Brooklyn Borough President

SPEND THE SUMMER READING BROOKLYN!

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk

READ Brooklyn! is a great summer reading program organized by Borough President Marty Markowitz and Brooklyn Public Library. Brooklyn is blessed to have a vast amount of talented and prolific authors. Why not spend this summer reading some of their best work! One of life’s greatest joys is to pick up a fascinating book from any of the 60 Brooklyn Public Library branches around the borough to read on the beach at Coney Island, while you’re relaxing in one of Brooklyn’s beautiful parks, or even on trains and buses as you move around the borough.

Today, 17 Brooklyn authors read some of their favorite works in Borough Hall Plaza. Denis Hamill, novelist and newspaper columnist, Michael Immerso, author of Coney Island: The People’s Playground, Joseph Trigoboff, prolific writer of Brooklyn detective novels, Paul Zelinsky, children’s book author, and many others including Ilana Abramovich, co-editor of The Jews of Brooklyn, Gabe Cohen, author of Red Hook, Bryan Collier, children’s book illustrator and winner of the Coretta Scott King award, F. Donnie Forde, Sean Galvin, Robert Lanham, Anna Levina, Ed Morales, Phillys Shalant, Tim Sheard, Martha Southgate, Darrin Strauss, author of The Real McCoy, and Robert Viscusi all took part in this literary treat. The books were supplied by BookCourt at 163 Court Street.

"Brooklynites, young and younger, there’s no more enjoyable summer pastime than reading, and READ Brooklyn! is the perfect way to do it," Borough President Markowitz said. “We all know about the New York Times best seller list. But everyone knows that Brooklyn has the greatest literary minds, and the most talented and prolific writers of any city on earth. And, of course, Brooklyn has the most fascinating characters and interesting places to write about. It’s high time we had our own review and reading list of Brooklyn books and Brooklyn authors.”

"If anyone is looking for a great selection of books to read this summer, this is it," says Brooklyn Public Library Executive Director Ginnie Cooper. "With such Brooklyn classics as Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brookyn, and great summer reads like Terry McMillan's Disapperaring Acts, this event celebrates the best in books by Brooklyn authors and books about Brookyn. Summer is a great time to read -- whether it's at the beach, the park, or just cozied up indoors next to the air conditioner. Also, it's an important time to encourage children to read, because it's proven that children who read over the summer do better in school in the fall. So let's be the best read borough this summer, join us in READ Brooklyn!"

READ Brooklyn! is a list of selections for both adults and children by Brooklynites or about Brooklyn. The list can be found at libraries throughout the borough. Choose one or more of these titles to read over the summer and tell us what you think. We’ll gather your reviews and post them at www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org after Labor Day. Please submit reviews to READ Brooklyn!, Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Suite 330, Brooklyn, NY 11201 or email readbrooklyn@brooklynbp.org.

READ Brooklyn! Suggested Reading List (many of these available at your local library):

Adult Books:

Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
Farming of Bones, Edwidge Danticat
Snow in August: a novel , Pete Hamill
Disappearing Acts, Terry McMillan
My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
Push: a novel, Sapphire
John Henry Days: a novel, Colson Whitehead
Complete Poems of Marianne Moore
Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman
Fires in the Mirror, Anna Deavere Smith
When Brooklyn Was the World, Elliott Willensky

Young Adults:

Life Is Funny, E.R. Frank
Annie on the Mind, Nancy Garden
Spellbound, Janet McDonald
Fresh Girl, Jaira Placide
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith
When I Was Puerto Rican, Esmeralda Santiago

Juvenile:

Big Jimmy’s Kum Kau Chinese Take Out, Ted Lewin
Black Cat, Christopher A. Myers
Max Found Two Sticks, Brian J. Pinkney
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Didi and the Daddy on the Promenade, Marilyn Singer
Subway Sparrow, Leyla Torres
Brooklyn Doesn’t Rhyme, Joan W. Blos
Marisol and Magdalena: The Sound of Our Sisterhood, Veronica Chambers
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Bette Bao Lord
Last Summer With Maizon, Jacqueline Woodson

For more information about reading all summer long or for other great booklists for all ages, visit www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org, or call Brooklyn Public Library at 718-230-2100.

Pictured – Brooklyn Public Library Executive Director Ginnie Cooper and Borough President Markowitz are joined by Brooklyn authors at the kick off for READ Brooklyn!

Photograph by – Kathryn Kirk