Join us for the next edition of the SCCL Book Club!

We’re reading Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

Heavy: An American Memoir is a powerful narrative delving into Laymon’s experiences growing up and the complexities of identity, family dynamics, and the weight of secrets within a black family in Jackson, Mississippi. 

Check out this conversation with author Kiese Laymon as he discusses his memoir and the censorship it has faced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvYe-zM2KoY 

DISCUSSION MEETING DETAILS:
Thursday, November 13
7-9PM
Strathcona Community League Lounge (10138 87 Ave)
Contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com if you have questions.

Join us for the next edition of the SCCL Book Club! 
This month is a DOUBLE HEADER!

We will be discussing both the June book, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (that was postponed due to the playoffs), and the September book, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.

The Kite Runner traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant’s son, in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.

They Called Us Enemy chronicles Takei’s experiences growing up in a Japanese internment camp. The graphic novel also highlights Takei’s efforts to fight intolerance and to stand up for equity, equality, and justice. (Youth welcome)

DISCUSSION MEETING DETAILS:
Thursday, September 11
7 pm – 9 pm
Strathcona Community League Lounge (10139 87 Ave)
Snacks will be served

Given the recent news around book banning, we’ve included a few short videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQP23uqxQoA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrp4zjntXVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cCMrHCl9Mk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Aqa5e4CYY

Contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com if you have questions.

Join us for the next edition of the SCCL Book Club! 

This month, we are reading “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. 

The Kite Runner traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant’s son, in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.

DISCUSSION MEETING DETAILS:
Thursday, June 12
7 pm – 9 pm
Strathcona Community League Lounge (10139 87 Ave)
Snacks will be served

Contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com if you have questions.

Join us for the next edition of the SCCL Banned Book Club! 

Young Adult Edition!

This month we are reading “Nimona” by Noelle Stevenson. 

Nimona, a young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy, and Lord Ballister Blackheart, a villain with a vendetta, set out to prove that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his friends are not the heroes everyone thinks they are, but Lord Blackheart soon realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past, and her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Please share this with your youth and come along with them to our discussion meeting.

DISCUSSION MEETING DETAILS:

Friday, March 14 
7 pm – 9 pm
Strathcona Community League Lounge (10139 87 Ave)
Snacks will be served.

Contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com if you have questions.

Join us for the next edition of the SCCL Banned Book Club! 

This month we are reading “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. 

Written in 1970, this book has been repeatedly challenged and banned in the USA. Typically books addressing race relations are high on the list. This book also addresses sexism, incest, and other hard topics that are often opposed, especially if they appear in works that are intended for junior or highschool students. 
This book has been used as a novel study for highschool students, so we welcome youth to attend! (NB: There is swearing, drug use, sex, violence, and disturbing scenes.)

MEETING DETAILS:
Thursday, January 9 
7 pm – 9 pm
Strathcona Community League Lounge (10139 87 Ave)
Snacks will be served

If you’re interested, check out some of these videos and articles about the book and the award winning author! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2MyQ_4_pZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5D5PLI7kvc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15MMmgwl1V4
https://www.furman.edu/news/the-persistent-influence-of-the-bluest-eye/
https://www.apollonejournal.org/apollon-journal//pretty-women-ugly-exchanges-beauty-power-and-rage-in-toni-morrisons-the-bluest-eye-p7ghx

Contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com if you have questions.

For September’s read, we have chosen The Marrow Thieves by Métis author Cherie Dimaline to honor The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This award winning book is geared for a younger audience – please invite youth in your lives to read the book and attend the meeting! 

Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive after the world is nearly destroyed by global warming and the Indigenous people of North America become hunted once it’s discovered that they are the only people who have retained the ability to dream and that their bone marrow can provide a cure.

MEETING DETAILS
7 PM – 9 PM
Thursday, September 26
Strathcona Community League Lounge (10139 87 Ave)

Refreshments will be served (including chips for any interested youth)
Copies of the book available to borrow! (Contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com)

To celebrate Pride month, we will be reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Setphen Chbosky.

This is in the TEEN section at the EPL.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written as a series of letters from its main character, Charlie, to an unnamed friend.  In these letters, Charlie writes about his struggles with relationships, substance abuse, mental health, and identity.

The book was first published on February 1, 1999, and first banned in 2003.  Today, it is still subject to multiple bans for including topics such as drug use, teenage sex, and abortion,

When: Tuesday, June 11
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Where: Lounge at the SCCL Hall (10139 87 Ave)

Please RSVP (jessenns@gmail.com) so that we have an idea of numbers for refreshments.

Our next Community BANNED Book Club date has been set. We will be discussing Maus, a memoir in graphic novel format by Art Spiegelman. 

Date: Thursday, April 11
Time: 7 – 9 pm
Location: Strathcona Community League lounge (upstairs): 10139 – 87 Avenue, Edmonton
Getting a book: We won’t be able to reserve a book club kit for this title, however there are many copies available at EPL: https://epl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S5C654557

Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP so we have an idea of numbers. 

The first Community BANNED Book Club discussion is on Friday February 16.
We look forward to celebrating Black History Month with our first read: The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. 
It is fitting that our kick off is in February as this is also the month of Freedom to Read Week: February 18 – 24.

Date: Friday, February 16
Time: 7PM
Location: Strathcona Community League lounge: 10139 87 AVE NW
Getting a book: Currently all EPL copies are out, but there are a couple of digital copies still available: https://epl.bibliocommons.com/v2/search?query=the%20color%20purple&searchType=smart
Refreshments: will be served

The Strathcona Community Book Club is Changing!

As of 2024, the Strathcona Community BANNED Book Club will host discussions approximately four-five times per year. The aim is to offer a variety of genres with an emphasis on diverse voices. 

Over the last couple of years, we’ve heard that books are being challenged and banned at an unprecedented rate not only in the United States, but also in Canada. Check out this graphic from the U.S.: 2022 Censorship by the Numbers. The majority of these books are written from historically marginalized communities. 

We’ve also heard that sometimes the challenged books haven’t even been read by those asking for their removal! So we thought that it would be great to challenge our community to read banned/challenged books, talk about what we’ve read, and form our own opinions! 

As many of these titles are YA (Young Adult) (this censorship movement is targeting both school libraries and public libraries), the Community BANNED Book Club may attract more youth in our neighbourhood too – we love it when youth attend these discussions!

Community BANNED Book Club titles can be borrowed at Edmonton Public Library or can be purchased with a 15% discount from Glass Bookshop (use the code BOOKCLUB15). Sometimes these titles will be available as an EPL Kit. In those instances, we will be able to supply you with a book from the kit. 

Please contact Jesse at jessenns@gmail.com for more information and to be added to the Community BANNED Book Club email mailing list! 

Community BANNED Book Club 2024 Schedule – Dates & Times TBA
February: The Colour Purple, Alice Walker. YA Fiction (No EPL kit)
April: Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Art Spiegelman. Non-Fiction, Graphic Novel (No EPL kit)
June: The Perks of Being a WallFlower, Stephen Chbosky. YA Fiction (EPL Kit
September: The Marrow Thieves, Cherie Dimaline. YA Sci-Fi (EPL Kit) 
November: The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison. YA Fiction (No EPL kit)