ONE BOOK NEW JERSEY

Press Release:

The One Book New Jersey program is a fun and exciting program sponsored by the New Jersey Library Association with generous support from the New Jersey State Library. The goal of the program is to bring people together by encouraging them to read and participate in discussions and other events about the same book. Although this program is modeled on other "One Book" programs throughout the country, New Jersey's program is rather unique. We involve not just one community, but the whole state. We also felt it was important to reach people of all ages, so although we still call our program "One Book," it is in fact four books: an adult selection, a young adult selection, a book for older children and a read-to-me selection.

This year, 2008, will be our sixth year.
The selected books this year are:

Adult: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Young Adult: Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
Middle Grade: The Sisters Grimm: Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
Read to Me: Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens

In the past, over six hundred programs or events were held in every county of the state at a majority of the 464 public libraries in New Jersey. These events ranged from book discussions to storyhours, from contests to film showings for people from preschoolers to senior citizens. One Book New Jersey selections for the past five years have been:

2007:
Adult: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Young Adult: So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
Middle Grade: Whales on Stilts! by M. T. Anderson
Read to Me: Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

2006:
Adult: The Ditchdigger's Daughters by Yvonne S. Thornton, M.D.
Young Adult: Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald
Middle Grade: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger
Read to Me: Wild About Books by Judy Sierra

2005:
Adult: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Young Adult: Dunk by David Lubar
Middle Grade: The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater
Read to Me: Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini

2004:
Adult: The Pine Barrens by John McPhee
Young Adult: The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Middle Grade: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Read to Me: How the Cat Swallowed Thunder by Lloyd Alexander

2003:
Adult: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Young Adult: Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Middle Grade: Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
Read to Me: Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

More information about the One Book New Jersey program can be found on ourwebsite: www.onebooknewjersey.org