Past Programs
Read Brave Saint Paul is a citywide, intergenerational reading program set around a common theme relevant to the city.
2026
Title: Lobizona by Romina Garber
A young adult fantasy novel that follows the story of Manuela “Manu” Azul, who has always lived between worlds. As an undocumented immigrant in Miami, her life is one of careful invisibility designed to keep her and her family safe. But, when her mother is arrested and her entire life unravels, Manu uncovers a secret that defies every rule she’s ever believed in: a hidden world of brujas and lobizones—witches and werewolves—where the old myths of Argentina are alive, fierce, and waiting for her.
Through Lobizona, we’re invited to confront what it means to belong—and who gets to decide. Manu’s journey mirrors the real struggles faced by those navigating borders seen and unseen, searching for belonging, safety, and home. As she dares to exist unapologetically in both her worlds, her story challenges us to imagine a future where difference is not a danger, but a kind of magic.
2025
Title: Akata Witch by by Nnedi Okorafor
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.
2024
Theme: Celebrating Identities
Title: Man O' War by Cory McCarthy
A Stonewall Honor Book, Man o' War is a candid and emotional coming-of-age story that follows the journey of an Irish Lebanese American trans teen navigating the challenges and joys of self-discovery and love amid the confines of a small, midwestern town. Educators and parents should know that this book is best for older teens through adults.
2023
Theme: Mental Health
Main Title: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Additional Titles: My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem (adults); Living with Viola by Rosena Fung (kids); My Footprints by Bao Phi (young kids); The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (picture book)
2022
Theme: Community Care
Main Title: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Mguyen
Additional Titles: What We Hunger For: Refugee and Immigrant Stories About Food and Family (adult nonfiction); Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing (kids); Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian (young kids); Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora (picture book)
2021
Theme: Owning Our Stories
Main Title: The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
Additional Titles: Children of the Land: A Memoir by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo (adult nonfiction); Front Desk by Kelly Yang (kids); Astrid and Apollo and the Starry Campout by V.T. Bidania (young kids); We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (picture book)
2020
Theme: Our Climate Crisis
Main Title: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
Nonfiction Title: Climate Justice by Mary Robinson
Theme: HousingRead Brave 2013 - 2018
Before expanding to Read Brave Saint Paul in 2018, Read Brave was Saint Paul Public Library’s annual program encouraging youth and adults to read and come together around a young adult novel.
Browse Read Brave titles from 2013 - 2018.
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018