Eden Prairie Reads is a program designed to promote reading, encourage discussion among community members and strive for a new level of connection throughout the Eden Prairie community. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Eden Prairie Schools, the Eden Prairie Library, Eden Prairie Foundation, the City of Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie Barnes and Nobles Booksellers and a grass roots group of citizens.

In 2004, Eden Prairie was the first community in the southwest suburbs to sponsor a city-wide reading program, with nearly 2000 residents reading the first book Neither Wolf nor Dog by Minnesota author Kent Nerburn. Residents participated in a variety of events related to the book including speaker forums, book discussions and author appearances. In 2005, Eden Prairie read Ordinary People by Judith Guest. Over 2000 residents participated in the ongoing series of events.

The 2006 selection was Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry. After a decade away from home, author Mike Perry returns and joins the volunteer fire department. Against a backdrop of fires and tangled wrecks, bar fights and smelt feeds, he tells the story of humor and tragedy in people's lives. See photos from Oct. 23rd, 2006 Michael Perry event. The 2007 Selection, decided upon with community input, was Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried.

The 2008 selection was Sandra Benitez's The Weight of All Things and will be discussed in March 2008.

Why this book or any book for Eden Prairie Reads?
Eden Prairie Reads is a community initiative centered on books, reading and community dialogue. There is a list of criteria we look for in narrowing our choices from the world of good and interesting books down to the one we will all read and discuss any particular year. Many of the factors are relatively mundane things like length, availability, reading level and cost. More vital considerations center on the themes and issues the book raises, how they would contribute to community dialogue and how they would lend themselves to a variety of programming options. While we try to be sure to choose a book that is well-written, we don't feel it is possible or maybe even desirable to choose a book everyone will like. More important from our perspective is that the book will challenge us to think, to engage in conversation about the issues it raises and to explore our own perspectives and prejudices from a new vantage point.

We invite anyone interested in how and why a book is chosen to get involved in the selection process or any aspect of the Eden Prairie Reads initiative. We challenge ourselves as we challenge you to Open Up and read.