Enoch Pratt Free Library, Maryland Center for the Book and Maryland first lady Katie O?Malley will kick off “One Maryland, One Book,” the first statewide community reading initiative, at 11 a.m. today at the Central Library.
The selected book is “A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League,” which chronicles the journey of Cedric Jennings, a D.C. inner-city student who overcame the odds to attend Brown University.
The Examiner talked with Roswell Encina, director of communications at the Pratt, about the event.
The Pratt already organizes a lot of citywide reading initiatives. What?s different about this one?
We?re partnering with the Maryland Center for the Book and the Maryland Humanities Council for this statewide undertaking. Our citywide initiatives are usually geared toward younger readers, while this program is for high school ages and adults. We want to encourage parents and adults to slow down and enjoy sitting down and reading, but we?re also hoping that books like this, now and in the future, can start all sorts of significant discussions.
Why was “A Hope in the Unseen” chosen out of 100 other selections for this initiative?
This book is an inspiration for all readers. This young man, Cedric Jennings, started out in Southeast Washington, D.C., and worked his way out of there to Brown University. The book provokes us to discuss issues like education and the state of race relations not only in Maryland but across the country, as well as class distinctions and socioeconomic backgrounds.
What can parents do to encourage reading in their children?
It doesn?t have to be a book. Reading in general, like newspapers or magazines, sets a good example for kids. Parents can also read with their children or to them. If the kids are into comic books, anime or manga, read along with them.
