The Lakewood City Schools put a new-school spin on an old-school tactic.

This summer, school and city officials – along with the community at-large – were asked to participate in Lakewood’s first Big Beach Read.

The idea behind the initiative was to celebrate summer reading and “enter into someone else’s mind through storytelling,” Lakewood High School English teacher Karen Ballash said.

The novel: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon, a story about a 15-year-old with autism.

Now, the Lakewood Public Library is hosting some events to allow the community to get involved — again.

• The library is showing the award-winning HBO film Temple Grandin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The biopic, on one of autism’s most famous spokespeople, will set the stage for the book discussion the following evening.
• On Friday, the library is hosting the book discussion in the Multipurpose Room at 6:30 p.m.
• Also on Friday, the library is hosting Dr. Roberta Bauer of the Cleveland Clinic. Bauer — who has been recognized as the “Best Pediatrician in America” among many other honors — will discuss child growth and development, developmental disabilities, and alternative therapies in treating autism.