August 2017 Reading Challenge-Reading Without Walls

[Rebecca]

For August’s reading challenge, let’s expand our horizons! This month, we are going to join Gene Luen Yang, the National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature and award winning author, for the "Reading Without Walls” Challenge. This month, read a book about characters or individuals who don’t look like you or don’t live like you do. As Yang said, “Books are a great way to get to know people who are different from us.”

This month, I’ll be readingThe Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, a riveting tale of a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who’s moved to the US after the Fall of Saigon. While it appears he is building a life with the other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles, he is a double agent for the Communists back in Vietnam.


This challenge can go in so many different directions! Let me know what you’re reading and what you’re learning. As always if you need some helping in finding a title, just let me know!

Happy reading!

[Rebecca]

Rebecca wrote: "For August’s reading challenge, let’s expand our horizons! This month, we are going to join Gene Luen Yang, the National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature and award winning author, for the "R..."

While I'm still working on The Sympathizer, I read another book this month that fits the challenge well. Earlier this week, I finished reading Sherman Alexie's new memoir You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a book for this challenge.

[Mara]

For this reading challenge, I selected Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, a memoir written by Elaine and Michaela and DePrince. Michaela, a ballerina with the Netherlands Ballet, began her life in Sierra Leone. Hers is a story of survival, determination and hope.