For the 6th year, your Massillon Museum is hosting The Big Read! This year's selection is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Events will take place in April and May.

The Big Read Kick Off: FREE!
Saturday April 13, 2013
3:00-5:00pm
at the Massillon Museum

Free books will be distributed to the public at this time, and additional copies will be available from our partners the Massillon Public Library and its branches, with some copies available at the local YMCAs, Massillon Rec Center, and other local businesses.

A full schedule of free and low cost events provided by the Museum, Massillon Public Library, Stark Parks, and other partners, can be viewed at the NEA's website.

Big Read Events:

Do the Mu: Book Art

To build excitement for the upcoming Big Read, join us in recycling damaged books into new works of art! Drop in anytime between 12-2pm to participate.

Event Location: Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Sat, Apr 6, 2013
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Kick Off

Join us for the Kick Off of the 2013 The Big Read. Receive a free copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, view special displays relating to Harper Lee and her book. Also view the opening of the new exhibition, "Labor & New Deal Art," in the Main Gallery. Meet our partners and receive information from Stark Parks, the Massillon Public Library, and many more. Free and fun for all ages.

Event Location: Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Sat, Apr 13, 2013
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Dialogue on Race in Stark County

Join Coming Together Stark County for a dialogue on race in Stark County, to parallel themes discussed in To Kill a Mockingbird. This panel will feature longtime Canton residents sharing memories and discussing topics, including segregation, that affected their lives. This panel will be moderated by Walsh University History Professor Will Cooley.

Event Location: Walsh University, Birk Center, 2020 East Maple Street North Canton, Ohio 44720, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Mon, Apr 15, 2013
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Keynote Lecture & Film Screening

Join us at the Lion's Lincoln Theater for a keynote lecture on To Kill a Mockingbird by Joe Crespino, a scholar from Emory University and an expert in Southern literature and culture. Enjoy an in-depth discussion of the book, and a free screening of the film, with a Q&A to follow. Free for all ages.

Event Location: Lions Lincoln Theater, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Thu, Apr 18, 2013
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Twelve Angry Men performed by Stark County attorneys & judges

Twelve Angry Men Adapted by Sherman Sergel April 19, 20 and 26-28, 2013 It looks like an open-and-shut case – the trial of a 19-year-old man accused of the fatal stabbing of his father. One juror, however, begins to open the others' eyes to the facts, and the trial becomes personal. A special presentation of the classic courtroom drama. The cast in this show will be comprised of Stark County attorneys and judges. Who better to fill these roles? For reservations call the Carnation City Players at the Firehouse Theater directly at: 330-821-8712 Comedies and Dramas: $10 for adults, $8 for students Friday and Saturday performances start at 8pm. Sunday matinees begin at 2:30pm. The auditorium opens one half hour before curtain time. Tickets may be picked up the day of the evening performances any time after 6:30pm or after 1:30 pm the day of Sunday matinees. We encourage those with reservations to pick up tickets at these times to avoid congestion at the box office. Groups wishing to reserve a block of tickets may contact the box office to request information regarding group reservation policies and discounts. NOTE: If you cannot keep a reservation, PLEASE CALL TO CANCEL OR CHANGE THE NUMBER OF SEATS so that another patron may be given the seat. Thank you!

Event Location: Firehouse Theater, 450 E. Market, Alliance, OH 44601

Date: Fri, Apr 19, 2013 – Sat, Apr 20, 2013
Time: 8:00pm – 9:30pm

Date: Fri, Apr 26, 2013 – Sat, Apr 27, 2013
Time: 8:00pm – 9:30pm

Date: Sun, Apr 28, 2013
Time: 2:30pm – 4:00pm

Stark Parks History Hike: Lock 4

Join Stark Parks for a hike of historic Lock 4, relating to the historic era of the 1930s and the WPA, the time period in which To Kill a Mockingbird is set.

Event Location: 6600 Block of Erie Ave. NW , Canal Fulton, OH 44614

Date: Sat, Apr 20, 2013
Time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Brown Bag Lecture: White Trash, the Genteel Classes, and "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Join a speaker Will Cooley of Walsh University, and his in-depth discussion of the book, and the social order portrayed in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Enjoy a free cookie and free cup of coffee, bring your lunch or buy one from the Museum's cafe.

Event Location: 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Tue, Apr 23, 2013
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm

One Act Plays

Join the Frets and Struts drama club, and a bevy of talented for a night of original One Act Plays celebrating the writing style and themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. Free and open to all ages.

Event Location: Massillon Washington High School, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Wed, Apr 24, 2013
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Brunch & Book Talk

Join a librarian for a To Kill a Mockingbird book discussion and continental breakfast.

Event Location: Massillon Public Library, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Fri, Apr 26, 2013
Time: 10:30am – 11:00am

"Hey Boo" documentary screening & book discussion

MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS HEY BOO A free screening of Hey Boo, tells the untold story of how the great American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, came to be. This film will be shown on Wednesday, May 1st at 6:30 p.m. in Massillon Public Library’s auditorium. This documentary film is being shown in conjunction with the Massillon Museum’s The Big Read and will be followed by a discussion. One of the biggest bestsellers of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is the first and only novel written by a young woman named Nelle Harper Lee, who once said that she wanted to be South Alabama’s Jane Austen. Lee won the Pulitzer Prize and became a mystery when she stopped speaking to press in 1964. “Hey, Boo” chronicles how this beloved novel came to be written, provides the context and history of the Deep South, where it is set, and documents the many ways the novel has changed minds and shaped history. For teachers, students or fans of the classic, “Hey, Boo” enhances the experience of reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Containing never-before-seen photos and letters, “Hey, Boo” features insightful interviews with friends and an exclusive interview with Lee’s sister, Alice Finch Lee (age 99 at filming), who share intimate recollections, anecdotes and biographical details for the first time, offering new insight into the life and mind of Harper Lee, including why she never published again. Oprah Winfrey; Tom Brokaw; Pulitzer Prize-winners Rick Bragg, Anna Quindlen, Richard Russo, Jon Meacham, and Diane McWhorter; and civil rights leader Andrew Young address the novel’s power, influence, and popularity, and the many ways it has shaped their lives. –PBS The showing of this 82-minute documentary film is free and open to the public. Free popcorn will be served. The Massillon Public Library is located at 208 Lincoln Way East. For more information call Laura Klein at 330.832.9831, Ext. 319 or log onto the library’s website: www.massillonlibrary.org.

Event Location: Massillon Public Library , Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Wed, May 1, 2013
Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Family Program: The Sneetches

MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT PRESENTS “MEET THE SNEETCHES” On Saturday, May 4th, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., kids in grades K to 6 and their families are invited to come and “Meet the Sneetches.” As part of Massillon’s annual Big Read, families of K-6th graders will have the chance to explore the theme of prejudice found in To Kill a Mockingbird in an age-appropriate, interactive way during this program. The Sneetches and Other Stories, by Dr. Seuss, tells the story of how the Star-Belly Sneetches discriminate against the Plain-Belly Sneetches, leaving them out of Sneetch ball games and weenie roasts, until Sylvester McMonkey McBean arrives in town and bilks the town out of all its money by putting on and/or removing stars from the Sneetches until they can no longer tell who’s who. After watching a short DVD of “The Sneetches,” and hearing the story, families will get a chance to act it out by dividing into two groups: the Star-Bellies and the Plain-Bellies. Everyone will be given “Sneetch Bucks” to spend in the Star-On, Star-Off Machine that Sylvester McMonkey McBean will bring to the Massillon Public Library’s auditorium. Both Star-Bellies and Plain-Bellies can play a game of Sneetch Ball, have a snack, and make a family craft. Registration is required for this free program and begins Monday, April 22nd. For more information stop by the library’s Children's Department, call 330.832.5037 or log onto the library’s website www.massillonlibrary.org. The Massillon Public Library is located at 208 Lincoln Way East in Massillon. The Second Street entrance is handicap accessible.

Event Location: 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Sat, May 4, 2013
Time: 2:00pm – 2:30pm

Stark Parks History Hike: Molly Stark

Join Stark Parks for a hike of historic Molly Stark, relating to the historic era of the 1930s and the WPA, the time period in which To Kill a Mockingbird is set.

Event Location: 7900 Columbus Road, Lousiville, OH 44641

Date: Tue, May 14, 2013
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Book Discussion & Gallery talk

Join us for a special gallery talk on exhibitions relating to To Kill a Mockingbird and a discussion on the book.

Event Location: Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Fri, May 24, 2013
Time: 5:00pm – 5:30pm

Brown Bag Lecture: Going to Work: Federal Projects and the Great Depression

Join a speaker Todd Clark of Stark Parks as he discusses WPA projects that would have taken place in Stark county, providing more historical context for the time frame of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Enjoy a free cookie and free cup of coffee, bring your lunch or buy one from the Museum's cafe.

Event Location: Massillon Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, OH 44646

Date: Tue, May 28, 2013
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm