Going on now!
Free books when you join in the celebration and read. The Pickerington Public Library has been selected to receive a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grant! We kicked it all off on January 19th with free copies of the four titles selected for the program and a presentation by Dreams on Horseback and their therapy horses.Pickerington Public Library NEA Arts Big Read program is exploring the book “Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body” by Rebekah Taussig. The NEA Big Read at Pickerington Public Library is presented in partnership with some amazing sponsors (listed below) and with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. We’re one of 62 communities nationwide participating in the 2023-2024 NEA Big Read.
We have over 850 FREE BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY to those who participate. Books can be picked up at both our library locations through the April 6th Finale Celebration (while supplies last). Read more about the main book and the 3 companion books below.
Events for all ages. Check out the list of events happening now through the Celebration Finale on April 6th.
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience.
THE BIG READ EVENTS
January 19, 2024 – Kickoff Event
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Book giveaway and special guests, Dreams On Horseback, will be on-site with mini horses presenting equine therapy.
March 3 – “Wonder” Movie (PG) 1:30 – 4:30 PM Movie showing, discussion and activities at Pickerington Main and Sycamore Plaza
March 9 – Art Day at the Library 12:00 – 1:00 PM Ceramic ornament art-to-go kits with Art & Clay on Main 1:00 – 2:30 PM “Possibility Talks” 30 minute presentation followed by 1-hour workshop with Art Possible Ohio. Columbus based artist, Charlotte McGraw, shares her journey into artistry as a disabled person. Read more and see her artwork.
March 11-14 – Multigenerational StorytimeThis week’s early literacy class will focus on connecting with family. Children and their special grown-up will have the opportunity to read stories and work on a craft together. March 15 – “Five Feet Apart” Movie (PG-13) 3:00 – 5:45 PM Movie showing, discussion and activities at Pickerington Main and Sycamore Plaza. (The movie is rated PG-13. Read the trigger warning.)March 17 – Guest Speaker, Allison Boot, Ms. Wheelchair Ohio 2023
2:00-3:30 PM
Presentation on the impact she has had in the role of Ms. Wheelchair Ohio, her READ platform, and the inclusive books she has published. Followed by an activity where participants will learn how to ‘write their own story’. Read more about Allison Boot.
April 6 – Finale Celebration
Sponsor booths, American Sign Language classes, crafts, writing workshops, community discussions, and more! We’re thrilled to have guest speaker Rob Harrell, author of “Wink,” with us for the Finale. Read more about Rob Harrell.
10:00 – 11:00 AM Adult Writing Workshop
Wink
By Rob Harrell Overview A hilarious and heart wrenching story about surviving middle school–and an unthinkable diagnosis–while embracing life’s weirdness. Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn’t want to lose
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
By Sonia Sotomayor A #1 New York Times bestseller! Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award! Overview Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and
The Degenerates
By J. Albert Mann Overview In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that
Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body
By Rebekah Taussig Overview Born in Manhattan, Kansas, in the mid-1980s, Rebekah Taussig was 14 months old when she was diagnosed with a malignant cancer that attacked her spine. Two years of intense treatment left
Community Partnerships
Art & Clay
Art Possible Ohio
Dreams on Horseback
Fairfield County 2-1-1
Fairfield County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Fairfield County Foundation
Meals on Wheels
Pickerington Local School District
Pickerington Senior Center
SOCIL
United Way of Fairfield County
Participating Book Clubs
Brown Bag Book Club
PPL Book Club (separate from regular book club meeting)
Red Bud Commons
Wesley Ridge
Abbington of Pickerington Assisted Living
