The Choose To Read Ohio 2011 booklist debuted at the 2010 Ohioana Book Festival. The new booklist features 20 titles by Ohio authors and includes four Civil War-related books! The State Library of Ohio is partnering with the Ohio Civil War 150 initiative to provide online learning toolkits for the 2010 and 2011 books with Civil War-era themes. Check out the latest toolkits added to our site.

Civil War-themed books on the 2011 list include:

“Coal Black Horse” by Robert Olmstead
“The Lost Quilter” by Jennifer Chiaverini
“Two Girls of Gettysburg” by Lisa Klein
“The Brothers’ War: Civil War Voices in Verse” by J. Patrick Lewis

Choose to Read Ohio (CTRO) spotlights Ohio authors and promotes reading across Ohio. The State Library of Ohio, in partnership with Ohioana Library Association and other Ohio partners, developed this initiative to encourage Ohioans of all ages to share literature by authors native to, residing in, or associated with Ohio.  CTRO is adaptable for use in classrooms, libraries, bookstores, by book discussion groups, families, and other community groups.

Toolkits for the 2011 booklist will be developed during summer 2010 and will be posted on the CTRO website at http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrointro" href="http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrointro" target="_blank">http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrointro.  In addition to book descriptions, author biographies, discussion questions and other background resources to enhance reading and sharing the books, the toolkits will include tie-ins with early literacy skills and with academic content standards as appropriate.

The CTRO framework is adaptable for use in classrooms, libraries, bookstores, and by book discussion groups, families, and other groups.  Participation may be as simple as a book group selecting a title to discuss, or as elaborate as a multi-agency community partnership incorporating educational programming and special events. Simply choose to read a title together, and start reading!  When your group or community has completed its program, please tell us about it by completing the Choose to Read Ohio survey.

Email Janet Ingraham Dwyer at jdwyer@library.ohio.gov to be added to the Choose to Read Ohio notification list. For more information on the State Library of Ohio’s Youth Services, visit http://library.ohio.gov/youthservices.

Choose to Read Ohio encourages Ohioans to Read Together, Read Ohio, Read for Life!