The Fresno County Public Library today announced that it has received another grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host a third Big Read. The $20,000 grant will be used to promote and conduct community-based reading programs exploring the themes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. Activities in Fresno County, including the Coalinga-Huron area, will take place in spring 2009 and will include read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings, and performing arts events. ABC 30 and K-Jewel 99.3 FM are the local Big Read sponsors.

“The community voted last fall to choose Tom Sawyer as our next book for The Big Read. We are thrilled to be given this opportunity to bring everyone together once again to read and discuss a great work of American literature,” said Jeanne Johnson, Big Read program coordinator for Fresno County.

The latest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the NEA has given more than 500 grants to support local Big Read projects.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information about The Big Read, visit www.neabigread.org or www.fresnolibrary.org.