Reading Globally

Submitted by Stephen Kight

Reading Globally, the staff book club designed to focus on books that provide insight into a variety of different cultures, debuted two years ago in February 2019 with a discussion of the Teen High novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  Since then we have met six additional times:

May 2019                    The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay (Adult Fiction)

August 2019                More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera (Teen High Fiction)

November 2019          There There by Tommy Orange (Adult Fiction)

February 2020            Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Adult Nonfiction)

December 2020          Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Juvenile Fiction)

February 2021            Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara (Adult Fiction)

Trina and I are ready to announce the 8^th meeting, and we’re giving you plenty of time to read the book if you’d like to participate.  On Thursday, May 13, we’ll discuss Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. 

This Teen High Nonfiction book, first published in 2020 and available in print, eBook, and eAudiobook formats, is a “remix” by teen author Reynolds of Kendi’s National Book Award-winning book Stamped from the Beginning.  It’s a history of racist and antiracist ideas in America that’s told conversationally, in a way that young readers can find relatable.  It presents the idea that there have historically been three groups involved in our country’s centuries-long discussion about race—segregationists, assimilationists, and antiracists—and it discusses a number of different historical figures, events, and concepts.

Trina and I had each watched Reynolds and Kendi discussing Stamped at School Library Journal’s virtual Day of Dialog from May 2020 and were inspired to read the book.  (Trina watched the video and read the book last year; I did both only recently.)

I found the book to be one of the most eye-opening ones I’ve read about race.  It provides a great deal of information to absorb and to consider.  I’m hoping that a large number of staff will choose to read this book and join us at the book club meeting, because I’d love to discuss the ideas with my co-workers.

We’re asking staff who would like to attend to register, so we’ll have an idea of how many people to expect: https://forsyth.libnet.info/event/4950536.  Staff who register for the book club will receive an email with a GoToMeeting link a day or two in advance of the meeting.

Reading this book is also a great way to participate in the library’s new Read Your World diverse reading incentive program.  Stamped is featured on the book list of suggested titles by Black authors.