Common Reading Programs
Many universities and colleges have incorporated “common readings” into first
year experience programs. Typically a book is selected by a campus committee
and introduced during summer orientation activities. Institutions provide incoming
freshman with a copy of the selected book. Students are expected to read the
book over the summer and participate in discussion groups and other activities
during the fall and/or spring semesters. Three longstanding programs include the
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (http://www.unc.edu/srp/), Appalachian
State University (http://www.summerreading.appstate.edu/) and The Ohio State
University (http://fye.osu.edu/bbc.html). The University of Texas-San Antonio
(http://www.utsa.edu/lc/cre.asp) has incorporated a common reading into
learning community activities. The UT program utilizes the book during the fall
semester rather than having a summer reading program. Cornell University’s
program (http://www.reading.cornell.edu/) has expanded to include high school
students and alumni.
Other universities, such as Indiana University – South Bend, have implemented
“One Book, One Campus” programs (http://www.iusb.edu/~libg/onebook/). All
faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to read a common book and
participate in related activities.
The National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in
Transition (http://www.sc.edu/fye/resources/fyr/index.html) contains extensive
information related to summer reading programs.
The site includes a searchable database of institutions with summer reading
programs as well as an extensive book list. Most entries include contact
information.
The following list includes books that have been used by colleges and
universities within the past few years. Where available, links are provided to
institutions that have used the book.
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A Hope in the Unseen by Ronald Suskind
About the book and discussion questions:
http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_H/hope_in_the_unseen1.asp
Appalachian State University – 2004 Common Reading (click on “Supplemental
Materials” link for a list of discussion questions)
http://www.summerreading.appstate.edu/2004-selection
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
About the book and discussion questions:
http://readinggroupguides.com/guides3/nickel_and_dimed1.asp
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania – 2005 Common Reading
http://academics.sru.edu/fyrst/read/
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
About the book and discussion questions:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780767902892
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo – 2002 Common
Reading
http://www.preface.calpoly.edu/archives.html
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
About the book and discussion questions:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/kite_runner.html
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo – 2005 Common
Reading
http://www.preface.calpoly.edu/archives.html
Michigan State University “One Book, One Community” – 2005 Common
Reading
http://www.onebook.msu.edu/OneBookOneCommunityMichiganStateUniversity.html
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
About the book and discussion questions:
http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/fast_food_nation1.asp
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State University of New York-Oswego – 2003 Common Reading
http://www.oswego.edu/academics/opportunities/oswego_reading_initiative/past_
selections/fast_food_nation/index.html
Bentley College – 2004 Common Reading
http://www.bentley.edu/classbook/class_of_2008/Class_of_2008.cfm
The Pact by Sam Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt
About the book and discussion questions:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/pact.html
University of Texas at San Antonio – 2005 Common Reading
http://www.utsa.edu/lc/cre/pact.asp
Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules That Changed History by Penny Le
Couteur & Jay Burreson
About the book:
http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/lessons-from-the-past
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James
McBride
About the book:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/color_of_water.html
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
About the book and discussion questions:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375506161
Louisiana State University – 2005 Common Reading
http://appl003.lsu.edu/srp/srp.nsf/index/
West of Kabul, East of New York by Tamim Ansary
About the book:
http://www.amazon.com/West-Kabul-East-New-York/dp/0374287570
Books Selected for Fall 2009
These selections were taken from a list of common reading programs compiled
by Barbara Fister, a librarian at Gustavus Aldolphus College in St. Paul,
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Minnesota. This list is frequently updated.
One Book, One College: Common Reading Programs
http://homepages.gac.edu/~fister/onebook.html
Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
 Acadia University, Appalachian State University, Case Western Reserve
University
Listening is an Act of Love - Dave Isay
 Bellevue Community College
This I Believe - edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gerdiman
 Bowling Green State University, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois
Wesleyan University
The DNA Age - a series of New York Times articles by Amy Harmon
 James Madison University
The Soloist - Steve Lopez
 Michigan State University, Montana State University
The Devil's Highway - Luis Alberto Urrea
 University of Florida, University of Louisville, University of Arkansas
Other Variations


Buffalo State College – 2004-2006 Academic Theme, 20th Century
Americans Who Changed Our Minds and Our Lives. “A collection of
written and spoken words, visual images, and music”
http://www.buffalostate.edu/orientation/documents/CDList.pdf
University of Alberta, Augustana Campus - 2006-2007 theme: Pandemics,
Plagues, and Viruses
http://www.augustana.ualberta.ca/theme/past/2006_2007/
The theme for 2009-2010 is Dissent
http://www.augustana.ualberta.ca/theme/
Additional Resources
All Iowa Reads – The 2010 selection is Driftless by David Rhodes.
More information http://www.iowacenterforthebook.org/archive/2009/10/air09book
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Iowa: A Literary Landscape. This website, developed by the Busse Library at
Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, includes an extensive list of fiction books
which feature Iowa as the setting of the story.
http://www.mtmercy.edu/busselibrary/iowafic.html
Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners – This list was
compiled by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), a division by the
American Library Association. Although the list was developed for students in
grades 9-12, there are many titles that would be suitable for use as a common
reading. Books are listed by category (e.g. Humanities, Science and Technology,
etc.).
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/obcb
The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress maintains a list of “One Book”
Reading Promotion programs in the United States.
http://www.read.gov/resources/
LabLit.com (http://www.lablit.com/the_list) – This list includes novels, films, plays,
and TV shows that have a connection to science.
“Reading Programs Target Freshman” - This article appeared in the Des Moines
Register on July 18, 2004. It highlights several Iowa colleges and universities that
have established a summer reading program.
Looking for Books that Fit a “Theme”?
The following books are available at Parks Library.
The Real Story: A Guide to Nonfiction Reading Interests. Sarah Statz Cords.
Edited by Robert Burgin. 2006 (Parks REF Z711.55 C67 2006)

This book groups book titles according to the following subjects: True
Adventure, Travel, True Crime, Environmental Writing, Science and Math,
History, Biography, Memoirs and Autobiography, Relationships,
Investigative Writing, and Making Sense. Brief descriptions are provided of
each book, and most chapters contain a short list of “fiction read-alikes.”
Thematic Guide to Popular Nonfiction. Lynda G. Adamson. 2006 (Parks REF
Z1037 A1 A285 2006)

This book provides detailed descriptions of books related to themes such
as: Commerce, The Earth, Family, Illness, Islamic Women, Perseverance,
Poverty, and World War II.
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Thematic Guide to the American Novel. Lynda G. Adamson. 2002 (Parks GEN
PS373 A33 2002)
Thematic Guide to Young Adult Literature. Alice Trupe. 2006 (Parks REF
PS374.Y57 T78 2006)
Jewish American Literature: A Guide to Reading Interests. Rosalind Reisner.
2004 (Parks REF PS153.J4 R45 2004)
African American Literature: A Guide to Reading Interests. edited by Alma
Dawson and Connie Van Fleet. 2004 (Parks REF PS153.N5 A3364 2004)
Historical Fiction: A Guide to the Genre. Sarah L. Johnson. 2005 (Parks REF
PS374 H5 J64 2005)
Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests. Diana Tixier Herald. 2006
(Parks REF PS374.P63 R67 2006)
Resources from Publishers
Many of the major publishers have created catalogs that are geared toward first
year experience programs. Check the following websites for catalogs,
newsletters, and other resources.
First Year Experience Reading Programs – Penguin Group USA
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/services-academic/campuswide.html
Freshman Year Catalogs – Random House and Knopf
http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/firstyear.html
Compiled by Andrea L. Dinkelman, Science & Technology Librarian
Content updated: 11/12/09
Links checked: 11/12/09
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