Waukesha Reads Kicks Off Friday

Waukesha Reads, a community-wide literacy project in its fifth year, kicks off on Friday as Waukesha area residents pick up their copies of the Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, turn the pages, discuss the book and take part in a series of activities during the next month.

lasts from Sept. 30 to Oct. 30. Activities include a book-themed haunted house in downtown Waukesha, and a Night at the Museum at the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum.

Waukesha Reads, a collaboration of more than 40 community partners, promotes reading for pleasure and enlightenment. It offers opportunities for the community to come together to explore the book and share ideas, according to a press release for the event. Initially, Waukesha Reads was a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read project, but since 2010 it has become an independent and community-supported literacy initiative.

A full calendar of events and activities can be found here. Also coming to Waukesha during the month-long initiative is Steampunk, which is explained in about people wearing “fantastical, slightly old-fashioned looking outfits.”

Waukesha Reads is partnering with Volunteers of Lake Country to collect new and gently used children’s books for the Volunteers of Lake Country Free Children’s Library located at Waukesha’s Hope Center,  according to the Waukesha Reads website.

Books needed include:

• Infant/toddler board books
• Children’s picture books
• School-age chapter books

More than 1,000 books are given away each month to children in need in our community. Books will be collected at all Waukesha Reads events and at most Waukesha Reads partner organizations. Books also can be directly donated at Hope Center, 502 East Ave.

– Amy Gilgenbach contributed to this story.