FAQs

Your One Maryland One Book questions answered!

  • How is the One Maryland One Book chosen?
    Each fall, Maryland Humanities sends out a call for suggestions to the general public, educators, librarians, schools, book clubs, and other partners. The call for suggestions is based on an annual theme and pre-determined criteria.

    Once the suggestions deadline has passed, the Maryland Humanities staff researches all suggestions to make sure they fit the established criteria. Then the selection committee takes the lead.

    The selection committee narrows the list of potential choices to a top ten list. In January, the committee meets to discuss the top ten and narrows the list down to three choices, later voting to establish which book will be the One Maryland One Book pick.

  • What are the selection criteria for One Maryland One Book?

    In addition to having a focus on the yearly theme, the book can be either fiction or nonfiction and should be:

    • published in 2013 or later
    • up to 350 pages
    • available in paperback, affordably priced
    • available in print, audio, electronic format and, if possible, large print, film, or translation
    • able to generate sustained discussion on the year’s theme
    • of interest people in the state of Maryland
    • appealing to a wide + diverse range of readers of different backgrounds and reading levels
    • appropriate to high school age readers as well as adults

  • What is the theme for the 2023 One Maryland One Book?

    Connection

    As our world feels more scattered, we continue to look for shared values, ideas, and goals with people, places, and times.

    We desire to see and be seen, to be heard and understood, and to find the familiar in the unexpected.

    In connecting, we imagine different and better futures. 

    The book you suggest can be fiction or nonfiction, interpret the theme of Connection figuratively or literally, and should appeal to both high school and adult audiences. You are welcome to suggest books of poetry, short stories, and plays too.

  • How can I participate in One Maryland One Book?
    Visit the How to Participate page to learn how you can take part, either as an individual or as a program partner. Maryland Humanities offers free support materials—Reader’s Guides, Teacher’s Guides, bookmarks, and posters—to book groups, organizations, and businesses that sign on as official partners.
  • Does Maryland Humanities give out free copies of the book?
    Given the statewide scope of the program, we are unable to provide copies of the book to individuals or book clubs. However, via the generosity of our donors, books are made available to participating public libraries and public high schools.

    We update bookstores around the state once the book is selected. Check your local bookstore for a copy or let them know about the program!

    Maryland Humanities provides some funding support to libraries and nonprofit organizations, as well as secondary and post-secondary schools, to foster creative public programming across the state.

  • How do you choose the One Maryland One Book Author Tour stops?

    For 2023, we have a limited author tour and are unable to have an open application. Typically each year, Maryland organizations are invited to co-host the statewide Author Tour. The author is typically available for a limited number of official tour stops, so the application process is competitive.

    For information on funding support or the Author Tour contact Aditya Desai.

  • Are One Maryland One Book events free or is there a cost to participate?
    All One Maryland One Book events, including the Author Tour, are free and open to the public. Seating is first-come first-served.

    Sign up for Maryland Humanities email newsletter to receive advance notice of events, or connect with us on Facebook or on Twitter via @MDHumanities. Use the hashtag #1MD1BK to join the conversation!

  • “The OMOB 2014 selection seemed to touch the hearts of so many teachers and students. Everyone who read the story was in awe of the struggles, the will to survive, and then the motivation to write the memoir. The Distance Between Us created such an impact on each reader that s/he handed the book to someone with the request, “you must read this story!” Plus, the selection was inter-disciplinary and ‘captured’ students in all grade and academic levels. Renya Grande captivated the readers who, “couldn’t put the book down.” It is one of the best selections. Thank you!!”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2014 teacher
  • “This program is a gift, literally and figuratively!”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher
  • “We had our best attendance, ever, for a book discussion, in the seven years I’ve been here.”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 participant
  • “What a discussion! That what’s needed in every town, city, and every age group.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant
  • “[One Maryland One Book] is wonderful; enlightening, explorative, innovative, [and] educational.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant
  • “For most of my 10th grade students, this was the first book they have read from cover to cover.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher
  • “The discussion of the [2015 One Maryland One] book could not have been better. Everyone had a particular part of the story that touched them. One of the newcomers was an experienced rower and gave us wonderful insight into the physical and spiritual aspects of the sport. It is the first time in my ten years with this group that everyone loved the book.”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 participant
  • “One of my students, a boy who works 35 hours a week at McDonalds, took the time to write me a letter stating the book had changed his life.”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher
  • “I distributed copies of the book and we engaged in an afterschool discussion which included students and staff. Everyone who participated was so engaged that our 45 minute planned discussion ended up stretching into an hour and a half!”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher
  • “Left on my own, I would choose the same kind of books over and over again. Now, [participating in One Maryland One Book,] my reading experience is broader and richer and all the more enjoyable.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant
  • “[One Maryland One Book] brings cross curricular teachers together to the library to read, discuss topics and social issues in the book. It’s a way for students to read good books without the pressure of an assignment.”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher
  • “[One Maryland One Book taught me that] these types of book discussions that include diverse populations across the state open necessary dialogues to help solve problems. We need to have many more.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant
  • “The impact of this particular book was probably stronger than any other Maryland One Book due to the connections we could make with real world events and police brutality in the headlines. Many groups were reading and discussing the book at our school: Student Equity Team, Drama Club, Faculty book club, sociology and English classes. It fostered important discussions about race relations.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher
  • “A sophomore on our school’s state-champ runner-up varsity football team was so taken by Joe’s story of the sophomore year on the boat that he got his dad (the coach) and several members of his team to read the book even though they weren’t assigned it in class. Another student described a discussion she got into with her math teacher after school about the relevance of the English curriculum and used her experience with Brown’s work and the field trip to convince her teacher that humanities are just as important as STEM. Great stuff!”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher
  • “I completed the book club with 22 students, all of them on the JV football team – so not your stereotypical group of book club attendees. On the last day of our book club experience I asked students for some feedback and also asked if they would be interested in participating in another book club. Nearly all of them said that this was the first time they had ever participated in a book club, and a few said it was the first time they had actually read an entire book. I keep hearing back from them, too, [asking] ‘When is the next book club starting up?’. The discussions we had were powerful and meaningful–this was truly one of the most moving experiences I have had as an educator.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher
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