The Casper Journal :: Casper's Community Newspaper

Natrona County Public Library is proud to announce the third installment of its One Book, One Community event, encouraging everyone to read the same book and talk about its connections to our community.

This year’s title, “Pay It Forward” by Catherine Ryan Hyde, examines the issues of social responsibility, community engagement, and simple acts of kindness. Trevor is given an extra credit assignment in his social studies class: come up with a plan to change the world for the better, and do it.

As the story unfolds, readers find that Trevor’s idealistic concept of “paying it forward,” doing good for three people and asking them to do the same, impacts his community in ways unforeseen.

Other themes that populate the novel include the struggles of single parenthood, overcoming chemical dependency, navigating the link between internal identity and physical disfigurement and the search for love and acceptance in unlikely places.

Several forces in the novel serve to distance characters based on race, gender, class, education level and age, yet the uniting theme of good will in human nature overshadows all.

Readers will find much to discuss and ponder as they navigate the story of this young optimist’s ability to convince those in his small town to act as links in a chain of human kindness.

To kick off the month-long event, the library will be giving away several hundred copies of Pay It Forward, beginning at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 5, and continuing throughout the day, or while supplies last.

Once readers have digested this stirring book, the library will be hosting two opportunities to discuss it, on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Upon request, a librarian is available to lead personal book discussions as well, either at the library or other locations.

Additionally, there will be two opportunities to see the film of the same name at the historic downtown Rialto Theater. Free showings of the film, which has several significant differences from the book and will certainly inspire discussion, will be on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. Talented actors Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, Jay Mohr and Jon Bon Jovi bring the characters and story to life.

To culminate the One Book, One Community event, “Pay It Forward” author Catherine Ryan Hyde will speak at Durham Hall on the Casper College campus on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. She will share her inspiration for the story, speak about the impact her book has had on readers worldwide, and be available for questions from the audience.

Please join us in celebrating the power of an idea that can change the world, and the power of a book to unite a community.

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