'Shorewood Reads' to Promote Literacy

Ninth graders to senior citizens will read the same book this summer and fall, as the village kicks off its Shorewood Reads program.

The award-winning novel Montana 1948 by Milwaukee author Larry Watson will be the focus of the first annual Shorewood Reads literary event this fall, Shorewood Village President Guy Johnson announced Monday.

Johnson urged all village residents to read the book and participate in discussions and other activities related to the book. Johnson declared August through October to be Shorewood Reads months.

Montana 1948, published in 1993, is the story of a family crisis as seen through the eyes of 12-year-old David Hayden. It is a coming-of-age story in that Hayden is forced to confront issues such as racism and the abuse of power. He also struggles with the question of which is more important: family loyalty or justice. The book was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize.

“This is a terrific project,” Jean Gurney, chairman of the Friends’ Shorewood Reads committee, said. “Everyone who reads Montana 1948 will gain a broader outlook on life and enjoy a great story.”

Watson, a native of North Dakota, has been a visiting professor at Marquette University since 2003; prior to that he taught writing and literature for 25 years at UW-Stevens Point. The book is required reading for ninth grade students at .

Copies of Montana 1948 are available at the , 3920 N. Murray Ave., and at Boswell Book Company, 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee. Boswell customers who mention that they are participating in Shorewood Reads will receive 10 percent off the purchase price.

Shorewood Reads activities will begin in mid-September and include lectures on and discussions about the book led by members of the Shorewood High School English department and SHS students. The event will culminate on October 5 with two appearances by Watson at the Shorewood Library. He is expected to discuss not only Montana 1948, but also his new novel, American Boy, slated for publication on September 13.

“Members of the Shorewood Reads Committee and the Friends of the Shorewood Library are looking forward to what we hope will be a wide range of village residents engaged in a lively exchange of ideas about this wonderful book," Gurney said.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Shorewood Library in conjunction with Shorewood High School and with support from the Shorewood Foundation.