Missouri’s favorite author may have died a century ago, but he’ll be honored by community book groups in the next few months.

Five Missouri groups will receive government money to participate in Big Read events, the NEA announced Tuesday (June 23). Two in St. Louis - the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles and Cultural Festivals in Clayton - have closen “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” as the book to discuss. Each was awarded for $20,000 to help promote and run Big Read events between September 2009 and June 2010.

The Big Read is the name of the National Endowment for the Arts’ reading initiatives, in essence citywide book clubs that invite the whole community to read a single book and discuss it.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is the perfect pick for early next year because it will be the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain’s death. “Tom Sawyer,” published in 1876, is not only an American classic, it’s a book every Missourian should read. (Everyone should also read “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” of course, but “Tom Sawyer” will be less daunting as a community choice.)

The NEA calls “Tom Sawyer” “part of the American imagination. More than any other work in our culture it established America’s vision of childhood.”

The Foundry Art Centre plans events  Feb. 1-28. Cultural Festivals holds the annual Big Read book festival in Clayton (its Big Read festival is only coincidentally the same name as the NEA’s Big Read). This year the festival is scheduled for Oct. 10 on the Clayton High School campus. More information on “Tom Sawyer” discussions will be available in the future.

In addition to the two St. Louis-area awards, Park University in Parkville, Mo., will receive $20,000 to support an event featuring the novel “Housekeeping” and  Truman State University in Kirksville will receive $7,500 and West Plains Council on the Arts in West Plains will receive $11,800 to support discussions of ”The Things They Carried.”