and kindness.
About All Pueblo Reads
Sponsored this year in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, All Pueblo Reads is a literary project designed to get everyone in Pueblo County reading one book at the same time each year. The goals of the project are to promote literacy and encourage dialogue across cultural, generational and social lines. PCCLD was one of more than 70 nonprofit organizations to receive a grant to host an NEA Big Read project. NEA Big Read is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The NEA presents NEA Big Read in partnership with Arts Midwest.
For more information about the NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads, visit www.pueblolibrary.org/allpuebloreads
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Kristin Hannah author of The Four Winds is the adult fiction selection for the NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads. Hannah is also the author of the international bestseller The Nightingale as well as Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) sponsored poet Ross Gay and children’s author Alicia Ortego round out the offerings for young adults and children.
Centered on the theme of mental wellness, the NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads begins October 1 and concludes November 5 with a free online author talk featuring Hannah. Due to ongoing construction at Robert Hoag Rawlings Library, the Booklovers Ball, a fundraiser for the Pueblo Library Foundation, will once again be an online affair featuring Hannah as its guest on Friday, Nov. 4.
Now in its 18th year, the literacy project hosts six weeks of more than 70 free activities, both in person and virtual, at all eight library branches as well as at CSU Pueblo, Pueblo Community College and the Pueblo YMCA. The community-wide literary project typically reaches more than 30,000 individuals in person and online during October and November.
For younger readers, PCCLD is providing participating classrooms copies of Ortego’s books to students in grades 3-5. Her series My Superpower offers lessons on compassion, confidence, empathy, gratitude and kindness.
Gay’s book of poetry, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, will be provided to participating high school and college classrooms; he will give a free online talk to the public at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 streaming on the Pueblo Library Facebook and YouTube pages.
The project kicks off with a family wellness festival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Rocky Mountain SER Empowerment Center, 330 Lake Ave. Enjoy the Bubble Tower - the world's largest bubble toy - fun with Fire Fit Kids, face painting, haircuts (for ages 18 and younger) and styling tips from Intellitec, Zumba, wellness and self-care activities, food trucks and more. This event is free and open to the public.
About the authors
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels; her book The Four Winds takes place during the Great Depression and follows Elsa Wolcott from her drought-ravaged farm and tenuous marriage to the dream of a better life in California.
Hannah is also the author of the international blockbuster, The Nightingale as well as Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane.
The virtual Booklovers Ball featuring Kristin Hannah is on Friday, Nov. 4. Tickets can be purchased at www.pueblolibrary.org/allpuebloreads.
Kristin Hannah’s virtual public author talk streams on Saturday, Nov. 5 on the Pueblo Library Facebook and YouTube pages.
Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry, including Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, this year’s NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads young adult book. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude is winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
Ross Gay’s virtual presentation to the public is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 streaming on the Pueblo Library Facebook and YouTube pages.
Alicia Ortego’s children’s book series My Superpower is this year’s NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads selection for younger readers. Her superpower series offers lessons on compassion, confidence, empathy, gratitude and kindness.
About All Pueblo Reads
Sponsored this year in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, All Pueblo Reads is a literary project designed to get everyone in Pueblo County reading one book at the same time each year. The goals of the project are to promote literacy and encourage dialogue across cultural, generational and social lines. PCCLD was one of more than 70 nonprofit organizations to receive a grant to host an NEA Big Read project. NEA Big Read is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The NEA presents NEA Big Read in partnership with Arts Midwest.
For more information about the NEA Big Read All Pueblo Reads, visit www.pueblolibrary.org/allpuebloreads
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