2012 Book:

"Under a Flaming Sky" by Daniel James Brown

Click here to view the poster for this event..

History comes alive with Citywide Read

Open up a world of history, adventure and heroism when you join in Citywide Read, sponsored by the Plymouth Arts Council, the City of Plymouth and  the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library. The selection this year is Under a Flaming Sky, by Daniel James Brown. The book gives a gripping and personal account of the firestorm that engulfed Hinckley, Minnesota in 1894.
Brown built the book around firsthand stories from survivors of the disaster, including his own grandfather. But beyond the stories that are both tragic and uplifting, Brown shines a light on the effects the fire had on forest management and logging throughout the country.
The Plymouth Arts Council and Plymouth Parks and Recreation have teamed up to bring four compelling events to this year’s Citywide Read.

Dig Deeper

A free kick-off event will dig deeper into the book’s themes of firestorms, forestry and the science of weather. At 1:30 p.m. on Sat., March 3 Professors Mark Seeley and Lee Frelich will join the public at the Plymouth Library, 15700 36th Ave. N. They will explain the firestorm phenomenon and highlight differences between the Hinckley tragedy and the recent Pagami Creek fire in the Boundary Waters.
Dr. Seeley is the extension climatologist/meteorologist at the University of Minnesota. He coordinates weather and climate educational programs with the National Weather Service, the Minnesota State Climatology Office, and various state agencies. He is a long-time commentator on Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Edition news program.
Dr. Frelich is Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology. He has been listed among the world’s top scientists in the fields of ecology and environment. He has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Newsweek and National Geographic. The scope of Dr. Frelich’s research interests ranges from the 1999 “big blowdown” in the Boundary Waters to the influence of climate change on forests at the borders of prairies.

Visit the Scene

A tour to the Hinckley Fire Museum will fill the bill for those interested in a closer look at the events revealed in the book. A bus bound for Hinckley will leave the Plymouth Creek Center at 9:30 a.m. on Sat., March 10. After a brief lunch stop at Tobie’s, the group will head to the museum.
The curator will shed more light on the harrowing event of the firestorm and then the tour guests will view the museum’s exclusive movie that illustrates the catastrophe. Then there will be time for participants to explore the artifacts at the museum before the short ride to the monument marking the mass grave of the victims who perished in the fire.
Register for the tour through Plymouth Parks and Recreation. The registration code is #38517 and the cost is $35 for adults and $28 for children up to 17 years old. Call 763-509-5200 for more information.

Join the Discussion

Join in a discussion of the book at 1:30 p.m. on Sat., March 24 at the Plymouth Library. An experienced discussion facilitator, Addie Ingebrand, will guide the conversation as readers share and learn from each other.
This event is free, and no pre-registration is required.

Meet the Author

The Citywide Read will culminate at the Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Ave. N. at 6:30 p.m. on Sun., April 15 with Literary Night, as part of the Primavera Springtime Celebration of the Arts. The evening will feature the author, who will speak about his book and engage in conversation with participants. He will also be available to sign copies of his book.
This event is also free, with no pre-registration needed.

Find the Book

Local and online booksellers carry the book. The Hennepin County Library will also have a number of copies available for checkout at the Plymouth Library.

The 2nd Annual Plymouth Citywide Read

April 18, 2011 marked the culmination of the second annual Plymouth Citywide Read with the appearance of Blue Balliett, author of Chasing Vermeer, this year’s chosen book.

Leading up to this Primavera, Literary Night event, were numerous activities such as Puzzle Solving, Mysteries of the Museum Tour coordinated with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Discussions at the Plymouth Library, and a Plymouth Art Treasure Hunt.

The citywide book read was sponsored by the Plymouth Arts Council, with considerable help from the Plymouth Parks & Recreation, the Hennepin County Libraries, the Friends of the Plymouth Library and the Bookcase.

Watch Channel 12 Interview

Plymouth Library Events Debbie and Benjamin Maymir Justin and Nevon Dovy Mysteries in the Museum Tour The MIA group.

About the Book
When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen: seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company, and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one-- neighbors, parents, teachers--is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into the mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem-solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?

In her latest book, The Danger Box, Balliett introduces readers to a new cast of characters and a new kind of mystery. Balliett says, “The Danger Box is a story set in a very small, very quiet town in Michigan, one that could be almost anywhere in the United States. A worn, red notebook appears, one that might or might not have belonged to one of the most famous and controversial thinkers ever, a person who has been dead for over a hundred years —and whose name is known around the world. Dangerous sparks are struck...and soon a boy, a girl and a way of life are surrounded by flames.”

In Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game, Balliett explored ideas and mystery through the lens of paintings, sculpture, and architecture. With The Danger Box, this engagement continues along other lines. Balliett explains, “Science is filled with as much controversy and as many questions as art. Also, the idea that so-called weaknesses can become strengths—that intrigues me. Are there also times when a physical disability can allow a person to accomplish things that others might not? I think this is an exciting question.”

Blue Balliett grew up in New York City and studied art history at Brown University. Balliett and her family now live in Chicago, within walking distance of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. She taught at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools before becoming a full-time writer.