Read Brave is an annual citywide book club hosted by Mayor Carter and Saint Paul Public Library. Read Brave taps into the power of books to bring teens and community members together to read and talk bravely about topics critical to Saint Paul.
March 22 - 26, 2025
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Read Brave 2025 Book Selection:
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Saint Paul Public Library and Mayor Carter invite you to read Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor together with your neighbors to explore what it means to claim your power and imagine the future we want for our communities through the lens of Africanfuturism, a genre that centers African culture, history, and mythology.
About the book:
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is a young adult Africanfuturism novel that follows the story of Sunny Nwazue, an albino Nigerian-American teen, who is struggling to find her place between her Nigerian roots and her American upbringing. But when she discovers she belongs to a secret world of magic where your worst fault becomes your biggest strength, everything changes. Sunny's journey takes her deep into Nigerian folklore, where she must master her hidden powers and join forces with other young magicians and shapeshifters to defeat a killer. Part mystery, part fantasy, this novel blends Nigerian mythology and magic with a coming-of-age adventure that grapples with identity, friendship and acceptance, community responsibility, and finding one’s place in the world.
Experience Read Brave
Saturday, March 22 | 2-4 p.m.
George Latimer Central Library |
Kick off Read Brave 2025 with an immersive Akata Witch-inspired event, transforming the library into a vibrant celebration of Black and African Diaspora empowerment, art, and ancestral reconnection in partnership with Oshun Center for Intercultural Healing.
Wednesday, March 26 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Rondo Community Library
Join us for Read Brave Talk Brave, an evening of conversation with Akata Witch author Nnedi Okorafor, youth panelists, and Mayor Melvin Carter, plus a musical performance by Kashimana and artwork inspired by the book.
Grab a copy of the book.
Getting a copy of this year’s Read Brave book selection is simple. Stop by any Saint Paul Public Library location to grab a copy of Akata Witch to add to your home library. Don’t forget to join us for the Read Brave Talk Brave event on March 26 to dive deeper into the book with the author, Mayor Carter, and young people!
Print, e-books, and audiobooks are also available for check-out at Saint Paul Public Library.
Pick up a book club kit.
Is your book club interested in participating in Read Brave this year? The Library is offering a limited supply of book club kits for you to keep at all library locations. It includes copies of the book, book discussion questions, Read Brave swag, and a tote bag!
Available while supplies last!
Host your own conversation.
Talk about the themes found in Akata Witch with your neighbors, friends, and family. Use our toolkit to facilitate brave conversations that push our city forward. Resources in the toolkit can help you host a conversation or event, or incorporate Read Brave into a classroom, book club, or another group.
Read Brave Saint Paul is brought to you by the Saint Paul Public Library, The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, and the City of Saint Paul.
This program is funded, in part, with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Questions about Read Brave?
Get in touch with the Read Brave Team using the form below with any questions you have about Read Brave books, events, or partnerships.
