This brochure highlights titles that have editions for both adults and young readers. Choosing a title for a common read that has both editions allows for a true common read experience where all readers, from kids to adults, can read the same book and share in the experience.        

By Kayla, 7th-grade student, City Springs Elementary/Middle School What happens when a community decides to tackle some of the most complex issues of our time? What happens when we decide to stare racism and police brutality in the face and seek to find ways to overcome it? We came together as a city to try

Introduced to American movies and pop music while growing up in Somalia, Abdi Nor Iftin fell in love with the idea of America long before he could find the country on a map. As the Somali Civil War broke out, Abdi grew desensitized to the violence around him: avoiding gunfire during his daily trip to

We’re pleased to share videos from the First-Year Experience® Conference held in Las Vegas, NV this past February. If you weren’t able to join us for our author events at the conference, or would simply like to hear the talks again, please take a moment to view the clips below.   Penguin Random House Author

On April 11, Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced The Cardboard Kingdom as the selection for the Youth One Book, One Denver program. The YOBOD summer reading program offers children ages 9–12 a chance to read along with peers and enjoy fun, educational programming, with activities tied to the book’s themes. A goal of the program

On February 15, 2019, the Penguin Random House First-Year Reading Advisory Board convened for their annual summit the day before The First-Year Experience® Conference exhibit and sessions commenced. The Board members, representing a variety of public and private higher education institutions of varying sizes, came together to exchange ideas, and provide feedback and guidance. Our five attending board members, along with

“I have a strong urge to write something that will change people. I want to create a piece so moving that people are in disbelief. And I want it to be like handing people a pair of glasses, giving them a way of seeing something they didn’t even realize they weren’t seeing.” —Mallory Smith   Salt

The Iowa Center for the Book Chooses Land of Permanent Goodbyes as the 2019 All Iowa Reads for ages 12-18. The novel, set in Syria, tells the story of a refugee escaping his war-torn country in search of survival. Author Atia Abawi, a journalist and refugee herself, captures the hope that spurs people forward against

  Chicago Public Library’s latest selection for its One Book, One Chicago program is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  by Philip K. Dick. First published in 1968, Dick’s novel introduces readers to Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter commissioned to find rogue androids during the 2021 World War. A prescient rendering of a dark future, Do

Read Brave Saint Paul has officially launched its citywide, intergenerational reading program. This year’s theme focuses on housing, a critical topic in Saint Paul where thousands of people struggle to find affordable living spaces. “We have brave decisions to make about housing in our community and that starts with deep conversations among our residents,” said

  NEA Announces New Additions to the Big Read Library   The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Arts Midwest have announced six new additions to the 2019 NEA Big Read, a nationwide community reading initiative. With programs centered around a single book, communities come together to share the experience of reading and deepen

 Penguin Random House Author Events at the 38th Annual First-Year Experience® Conference Las Vegas, NV, February 16-19, 2019 Click Here to RSVP Interested in hosting one of these authors at your school? Click their name below to learn more! Clemantine Wamariya Casey Gerald Abdi Nor Iftin Scott Harrison Zachary Wood