The Alex Project

Jump to: What's the Alex Project? ~ How does it work? ~ Which books are included?

The next Alex Project will take place in Carbondale - sign up online or at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library by June 15th!

What's the Alex Project?

The American Library Association (ALA) says: "The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002." You can learn more on ALA's Alex Awards page.

Karol Sacca, our Parachute Branch Manager, took this idea and ran with it. The result? The Alex Project.

The Alex Project is designed to build connections in our community using the power of a great read. Very simply, the project pairs a teen with an adult from the community. Each member of the partnership reads an Alex Award-winning title on their own and compares opinions when they meet, about a month later, at the Alex Project Celebration.

How does it work?

We hope you will find the experience of sharing a book to be rewarding. There are no real rules, however, here are a few guidelines on how it works and some tips to make this a successful experience for everyone involved.

1. Sign up for the Alex Project at your local library. By signing up, you are agreeing to read one book with a partner. Interaction between partners is only via email (until the celebration, that is! read on...) and the only personal information that we will release to your partner is your name and email address. Afterward you may sign up for another round or drop out. When you sign up, you'll indicate your top 3 Alex Award-winning titles (see eligible titles below). We attempt to match everyone with their top choice!

Remember, these books were published as adult books and contain adult themes and language. They were selected because they cross over in popularity to young adults.

2. When a partner match is made, you will be notified by email or phone. The book will be ready for you to pick up at the library, along with your partner's name and email.

Tip: Make contact! It's a good idea to send a quick email to your partner to make sure the email address works. Providing a brief introduction of yourself and perhaps why you chose the books you did is appropriate.

3. About a month later, come to the library for an Alex Project celebration! This is where you'll meet your partner, rate your book, share your thoughts with the group, hear about the books that other teams read, and sign up for another round, if you so desire.

4. We each have different schedules and read at different speeds. To accommodate this, it becomes critical that you and your partner agree on how and when you want to communicate, regarding the book. Some pairs like to communicate often, while others want to wait until the celebration meeting to share comments. Again, there are no rules - just decide what works best for your team.

Tip: If you and your partner are communicating by email, put the chapter(s) related to your comments in the Subject line. This way, the recipient does not open the email until they have read the chapter(s) in question. We don't want any "spoilers"!

The most important part of the Alex Project is YOU! Enjoy this opportunity to connect and explore different perspectives (and read a good book while you're at it).

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Which books are part of the Alex Project?

Below is a list of the 2012 Alex Award Winners and a selection of past Alex Award winners to choose from, organized below by genre: Fiction ~ Non-fiction ~ Biography/Memoir. The Parachute Branch Library will be including several classic books as part of their Alex Project.

2012 Winners

Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens by Brooks Hauser

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Robopocalypse: A Novel by Daniel H. Wilson

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston

The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo