Great Diverse Book Give Away!

McIntosh Memorial Library is proud to offer

The Great Diverse Book Give Away!

The McIntosh Memorial Library received a national grant from the American Library Association in 2021. We are using grant-awarded funds to sponsor “The Great Diverse Book Give Away!”

To participate, choose one book from the titles listed below that you want to read and own. The 17 options are also available to preview at the library.

At the library, fill out an order form for the book. One book per person. Everyone attending the conversation is invited to order a book. This includes toddlers, youth and teens!

The library will purchase your chosen book for you to pick up after July 5th!

In return, on Thursday, August 12th at 5:30pm at Eckhart Park we invite you to attend a facilitated community conversation. During the conversation we will talk about what we learned by reading our book choices. This conversation fulfills the grant requirement. Please scroll down to learn more about the conversation.

The authors of the books represent personal storylines and current affairs of diverse groups of United States Americans. Including, but not limited to “Own Voices” of African Americans, Indigenous Americans, Asian Americans and LatinX Americans. Book options are available for all ages: toddler, youth, teen and adult.

The book options range from Baby Board Books to Adult Novels. However, a participant is welcomed to choose any book in or outside of their age range.

Book Options: View the book covers at the bottom of page!

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

The Removed by Brandon Hobson

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang (Regional Author!)

We’ve Been Here All Along: Wisconsin’s Early Gay History by R. Richard Wagner

This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

New Kid by Jerry Craft (Graphic Novel Edition)

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

Drawn Together by Minh Le

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Arabic Quilt by Aya Khalil

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany Browne

Global Babies by the Global Fund for Babies

Antiracist Baby Picture Book by Ibram Kendi

Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson

Make your choice and order your book before Wednesday, June 30th!

The facilitated large group conversation will be taking broad strokes, if you will, with interactive movement to answer general questions. For example, “If you read Caste, raise both hands.” And, “If you learned something new from the book, take one step forward.” The large group conversation will be 20 minutes.

Then we will break into smaller groups for another facilitated conversation. The format of this conversation will be similar to the large group conversation. Local social and racial justice group representatives will co-lead the small group conversations with library staff/volunteers. The small group conversations will be 20 minutes. Children are welcome to join their parents in their small groups, or break into the children’s small group.

Following the conversational portions of this event is a community picnic. Please bring your own seating. A couple food trucks and an ice cream vendor will be available to purchase food or bring your own meals. A local musician will also be playing music. Local social and racial justice groups will have tables set up for you to learn more about their missions.

Hosting a community conversation is a part of this grant’s and your participation in the conversation is required. If you are unable to participate in the conversation we respectfully request that you do not fill out an order form for a book.

This program is one of many diverse programs hosted by the library in 2021 as part of the library’s all ages, year-long, Humanities program entitled, “Creating Community Beyond Biases: Library Resources.”

Please visit the Library’s YouTube Channel to watch recordings of presentations!

For more information about this event please contact the Library at 637-7151 x 6.

Like the “Viroqua Library” page on Facebook.