Rhode Island Center for the Book Announces the 2018 Reading Across Rhode Island Book:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Reading Across Rhode Island, Rhode Island’s One Book, One State community read program kicks off its 16th year by inviting everyone to join in the reading of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. The 2018 program runs from January through May with readers in Rhode Island classrooms, libraries, community centers, bookstores and book groups invited to join discussions and participate in local community events such as lectures, exhibits and dramatic interpretations centered on this year’s selection.
RARI Kick-Off
Programming begins with a Kick-Off event on January 27th from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at The Pavilion at Grace at 300 Westminster Street, Providence, RI.
Register for the Kick-Off Today!
Readers are invited to join Reading Across Rhode Island Honorary Chair Jordan Seaberry, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Institute for the Study and Practice of
Nonviolence, Shawn A. Christian, PhD, Associate Provost and Associate Professor of English, African American, and American Studies, Wheaton College and member of the Humanities Council board, Civic Salon, Living Literature, and AS220 Youth for an engaging introduction to the book’s themes. The kick-off event will give book group leaders an introduction to resources and materials provided through Reading Across Rhode Island to catalyze interesting discussions. Registration for the Kick-Off will be available at ribook.org in January.
Other Planned Events: Join us for April 12th and 13th for Angie Thomas visits RI! Registration for events with Angie Thomas will be available on the Rhode Island Center for the Book website in February. Look for other upcoming book-related events throughout the year at ribook.org.
Sets of books are available for loan to classroom teachers, library discussion groups and senior centers by contacting kate@ribook.org. Further reading lists, book discussion guides, the author’s website, audio interviews and other supplementary materials may be
found on the Rhode Island Center for the Book website at ribook.org.
About This Year’s Book
A brave, thought-provoking, conversation-enabling novel about what prejudice looks like in the 21st century. Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her private high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend.
Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was having an article about her in Right On! Magazine. She holds a BFA in creative writing and can still rap if needed. The Hate U Give is her first novel.
“The Hate U Give has a universal appeal, with current themes of identity, family and
race. It’s an ideal selection to build upon last year’s discussions of Just Mercy” stated
Kate Lentz, Director of the Rhode Island Center for the Book. “Bryan Stevenson
challenged us to: get proximate, be hopeful, change the narrative, get uncomfortable and
we will do that with The Hate U Give!”
Readers are invited to join Reading Across Rhode Island Honorary Chair Jordan
Seaberry, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Institute for the Study and Practice of
Nonviolence, Shawn A. Christian, PhD, Associate Provost and Associate Professor of
English, African American, and American Studies, Wheaton College and member of the
Humanities Council board, Civic Salon, Living Literature, and AS220 Youth for an
engaging introduction to the book’s themes.
The kick-off event will give book group leaders an introduction to resources and
materials provided through Reading Across Rhode Island to catalyze interesting
discussions. Registration for the Kick-Off will be available at ribook.org in January.
Other Planned Events: Join us for April 12th and 13th for Angie Thomas visits RI!
Registration for events with Angie Thomas will be available on the Rhode Island Center
for the Book website in February. Look for other upcoming book-related events
throughout the year at ribook.org.
Sets of books are available for loan to classroom teachers, library discussion groups and
senior centers by contacting kate@ribook.org. Further reading lists, book discussion
guides, the author’s website, audio interviews and other supplementary materials may be
found on the Rhode Island Center for the Book website at ribook.org.