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San Mateo County, CA — The San Mateo County Office of Education, Peninsula Library System, and libraries across the county kicked off this year’s San Mateo County Reads initiative on Tuesday, October 5th, with virtual discussions featuring Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Black Brother, Black Brother. The events attracted hundreds of students, families, and community members eager to learn about Jewell’s inspiration for writing the book and her advice for empowering students of color.
San Mateo County Reads is a county-wide initiative that fosters community and discussion through literacy. Formerly known as One Book One County, it invites students, families, educators, and community members over two months to read from a slate of books under a common theme to promote conversations, create connections, foster understanding, and expand interest in reading. The initiative began in 2019 with March: Book One, a graphic novel by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell that details Congressman Lewis’ struggle for civil and human rights. In 2020, the county read George by Alex Gino, which tells the story of a young girl born into a boy’s body.
This year’s books revolve around the theme of “Good Trouble,” which is rooted in Congressman John Lewis’ fight for civil rights and racial justice: Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry; Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes; Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi; and Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams. Each book carries antiracist messages and calls on the reader to act, whether in small or big ways, to create a more inclusive and equitable world.
“Let’s get reading and talking, San Mateo County,” exclaimed San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools (and former school librarian) Nancy Magee. “San Mateo County Reads offers adults and students the chance to read and learn together, with benefits for those involved as well as our county as a whole. Many thanks to our library and school partners for making this important celebration of reading happen.”
To support school districts in participating in San Mateo County Reads, the County Office of Education and its library partners have provided schools with extra hard and digital copies of each book for students, staff, and community members to read. In addition, the County Office of Education is encouraging districts to engage their school communities through staff reading groups, student projects, school events, and other activities. In addition to events like this week's discussions, the County Office will host an educator book study on Stamped to support sixth through twelfth grade teachers in reading the book with their students. The initiative will culminate on November 30th with a fireside chat with civil rights activists discussing voting rights.
A list of all upcoming events, as well as educator resources, can be found on the San Mateo County Reads website.