In the last six years, hundreds of people have participated in Howard County Reads, the annual community-wide reading program sponsored by the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library and Greentown Public Library. The concept of “One Book” projects around the world began in 1998 by the Washington Center for the Book in Seattle, Washington and was introduced in our community in 2004.
Past Howard County Reads selections include:
- O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
- Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
- The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
- The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Our libraries began gathering nominations for the next great book in March 2010 and will keep nominations open through July 31. A community selection committee will meet in August and narrow the list to 10 titles. Then the fun begins! You will have the opportunity to vote for the Howard County Reads 2010 -You Decide- selection during September and October. The book you voted in will be announced in November.
The following criteria are considered for nominated books for Howard County Reads:
- well-written
- appropriate for group discussions
- available in paperback and other formats
- interesting to adults
- not too long
“Our goal is to cultivate a love of reading and to promote a sense of community.”


