Library Kicks off Ferndale Reads Program This Month

To celebrate reading month, which starts today, the Ferndale Public Library is kicking off an extensive program of events that include a visit by best-selling Irish author John Connolly.

It's called Ferndale Reads and the theme of the events follow Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, a book about fairy tales and storytelling.

"When the book was chosen, I wouldn’t have dreamt that he’d be able to come out," Ferndale librarian Darlene Hellenberg said. "I took a chance and sent him a message, and it turns out he was going to be in the U.S. during March. We’re so lucky to have him.”

Events are planned for the whole month. Connolly will be at the Ferndale Public Library March 28 at 7 p.m.

"The goal is to bring the community together and highlight reading," Hellenberg said.

Ferndale Reads will follow the theme of Connolly's book. "We'll have movie nights with the same theme, book discuss around town. Is putting on a show for us based on the book," she said. "We want to use the whole community."

Film nights include showings of the Secret Garden, Coraline, Pan's Labyrinth and The Wizard of Oz sing-along. Book discussions are scheduled to take place at and the .

In additon to the events the library has set up, the staff has put together videos based on fairy tales that promote Ferndale Reads. View them here.

Hellenberg said a similar program took place last year called the Big Read, which was funded by at $7,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"We applied for the grant and got it last year. This year we applied and didn't get it, so we decided to do our own event," she said.

Hellenberg said the amount of money and awards given out were reduced this year. "They've suffered money problems, too," she said.

"(With Ferndale Reads) we want to encourage people to come together based on reading and explore," she said.

Reserve your tickets for the John Connolly event at the library.

For a full schedule of the Ferndale Reads program, go here.