What is the One Book, One Community Our Region Reads! Campaign?

Community-wide reading, or “One Book,” programs are designed to promote the value of reading by recommending a compelling book that links the community in a common conversation.

One Book programs encourage dialogue about a particular book, but also foster lifelong learning and the development of a strong community identity.

This year the campaign reflects collaboration among six counties:

Berks,  Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York Counties.

Academic library partners include Harrisburg Area Community College libraries, the State Library of PA, Lebanon Valley College, Shippensburg University Library, and others.

The partnership represents more than 90 public libraries and two bookmobiles in a combined community of nearly 2 million people.

The 2017 One Book One Community title is Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein!

Rose Under Fire is a must read novel regardless of your genre preference!  Rose Justice is an eighteen-year-old pilot who hails from Central Pennsylvania.  She volunteers to serve in the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II.  In a brave attempt to ram a “flying bomb” mid-air, her plane crosses into enemy territory.  Rose is captured and sent to Ravensbrück, a concentration camp.  She meets women with deeply tragic yet heroic stories struggling to survive at the camp.  They band together and protect one another from their German captors.  Elizabeth Wein does not shy away from the atrocities committed during the war as she tells an endearing story of friendship, loyalty and self-sacrifice.  

Past One Book Titles

2016 – Gaining Ground for Forrest Pritchard

2015 – Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

2014 – The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

2013 – The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

2012 – Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

2011 – The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2010 – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2009 – The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

2008 – The Grace that Keeps this World by Tom Bailey

2007 – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

2006 – The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2005 – The White by Deborah Larsen

2004 – Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, Jr.

2003 – A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

2003 – Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom