Coronado Community READ

Now in its seventh year, the Coronado Community READ is designed to unite the community through the shared reading of a single book. The program encourages discussion and participation in planned community-building events around the theme of the title, selected by you, the readers. 

Click here for a printable calendar of this year's events.

Julie Webb President, Library Board of Trustees

A community read is an invitation to become a part of something bigger; explore new ideas, join in a community discussion, and discover all your library has to offer. Project Hail Mary explores timeless themes of communication, cooperation, resilience, the importance of hope, and overcoming barriers. The Coronado Public Library staff has assembled an innovative group of programs surrounding the themes and ideas of this book. Whether it’s music, science, art, or just the fun of reading a good story, there’s something for everyone. We look forward to sharing this exciting journey with you!

Adults Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, and his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he?	Tweens/Teens The Jamie Drake Equation by Christopher Edge Nominated for the 2018 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Shortlisted for the North Somerset Teachers' Book Award, the Haringey Children's Book Award and the Bolton Children's Fiction Award. A cosmic adventure for anyone who's ever looked at the stars, from the author of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright and The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day. When your dad's lost in space and his only hope is you and a bunch of aliens, it's going to be a bumpy ride... How amazing would it be to have a dad who's an astronaut, with rocket launches, zero gravity, and flying through space like a superhero! Jamie Drake's dad is orbiting the Earth in the International Space Station and Jamie ought to think it's cool but he just really misses him... Hanging out at his local observatory, Jamie picks up a strange signal on his phone. It looks like alien life is getting closer to home. But space is a dangerous place and when his dad's mission goes wrong, can Jamie prove that he's a hero too? Cover illustration by Matt Saunders.' Told with the intelligence and heart we expect of Christopher Edge ... Edge has found the equation that solves the problem of how to write a fun, intellectually challenging novel with an emotional center. It s a big tick.' - The Times, Children's Book of the Week' Packed with astrophysics, emotion, and invention on a galactic scale, this is science fiction at its most moving and exciting.' - The Guardian' After the amazing The Many Worlds of Albie Bright, Christopher Edge would easily be forgiven for a less ambitious follow-up. Instead, he has written a novel easily as good as the one before, filled with his trademark combination of wit, pathos, and hilarity.' - BookTrust' With family drama and alien intrigue, this captures both the wonder of space and the complexity of growing up.' - The Bookseller' With solid science and believable family conflicts, this will be very satisfying to readers whose wishful thinking can suspend disbelief.	Kids Beyond: Discoveries From the Outer Reaches of Space by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Sija Hong Journey far beyond our solar system and explore the marvels of interstellar space. A wonder-filled poem and spectacular illustrations bring readers across the observable universe to encounter dwarf planets, black holes, brand-new stars, and other incredible phenomena. Award-winning author Miranda Paul and illustrator Sija Hong present a fresh and fascinating journey to the outer reaches of outer space.

Book Discussions

Project Hail Mary

3/2 11:00 A.M., Winn room
3/7 1:00 P.M., Winn room
3/13 7:00 P.M., Conference Room
3/24 2:00 P.M., Conference Room
3/29 5:00 P.M., Conference Room

The Jamie Drake Equation

3/21 3:30 P.M. Conference room

Space Storytime

Beyond: Discoveries From the Outer Reaches of Space

3/7 11:00 A.M. Children's Area
3/10 11:00 A.M. Children's Area 

Programs

Age Group	Program	Date, Time, Location	Description
Kids	Space Mad Libs & Connect the Constellations	3/1-3/31 Children's Area	Available at the Children's Reference Desk
Teens	Community Science: Globe at Night	3/1-3/31 Online	Learn to identify and observe constellations in the sky to collect data about light pollution in your area. Teens who submit data are eligible to receive volunteer credit for their time spent researching.
Adults	FILM FORUM: Arrival	3/1 6:00 P.M., Winn room	When an extraterrestrial monolith lands in the wilds of Montana, a linguist, an army Colonel and a military physicist are enlisted to decode their language and determine their intentions. (PG-13, 116 min)
All Ages	Family Fun Movie:  Star Wars: A New Hope	3/4 3:00 P.M., Winn Room	Kick off the 2023 Coronado Community READ by watching this all-ages classic space movie!  (PG, 121 min)
Kids	Design an Alien	3/6 3:30 P.M., Ruby Room	Can you design an alien that can survive on a different planet? Come put your skills to the test!
Adults	Through Their Eyes Book Club:  Last Man on the Moon	3/8 12:00 P.M., Ruby Room	This astronaut story is about the fear, love, and sacrifice demanded of the few men who dared to reach beyond the heavens for the biggest prize of all - the Moon.
Adults	How do We Study Space?  with Dr. Robert Quimby	3/10 11:00 A.M., Winn Room	Mount Laguna Observatory Director Dr. Robert Quimby will share how we study comets, stars, and galaxies when we're so far away.
Adults	FILM FORUM: Coherence	3/15 6:00 P.M., Winn Room	A spooky, nerve-jangling journey through the looking glass. A cosmic chaos tears the fabric of reality as personal tensions and secrets bubble beneath the surface. (NR, 89 min)
Kids	Build & Launch a Rocket	3/20 3:30 P.M., Winn Room	Join the San Diego Air & Space Museum to build your own rocket, followed by a chance to launch it into "space."  *Registration is required.
Adults	How Big is Space? with Spencer Raines	3/21 11:00 A.M., Winn Room	Just how big is space? How can we travel to the moon, solar system, Milky Way, and beyond? Join our lecture with SDSU Ph.D. candidate Spencer Raines.
Kids	Space Mini Experiments	3/21 3:30 P.M., Ruby Room	Discover how craters formed on the moon using simple household materials. Then, make a mini paper model of our solar system.
Teens	Galaxy Painting	3/22 3:30 P.M., Winn Room	Using gel soap for a resistance paint technique, make a galaxy-inspired painting!
All Ages	Stars of Coronado	3/23 7:00 P.M., Cays Park	Gaze at the stars with the San Diego Astronomy Association. Telescopes and all equipment are provided, as well as snacks and warm drinks.
Adults	Spoilers Book Club:  The Martian	3/25 2:00 P.M., Winn Room	An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assumes him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue. (PG-13, 141 min)
Kids	Children's Movie Monday: Wall-e	3/27 3:30 P.M., Winn Room	Wall-E the robot takes viewers on an adventure as he follows robot EVE across the galaxy. (G, 97 min)
All Ages	Finale Concert:  Peter Sprague Beatles Tribute Band	3/31 1:00 P.M., Winn Room	Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir dedicated the book to The Beatles. Guitarist Peter Sprague will lead his quartet, and the audience, on a magical mystery tour of Beatles classics!