On April 10, 2011, the capstone event of the “Malden Reads…one city, one Book” project was held at Malden High School Jenkins Auditorium. Entitled “A Community Performance,” the event celebrated the themes from the Malden Reads book selections for the project’s inaugural year. The main book section, “The Soloist,” is a story about talent, destiny, compassion and humanity, and the Malden Reads project, as a whole, encompassed all of these qualities. Maldonians not only read and discussed the book and watched the movie, they tried to understand the problems of the troubled soul of Nathaniel …

When I heard that the Malden Reads Committee had voted for “The Soloist” as the adult selection with its themes of homelessness and the redemptive power of music, I immediately thought of David McPhail’s “The Teddy Bear” and “Mole Music” as possible children’s selections. Much of McPhail’s work is imbued with kindness, compassion, generosity and friendship. The worlds that David McPhail creates in his books are wonderfully inspiring, filled with gentle warmth, and sometimes they pose quite deep philosophical issues. When the Malden Reads Committee responded enthusiastically to these two …

All are invited to the Malden High School Jenkins auditorium on Sunday, April 10 for the culminating event of the Malden Reads: One City, One Book project, “A Community Performance,” by and for all ages in the community. Whether you’ve yet had a chance to read the main book selection, or any of the K-8 book selections, you’re sure to enjoy this free event featuring community members of all ages celebrating the themes from the books, plus reading and community. The themes will be expressed through music, song, dance, drama, poetry, multi-media, and spoken word.  Hosted by Ron Cox, Executive …

Many of us know the timeless folk tale that tells of people in a poor village that did not want to share their supply of food with three hungry soldiers who were passing through. So the soldiers decide to make a big pot of “Stone Soup” in the center of the village, placing three stones in a huge kettle of boiling water. The bewildered and curious villagers soon engage in contributing ingredients to this odd soup, some salt from one, carrots from another, onions from someone else. Before long, a cut of meat, more vegetables, and seasoning shows up, each villager contributing whatever they …

As we all know, reading comprehension is critical for a child’s future success. Reading and written communication skills are a primary focus during the school day, but what happens when the school day ends? Well, for nearly 600 students who attend after school programs with the Partnership for Community Schools in Malden—a whole lot of reading, writing, math problem solving and fun.During our two after school programs—A to Z University for grades K to 5, and Channel Surfing for grades 6 to 8—reading is a big part of each afternoon. Whether it’s in Oprah’s Book Club, Stories of Eric Carle, …

Local resident and talented musician Anton Sviridenko performed at the kickoff event for Malden Reads at the Malden Public Library on February 24. Anton’s own story is a fitting tribute to that of Nathaniel Ayers, the main character in the story “The Soloist,” this year’s book selection for the One City, One Book project. In the story told by author Steve Lopez, music helped Nathaniel to survive both in his delusional world and in the cruel reality of Los Angeles’s Skid Row. We can say that music is the third hero of this story, no less interesting and intriguing than the outcast musician …

As a member of the Malden Reads planning committee, it was an absolute joy to see so many people come out last night to the kickoff event “Chamber Music, Conversation, and Community,” gathering in the richly elegant galleries of the historic section of the library. Attendees were serenaded by chamber music played by a group of talented Malden High School musicians (under the direction of band director Matthew Tavares), enjoyed a lovely spread of appetizers and desserts (generously provided by Dockside Restaurant , Brother Trucker Food Services, New England Coffee, and the Oak Grove …

It was the end of July, 2010 when several people met at the Malden Public Library to discuss the possibility of a Malden Reads: One City, One Book project. As I sat around a table with the Library’s Executive Director Dina Malgeri, Assistant Director Donna Alger, and members of the Friends of the Library, YWCA, and Oak Grove Improvement Association, all avid book readers professing their love of books, I kept thinking, “I’m not going to say it, I’m not going to tell them.”We went around the table introducing ourselves, giving our reasons why we wanted to be involved with the project. It was …

You might be wondering why, as Executive Director of Tailored For Success, I got involved with the Malden Reads: One Book, One City project. Tailored For Success empowers women with career skill training and free business attire as they attempt to enter the workforce. In addition, we promote to our clients the philosophy that the best way to be successful in your chosen career is to become a lifelong learner. More importantly, readers are earners. By encouraging adults (and kids) to read as part of a community-wide effort, I feel the Malden Reads: One City, One Book project fits right in with…

As the snow piles up outside and the weather continues with its relentless challenges, what better way to spend your time than to take part in Malden’s new community reading program, “One City, One Book”? The first step simply involves curling up with a good book and maybe a cup of tea. And if you have children in your family, there’s a book for every age group, including two picture books to read out loud. The selected books center around the same themes and they offer engaging writing, food for thought, and a springboard to community-building events and activities to take place later in the…

When Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez heard Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on the downtrodden streets of Skid Row, he decided to make this “Violin Man” the subject of his column. It turns out Nathaniel’s story was even more intriguing than he imagined. Thirty years earlier, Nathaniel had been a promising student at Julliard. A brilliant musician and also one of the few African Americans at the prestigious conservatory, Nathaniel eventually dropped out due to his mental illness—schizophrenia. Now homeless, all of his belongings contained in a shopping cart…

Malden Reads: One City, One Book, the community-wide reading and literacy program, has announced its 2010 book selection. Maldonians will read and discuss “The Soloist,” by Steve Lopez. Residents can check out the book at Malden Public Library, which has stocked up with extra copies available on loan to Malden residents only. Schools and businesses will also carry copies residents can pick up, read and then pass along to a friend or leave for others to find. Malden Reads made the announcement at Monday night’s School Committee meeting. The organization was met in return with a proclamation …

After weeks of getting the word out to the public and planning public events for 2011, Malden Reads is gearing up to announce its selection for the city’s first community-wide reading project. “The main book selection, and the four K-8 companion selections, will be announced next week. There will be a kickoff presentation at the Malden School Committee meeting on Monday, January 10,” said Malden Reads Director Anne D’Urso Rose. “Next week, we'll also go public with the book selection on our website, social media, press, flyers, and a display at the library.” The School Committee and City …

"Music is an anchor, a connection to great artists, to history and to himself." --Steve Lopez, The Soloist What's your connection to your community? To others in the community? To resources within the community? "Malden Reads: One City, One Book" is gearing up for events and programs this winter to help us explore answers to these questions. The mystery is almost over. The adult, young adult and children's book selections will be publicly announced at the next Malden School Committee meeting, to be held in the Malden City Council Chambers on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. All members of the public are …

In this season of generosity, kindness and gift giving we should reflect on how one of Malden's great tragedies bestowed to the city one of its greatest gifts.   On a snowy December day in 1863, 17-year old Frank Eugene Converse was murdered in his father's bank, The First National Bank of Malden. After many years of considering what gift would be the best memorial to Frank, his parents, Elisha and Mary Converse decided to give the city a library.   They hired America's foremost 19th century architect, H.H. Richardson, to design the building and its furniture. The furniture was built by the …

One of the goals of the Malden Reads: One City, One Book program is to involve everyone in the Malden community, young and old, in reading a book and participating in related events. One main book has been chosen for adults and teens to read, and selections are now being finalized for young adults and children that share the theme of the adult book.To that end, we are excited to have the Malden Public Schools on board with the Malden Reads program."Perseverance" is one of the themes this year for the Malden Reads book selections, which fits closely with the schools' ongoing theme of "grit." …

Probably many of you are familiar with the children's story Stone Soup. In this classic folk tale, three hungry soldiers stumble across a village and knock on doors trying to find a warm meal. Each villager keeps to themselves, and is so poor they claim they cannot feed the soldiers. So the soldiers make a big show of cooking a giant pot of "stone soup" in the center of the village to the amazement of the village onlookers. They start with three large stones and boiling water and then request different ingredients to add to it. One by one, each villager runs home and gets a single ingredient …

Did you know that the New York Times published its first Best-Seller list on August 9, 1942 and that the first ever non-fiction best-seller was Malden author Elliot Paul's The Last Time I Saw Paris, reminiscences of the 18 years he lived in pre-war Paris?As we formulate plans to celebrate a city coming together with reading, music, drama, and other programs, let us also reflect on Malden's literary history as represented in the writing of many Malden authors.  Elliot Paul was born in the Linden section in 1891, attended Malden schools and graduated from Malden High School. His first of many …

As Malden prepares for the inaugural year of One City, One Book, committee members looked to nearby cities and towns for inspiration and advice. In its first year of the program, Medford read the book "Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919" by Stephen Puleo. The related young adult book selection was "Joshua's Song," by Joan Hiatt Harlow. Events included a lecture by Stephen Puleo and a talk about Massachusetts history and other fun events, including a kickoff party featuring rum drinks, a local ice cream shop creating a molasses-flavored ice cream, and an excursion to Boston's …

Asking the question "What if all of Malden read the same book?" local community organizations, in collaboration with the city's library, have been planning the launch of Malden Reads: One City, One Book.  The program is modeled after one that began in Seattle in 1998 and has since been enacted in cities and towns throughout the country. The idea is to engage the community in reading the same book selection, afterwards encouraging participation in related events, including book discussion groups, presentations, cultural performances, art exhibits, and social gatherings. The goals are to …