One Book, One Northbrook

Citywide Reading Groups

This year for the Northbrook Library’s Adult Summer Reading Club we are asking participants to all read the same book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Citywide reading groups have grown in popularity over the last few years. Seattle began the trend in 1998, asking citizens to read The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks. Chicago has read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and, most recently, Night by Elie Wiesel as a community. Citywide reading groups encourage people to think more deeply about books and ideas and to share their thoughts and experiences with their friends and neighbors. They are an excellent way to bring a community together with a common purpose.

Why Fahrenheit 451?

When a group of librarians and discussion leaders met to choose Northbrook’s book to read and discuss as a community, we settled on Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury within a matter of minutes.

Fahrenheit 451 is both a classic work of literature and a fascinating tale. Ray Bradbury, an Illinois native, is an excellent storyteller with remarkable insight into the human experience and a gift for turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.

In telling the story of a man whose job is to burn books, Fahrenheit 451 chillingly depicts the dangers of censorship and the stifling of independent thought. Though it was written 50 years ago, these issues are as relevant to society today as they were back in the days of the McCarthy hearings and the Cold War. This year, as we celebrate 50 years of library service, it is fitting that we have chosen a book that celebrates the core ideals of the library’s mission: the importance of reading and learning.