2008 Celebration Summary

"Thunderbolt Kid" Lights Up Walnut Creek

• 2008 Celebration Summary
• "Happy Days in Walnut Creek" by Brad Rovanpera
• Special thanks to our sponsors
• Suggest a book for next year
• One City One Book: Walnut Creek Reads Previous Titles

The 2008 selection for One City One Book struck a chord with Walnut Creek residents. According to our city librarian, The Life and Times Of The Thunderbolt Kid, a memoir by author Bill Bryson, was checked out of Walnut Creek libraries 1172 times!

Now in its third year, One City One Book has grown in visibility and stature and this begins to explain such a wonderful response. Credit, however, has to be extended to the organizing committee for marrying this fifties childhood memoir with a series of special events that appealed to Walnut Creek residents because, in keeping with the theme of the memoir, it was a walk back into the history of the City.

• To kick off this year's celebration, Brad Rovanpera, Walnut Creek's Public Information Officer, presented "Happy Days In Walnut Creek," to a packed City Council Chamber. For those who weren't able to attend, you can view the presentation on the city's website.
• Some of you may remember the "Kidde Corral" in local grocery stores – a place where parents could leave their children while they shopped for groceries. "Lingering in the Kidde Corral; Comics in the 1950s" gave us a chance to hear Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics in Walnut Creek explore comic books as an art form in the U.S.
• "1950s Living In An Eichler" was a smashing success. Over 250 people toured 11 Eichler homes in the Rancho San Miguel development – the first such development in the Ygnacio Valley. Residential expansion into the outlying areas of the City was one of the marks of that expansive decade.
• "Diner and a Book" at Hubcaps Restaurant on Locust St. was an enjoyable way to savor the feel of a 1950s era diner. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and real milkshakes completed the step back in time.
• Students from Las Lomas and Northgate high schools and four graduates (1957-1961) from Las Lomas entertained a large audience with their discussion of the similarities and differences between teen life in the '50s and now. While there were many differences, some high school experiences just haven't changed much. This marked the first year that teachers and students from Northgate and Las Lomas participated in the book selection process and in the programming.
• A large crowd listened to author Adair Lara speak about her life growing up in California and about writing a memoir (and how that differs from autobiography). Ms. Lara answered questions from the audience, many of whom were fans during the 12 years she wrote a column for the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Throughout the month-long program displays of 1950s memorabilia (on loan from local citizens) were available at the Senior Center, City Hall, and the Ygnacio Valley Library.

Special Thanks to Our 2008 Sponsors

  

   

Suggest a Book for Next Year's One City One Book: Walnut Creek Reads

If you have a suggestion for a book for next year's event, please contact us. The next selection will be announced in the summer of 2009.

One City One Book: Walnut Creek Reads Previous Titles

2007

All the Little Things by Wallace Stegner

2006

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri