Click here to see our partners and sponsors.

January 16 – March 23, 2007

What if everyone read and discussed the same book? 

Escondido Reads One Book is a community reading project.
The goal is to get everyone involved in reading and talking to each other about literature. The book selected for this year's program is Sandra Cisneros' The House On Mango Street.

Join in!  Pick up a copy of The House On Mango Street at your local library, Bookcrossing.com or bookstore and start reading today.  Be sure to explore this website to learn more about the book and find out about special events and information on how you can participate in a book discussion group.

Download and print an Escondido Reads booklet which includes all the information on this website to bring along with you to your book discussion group or just have as your own guide while reading The House On Mango Street.


Message from the Mayor

Escondido Reads One Book cultivates the love of reading and discussion in our community by bringing our city together around one great read. The House on Mango Street, by acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros, was selected as this year’s book. It represents a vibrant segment of our community and appeals to all ages and backgrounds.

I invite you to visit your local library or bookstore and pick up a copy of The House on Mango Street. Measure the novel against your life experiences and explore its themes of family, multiculturalism, and growing up in a neighborhood. Reach out and join your friends and neighbors as you bring your thoughts to a discussion table near you and participate in Escondido Reads One Book programs.

Join me as we welcome Sandra Cisneros to Escondido on Thursday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. at the California Center for the Arts Center Theater. I look forward to seeing you then and giving her a warm Escondido welcome!
—Lori Holt Pfeiler, Mayor of Escondido

Click here to see the City of Escondido's Proclamation for Escondido Reads


Message from the City Librarian

With our first Escondido Reads One Book program a resounding success, we are looking forward to a wonderful second year-—especially since author Sandra Cisneros will be on hand to wind it up! Her classic The House on Mango Street tells of the coming-of-age of a young girl in a series of spare, poignant, and powerful vignettes. I invite you and your neighbors to join in by reading and talking about the book and enjoying a variety of programs including book discussions, lectures, children’s activities, film and music performances,and more. Together, we can create a community of readers!
—Laura Mitchell, City Librarian


Letter from the Author

Dear Escondido Readers,
Thank you for selecting my novel The House on Mango Street for Escondido Reads One Book. I am honored especially to have been selected at a time when there is great fear and confusion in the world, especially in the borderlands. I believe the selection of my book constitutes more than a fondness for a novel, but an urge for dialogue, peace-making, and vision. It is in this light that I accept the invitation to come to Escondido, and with the intention of bridge-building. My deepest thanks to the creative thinkers who piloted this program.

Abrazos fuertes,
Sandra Cisneros


Escondido Reads One Book Information Line: (760) 839-4601