Date: 02/13/2006

The New York Times bestseller The Kite Runner has been selected by the Campus Reading Program Committee as its selection for summer/fall 2006. The program was launched last year to build a culture of reading on campus. "The Kite Runner is a very engaging book. The author is a local doctor and the main character attends San Jos?? State University," says Annette Nellen, chair of the committee. "We hope students and employees will feel a sense of community by reading this book during the summer months, and then engaging in discussions and other activities in the fall." The committee has requested that faculty consider including this book in their fall course work. The author, Khaled Hosseini, will visit campus next March. All freshmen will receive a copy of the book from President Don W. Kassing during the fall Orientation Program and the book is available at the Spartan Bookstore at a discounted price. Nellen reports that campus activities around last year???s selection, Nickel and Dimed, were a huge success. For more information, see: www.sjsu.edu/ugs/reading/.