We sent out a call for animal stories and you answered it! We have over 100 animal tales, which will be published as a book soon. We hope to have an Animal Tales author meet-and-greet at the Wrap-up Party on May 17! Keep checking the website for updates. For now, we have a sneak preview of the cover for Animal Tales!
The Big Read Dearborn will present a free, special program featuring the man behind the voice, George Guidall, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2014, in the auditorium at Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn.
George Guidall has been delighting listeners and relieving long car trips for more than 20 years. As an audiobook narrator, Guidall has narrated and recorded more than 900 unabridged novels including classics like Crime and Punishment and best sellers like Snow Falling on Cedars and Lillian Braun’s “Cat who . . .” series. Guidall is widely recognized in the audiobook industry and has received two Audie Awards (the industry’s equivalent of an Oscar) during his career. This year, he will receive a Special Achievement Award from the Audio Publishers Association in honor of his distinguished career.
In addition to being an award-winning audiobook narrator, Guidall also has a long established career as a Broadway actor. During his 40-year career in the theatre that includes many starring roles, he has shared the stage with Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman, and Meryl Streep. Guidall has received an Obie award for best performance off Broadway.
As a special part of his Big Read Dearborn presentation, Guidall will perform a dramatic reading from The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Guidall considers narration an art form that speaks to the primal human need for narrative. During this program, he will also share personal stories, anecdotes and out-takes about narration production.
This event is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to be entered in a raffle to win a Guidall audiobook. For more information, please call the Dearborn Public Library at 313-943-2330.
Calling all youth photographers! Answer the call by submitting a photo of the environment, nature, or wildlife to The Big Read Dearborn’s Youth Photo Exhibition. View the full submission guidelines and enter a photo for a chance to win a gift card prize!
There are only two weeks left to prepare your submissions for the “Do You Hear the Call?” Open Photo Competition! The competition will recognize outstanding photographic images featuring themes of nature, wildlife and the environment. Enter for a chance to win the $500 Best in Show award!
Amateur and professional photographers 14 years of age or older are welcome to submit up to two works in the competition which will be juried by award-winning Michigan photographer Monte Nagler. Dearborn residency is not required to enter this competition. Entry fees are $15 for one entry or $25 for two entries per artist. Works must be delivered on April 28, between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. to Henry Ford Centennial Library. Selected works will be exhibited at the Library from May 1-19, 2014.
For additional details about preparing and delivering entries for submission in the competition, download the entry form, pick up an entry form at any Dearborn Public Library location or the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, or call 313-943-5478.
This week is National Library Week (April 13-19), a time to celebrate the role of libraries in communities across the U.S. This year’s theme is “Lives change @ your library.” There’s no better time to get involved in library activities!
The Dearborn Public Library and Dearborn Heights Libraries are bringing to you three wonderful youth programs this week. In addition, the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter will have another pet adoption event on Saturday, April 19. If you’ve been thinking about adopting, it’s the perfect chance to meet your new furry friend!
YOUTH EVENT (CHILDREN) – Animal Capers Goes to the Dogs
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: John F. Kennedy, Jr. Library, 24602 Van Born Rd., Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
Youth librarian Mr. Jim is in the dog house when the canines take over the puppet show.
YOUTH EVENT (CHILDREN & TEENS) – Third Thursday Craft
Date and Time: Thursday, April 17, 2014, 11:00am – 7:00pm
Location: Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126
Drop-in craft. Get in touch with your wild side while making a wolf mask. Younger children may need adult assistance. Crafts available while supplies last.
YOUTH EVENT (TEENS) – Pizza & Pages
Date and Time: Thursday, April 17, 2014, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126
Discuss Jack London’s The Call of the Wild and meet new friends while enjoying free pizza! Open to students in grades 6-12. Register today.
SPECIAL EVENT – Pet Adoption
Date and Time: Saturday, April 19, 2014, 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter Pet Training Center, 2621 S. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn, MI 48124 (at Oxford, next to Pet Supplies Plus)
The Dearborn Animal Shelter has wonderful cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies available for adoption. This is a chance to meet these animals who are looking for their forever homes!
Earlier this month, local branch employees from Leader of the Pack sponsor DFCU Financial visited two Dearborn schools, Salina Elementary and McDonald Elementary, to perform dramatic readings from The Call of the Wild for over 200 students. Read more about it in the Press and Guide, “Dearborn Students Take a ‘Wild’ Reading Trip.”
Don’t forget about today’s lecture, Coyotes of the Rouge, presented by Bill Dodge, a PhD candidate at Wayne State University. Learn about the urban coyotes living in Dearborn and the Metro Detroit area. The lecture will be held at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in the Auditorium from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Also mark your calendars for An Afternoon with George Guidall on Saturday, April 26, 1:00pm – 3:00pm. George Guidall has recorded over 900 audiobooks and will present “The Art and Artifice of Audio book Narration,” offering a glimpse behind the scenes of audiobook production. As a special performance for The Big Read Dearborn, he will perform a dramatic reading from The Call of the Wild.
On Wednesday, April 30, 6:00pm – 8:00pm, the Dearborn Public Library will have a special visit from C. Alexander London, author of the Dog Tags series, who will talk about getting in touch with your wild side and writing through an animal’s perspective. All ages are welcome.
All lectures will be held at the Henry Ford Centennial Library. For more information about these programs and others, check out the full schedule of events.
Check out this week’s Big Read events!
BLOCKBUSTER FILM SERIES – Balto
Date and Time: Monday, April 7, 2014, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126
Synopsis: An outcast half-wolf risks his life to prevent a deadly epidemic from ravaging Nome, Alaska (78 minutes, rated G).
YOUTH EVENT (CHILDREN) – Hear the Call Storytime
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126
Children with a caregiver are invited for stories and songs focusing on dogs, wolves, and the wild. Space is limited. Register by phone at (313) 943-2345 or in person at any Dearborn Public Library location.
BOOK DISCUSSION – R.E.A.D. (Read, Eat, and Discuss) at the Mardigian Library
Date and Time: Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Mardigian Library, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128
The R.E.A.D. Book Club will meet to discuss The Call of the Wild.
LECTURE – Coyotes of the Rouge
Date and Time: Saturday, April 12, 2014, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: Henry Ford Centennial Library, Auditorium, 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126
Bill Dodge, a PhD candidate at Wayne State University, will give a presentation on the coyotes of the Rouge River.
Do You Hear the Call?
You can get your very own Big Read Dearborn t-shirt with a howling wolf logo on the front and partner logos on the back.
Adult and kid sizes of Big Read Dearborn t-shirts are for sale at the Henry Ford Centennial Library check-out desk for $15.
Show your support of The Big Read Dearborn in style!
![Coyotes of the Rouge flyer [PDF]](https://bigreaddearborn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/big-read-2013-14-flyer-coyotes-of-the-rouge.jpg?w=231&h=300)
Saturday, April 12, 2014, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Henry Ford Centennial Library, Auditorium
16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126
The Big Read Dearborn will host a free, special program about coyotes living along the Rouge River at 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 12, presented by William ‘Bill’ Dodge, a local coyote researcher.
This interesting event will be in the auditorium at Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Avenue. The program is open to all ages.
A program on coyotes fits into The Big Read activities, which focuses on Jack London’s classic The Call of the Wild, because that book deals with dogs and wolves in the Yukon. Dearborn and the surrounding area don’t have wolves, but coyotes are part of the wildlife in the region.
Dodge is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wayne State University. His doctoral research involves gathering baseline data on the ecology of coyotes (Canis latrans) in the greater metropolitan Detroit area. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in conservation and wildlife management from Michigan State University. His M.S. thesis research examined survival, reproduction, and movements of moose in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Keep an eye out for other events, such as the “Do You Hear the Call?” Photo Exhibit opening on May 1 (turn in photos on April 28), audiobook superstar George Guidall on April 26, and C. Alexander London (author of the children’s series, Dog Tags) on April 30. The Big Read Dearborn ends with a Wrap-up Party at Henry Ford Centennial Library on Saturday, May 17, featuring real sled dogs, gold panning, an old-time photo booth, popcorn, and more!
NEA Big Read-Dearborn 