About BigReadAZ

Welcome to the second year of the Valley's Big Read. The Big Read launched nationally in 2006 by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), encourages literary reading by asking communities to come together to read and discuss a single book.  

In June of 2008, the West Valley Arts Council and the Phoenix Public Library were both awarded Big Read grants and have joined forces with its growing list of partners to celebrate the book "The Maltese Falcon."  Expanding upon last year's success, we look forward to engaging more of our area communities in reading this classic with us.

In the Fall of 2007, the West Valley Arts Council (WVAC), located in Avondale, AZ, received a $20,000 Big Read grant to lead a Valley-wide reading initiative. WVAC, with partners that included the Maricopa County Library District, Glendale Public Library, Phoenix Art Museum, Luke Air Force Base, Tolleson Public Library, Phoenix Public Library and the Arizona Humanities Council, presented more than 60 Valley-wide events celebrating the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" including an area-wide kick-off, book readings and discussions, lectures, concerts, movie screenings, art exhibits, and more.  Over 6,000 people participated.