The kickoff for Big Read: Wichita, the community-wide reading event, is scheduled for Sept. 28 at the Advanced Learning Library.
The opening event, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m., will include a nature photography exhibit by Roy Wenzl; a mime performance by Wichita State University’s Alithea Mime Troupe; chamber music, and a readers' theater presentation.
The book chosen for this year's Big Read is "Lab Girl," a memoir by Hope Jahren.
As a geobiologist, Jahren lives with bipolar disorder and finds beauty in what she is passionate about: nature and science. Free copies of the book will be available at the kickoff event while supplies last.
"With the Big Read here in Wichita, it’s ... just a great way to bring community members together who are participating in a common activity,” said Sean Jones, communications specialist with the Wichita Public Library.
The National Education Association selected Wichita as a recipient of a $15,000 grant for the Big Read: Wichita. The NEA was created in 1857, with the mission to prepare every student for success.
Big Read: Wichita runs Oct. 1 through Nov. 15. It will feature more than 50 events in Wichita and the surrounding area.
Suzette Sponsel is an intern in the KMUW News Lab.