Join Something New: The Intergenerational Teen Book Club at PCI Library
By Erin H.
Tue, September 19, 2023
Reading and discussing books is powerful! The connections we make with stories, with ourselves, and with others can bring us closer together and help us understand more about those who experience the world differently than we do. At the Philadelphia City Institute Library this fall, we're launching a new program for curious, thoughtful teens and the adults in their lives — an Intergenerational Teen Book Club. The club will be open to high school students to attend with a parent, guardian, or adult mentor.
At the club's first meeting on Saturday, October 7 at 11 a.m., we'll discuss the award-winning graphic novel/memoir Almost American Girl by Robin Ha.
Almost American Girl (2020) by Robin Ha
Almost American Girl tells the story of a Korean teenager who unexpectedly moves to Alabama with her mother and gets dropped into American life with no friends and little English-speaking ability. Anyone who has ever struggled to fit in, felt out of place at school, had to say goodbye to good friends, or found meaning in artistic expression will find much to love about Robin's story.
Other books we'll be exploring throughout the year include:
Cemetery Boys (2020) by Aiden Thomas
A fast-paced paranormal story featuring a trans-Latinx boy who accidentally summons a ghost
All My Rage (2022) by Sabaa Tahir
The powerful story of best friends navigating discrimination, family trauma, and the complications of nearing adulthood
Firekeeper's Daughter (2021) by Angeline Boulley
An exciting and thought-provoking mystery featuring a young Ojibwe woman
The Black Kids (2020) by Christina Hammonds Reed
The powerful story of a Black teenage girl experiencing the violent unrest of 1992 Los Angeles following Rodney King's murder
Darius The Great Is Not Okay (2018) by Adib Khorram
A beautiful character study of a half-Persian boy battling depression and working to understand his identity and heritage
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester (2022) by Maya McGregor
An intense mystery featuring a nonbinary autistic teen who is haunted by the ghost of their home's former resident
American Street (2017) by Ibi Zoboi
The moving story of a young Haitian girl trying to survive on her own in America after immigration officials detain her mother
Teens and adults interested in participating in this book club must register by contacting Erin at the Philadelphia City Institute Library (hoopese@freelibrary.org, 215-685-6621). Free copies of the featured books will be given to a limited number of participants who register: first-come, first-served. Community service hours are also available for teen participants.
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