Sept. 24, 2018 – Salina Public Library invites youth 8 and older to discuss the Salina Reads selection, “One Crazy Summer” by Rita Williams-Garcia. Book Bunch, a book club for youth, will meet from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 9 in the teen area of Youth Services.

In this award-winning novel, we follow Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern as they take a summer trip to California to visit their mother. When they arrive on the West Coast, their mother decides that they will attend a day camp run by the Black Panthers. The three sisters learn about their family, their country and themselves. Williams-Garcia blends humor into her exploration of complex family relationships and a turbulent time in America’s history.

Williams-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels for young adults and middle-grade readers. Her most recent novel, “Gone Crazy in Alabama,” ends the saga of the Gaither Sisters, who appear in “One Crazy Summer” and “PS Be Eleven.” Her novels have been recipients of numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award, National Book Award Finalists, Newbery Honor Book, Junior Library Guild, and the Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction. She served on the faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children M.F.A. Program.

Pizza will be served at Book Bunch. Registration is required for this free event and can be made on the library’s online calendar at www.salinapubliclibrary.org or by calling the library at (785) 825-4624.

Salina Reads is an annual community-wide read that takes place in September and October. This will be the sixth year for the program. The community is encouraged to read the selected books, start conversations and attend programs.

For more information, contact Heather Mettlen, Youth Programs Specialist, at (785) 825-4624, ext. 244, email at youthservices.programs@salpublib.org or visit www.salinapubliclibrary.org/salinareads.