One Book, One Community 2021

come together for a shared conversation on hope and resilience

one hope Each year, Kitsap Regional Library invites the community to read together.

Through the power of story and conversation, we can recognize our shared experiences.

The idea of many people coming together around one book originated with librarian Nancy Pearl and the Seattle Public Library, with its groundbreaking Seattle Reads program in 1997. In an interview, Pearl shared: "One of the things that was happening, that continues to happen today is that we all live in our own silos. The friends we have think the same way we do. The news we listen to is what we agree with. I thought that one of the things we need in society is much more civil discourse." Pearl continued, "I hoped we could choose books that had something important to say about what it means to be human and live in the world we live in."

Inspired by Pearl's work, Kitsap Regional Library launched the One Book, One Community program in 2008. Since then, the Library's explored new ways to connect this vision with a growing and increasingly diverse Kitsap community.

Past One Book titles have talked about hard things. Last year we discussed housing insecurity with the featured book "Evicted" by Matthew Desmond and the year prior, we discussed immigration with Imbolo Mbue's, "Behold the Dreamers." In considering One Book for 2021, the selection team recognized that we've already experienced a great deal of hardship this past year.

The events of 2020 brought with it an unprecedented disruption to our lives. As a community, we've navigated the extremes of isolation, rapid innovation, new dangers and new opportunities. Collectively, we've experienced grief, loss, fear and anxiety.

We've watched first-hand how these feelings can tear at the foundation of our society... but we've also seen how these feelings can build us up and bring us together.

It takes great courage to confront hard things and significant personal resilience to bounce back from them. Inspired by the continuous strength of our community, we've selected Hope and Resilience as the theme to connect us in these otherwise uncertain times. The path ahead is not always clear, but no one journeys alone. It’s time to come together, support one another and learn from each other’s experiences. Hope is in the conversation at onebook.KRL.org.

A huge thank you to our partners at Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, Kitsap Strong, Kitsap Public Health, Dr. Lillian Robertson, Executive Director of the Marvin Williams Recreation Center and Dr. Kimberly Riley, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

join in Connect Through Reading This fall, we invite everyone in Kitsap to read the 2021 One Book selections for youth, teens and adults and explore the theme of hope and resilience. Check out a copy in book, ebook or audiobook formats.

Connect Through Conversation Forge meaningful connections through shared stories and collective experience. Join us in September and October for events and activities for all ages.

Hope is in the conversation at

connect through reading adult book selection

Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander In “The Light of the World,” Elizabeth Alexander finds herself at an existential crossroads after the sudden death of her husband. Channeling her poetic sensibilities into rich, lucid prose, Alexander tells a love story that is itself, a story of loss. As she reflects on the beauty of her married life, the trauma resulting from her husband’s death and the solace found in caring for her two sons, Alexander universalizes a very personal quest for meaning in the wake of loss.

“This has been a year of loss. A story like this one can help us put words to the void we might feel but can’t fill.”

- One Book, One Community Selector

Book Group Discussions Bainbridge Island Book Group

Sylvan Way Book Group

Port Orchard Book Group

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1-2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 10-11 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 19, 6-7 p.m.

Little Boston Book Group

Manchester Book Group

Silverdale Book Group

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1-2 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 18, 6-7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1-2 p.m.

Kingston Book Group

Sylvan Way Nonfiction Book Groupk Group

Downtown Bremerton Book Group

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 10-11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 19, 10-11 a.m.

Monday, Oct. 25, 5-6 p.m.

Events

Connect Through Conversation Now that you’ve read “Light of the World,” ask yourself these questions, or start a conversation with someone you know and learn together.

1. The memoir opens with the narrator saying, “Perhaps tragedies are only tragedies in the presence of love, which confers meaning to loss. Loss is not felt in the absence of love.” Do you agree with this statement? Can you imagine a tragedy without love? Would you describe this book first as a memoir about loss or about love?

2. Ficre has a multicultural identity that doesn’t fit into simple categories.

“He was an African man, an Eritrean man and an African American man.

He was a black man. He was not the descendent of slaves.” How does our understanding of Ficre’s multiculturalism shape our understanding about how the book is written and Ficre as a “citizen of the world?”

3. How does the memoir shape your understanding of motherhood?

Of the act of guiding ones’ children through life challenges?

4. How are the themes of hope and resilience reflected throughout Alexander’s memoir?

Story Night at the Roxy An all ages night of fun, colorful and inspirational TRUE stories about hope and resilience: presented in collaboration with Storynight.org. This event is free to the public. Theater seating is first-come, first-served.

Thursday, Oct. 7, 7-10 p.m.

The Historic Roxy Theater 270 4th Street, Bremerton 98337

Anti-Racism Learning Circle Join us in dialogue and active listening as we explore anti-racist ideas and practices.

Come ready to have brave conversations and become a better ally to communities of color. This month’s topic: Hope and resilience. All ages welcome.

Thursday, Oct. 14, 5-6 p.m.

Virtual Zoom

Light of the World: Community Conversation

Connect to Other Great Reads

Some describe this year’s One Book One Community selection, “Light of the World”

by Elizabeth Alexander as a deeply resonant memoir for anyone who has loved and lost. What do you think? Join us in a thoughtful and lively conversation.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m.-noon Poulsbo

Enlighten Special Event: “My View From the Back of the Bus” Merritt Long, raised in the South during the Jim Crow era, will discuss how his childhood, segregation and the Civil Rights movement shaped his life.

“His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope”

by Jon Meacham

“Unbroken”

by Laura Hillenbrand

“Man’s Search for Meaning/El Hombre en Busca de Sentido”

by Viktor E. Frankl

Friday, Oct. 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Virtual Zoom

connect through reading teen book selection

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Every day she rides the bus away from her friends to the private school where she feels like an outsider but has plenty of opportunities.

But some opportunities she doesn’t welcome, like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls.

“I love any book that focuses on the power of art to effect change in ourselves and our community.”

- One Book, One Community Selector

Connect Through Conversation

Events

The following questions can help spark conversations about the book.

1. How does Jade, Sam and Lee Lee’s experience of the Natasha Ramsey incident connect with the meaning of the #BlackLivesMatter movement? Thinking about Jade’s life and how all her different identities overlap each other, what are your responses to the statement that #AllLivesMatter?

2. Explore the strategies Jade consciously and unconsciously uses to piece herself together: questioning, caring, building relationships, making art, negotiating the divides. Which ones do you use when piecing your own life together?

3. In the book, how do art, collage and poetry help Jade and her friends piece their lives together? What art, music, literature, films, etc. do you create or take in to help you get through difficult times?

Teen One Book, One Discussion Bring your curiosity and discuss “Piecing Me Together” by Renee Watson. Explore the One Book theme of hope and resilience, what it means to you and how it relates to the world today.

Thursday, Oct. 21, 3-4 p.m.

Virtual Zoom

Hope Streams Eternal Movie Marathon Share the movies that make you feel hopeful. Vote for your top choices and then stream it together for the ultimate feel-good movie marathon.

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 5-9 p.m.

Virtual Zoom

4. How has being hopeful, or feeling hopeless, influenced the choices you’ve made? Where can you see the influence of hope in Jade’s life?

Connect to Other Great Reads

“Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration”

by Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, Nicola Yoon and Marie Lu

“A Song Below Water”

by Bethany C. Morrow

“Before We Were Free/Antes de Ser Libres”

by Julia Alvarez

connect through reading kid book selection

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone For the life of him, William “Scoob” Lamar can’t seem to stay out of trouble and now run-ins at school have led to a lockdown at home. So when G’ma asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he’s in the RV faster than he can say “FREEDOM.” Set against the backdrop of the history of segregation in the American South, Scoob realizes that the world hasn’t always been a welcoming place for kids like him and things aren’t always what they seem—G’ma included.

“Stories that tie the young to the older generation, their life and struggles and lessons, are critical to guide the younger generation. History gives context to the current generation.”

- One Book, One Community Selector

Connect to Other Great Reads - Older Kids

“Genesis Begins Again”

by Alicia D. Williams

“El Deafo”

by Cece Bell

“Mañanaland”

by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Connect Through Conversation

Events

The following questions can help spark conversations about the book.

All storytimes in October will be on the theme of hope and resilience.

1. What is at the intersection of Sixteenth Street and Sixth Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama? What happened there? Why is it significant?

Hope & Resilience Family Storytime

2. Why is G’ma overcome with guilt? How do you feel about her confession?

Would you forgive her? Are her choices justified?

3. What does Scoob find inside G’ma’s treasure chest? What do its contents inspire Scoob and his dad to do?

4. What does the word “hope” mean? Can you think of an example of when you have felt hopeful about something? Thinking about Scoob, G’ma and others in the book, where do you see them acting or thinking in a more hopeful way?

Spark inspiration and build early literacy skills with stories, songs and movement.

Saturday, Oct. 23, 10:30-11 a.m.

Virtual Zoom

Kids Book Club Share stories of hope and resilience inspired by “Clean Getaway” by Nic Stone.

Test your book knowledge by playing a round of trivia on Kahoot.

Wednesday, Oct. 20, 4-5 p.m.

Virtual Zoom

Opera Time with the Seattle Opera

Connect to Other Great Reads - Younger Kids

“Sulwe”

by Lupita Nyong’o

“Rain Before Rainbows”

by Smriti Prasada

A sing-along, storytelling experience for the whole family. Teaching artists from the Seattle Opera introduce concepts and spark discussion on self-esteem, empowerment, hope and resilience. Read together from “Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison.

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 6-6:30 p.m.

Virtual Zoom

“The Day You Begin/El Dia en Que Descubres Quien Eres”

by Jacqueline Woodson

hope & resilience tree A tree’s health is impacted by its soil and the surrounding conditions of the forest.

Every tree needs healthy water, sunlight and nutrient-rich soil to survive; however different species of trees require diverse conditions to prosper. If you plant a palm tree in Alaska, the tree can’t flourish, but in the California desert, it will thrive.

The Hope and Resilience Tree visually represents the self and how we connect to the larger forest ecosystem of our community. The tree is divided between two halves, the parts of us that feel like we are surviving and the aspects of us that are thriving.

You may or may not have had the agency, or free will to choose where you’re rooted, or the care you’ve received. And just like other shared ecosystems, other creatures or circumstances beyond your control can lead to damaged roots, leaves and bark, which affect your ability to thrive.

The Hope & Resilience Tree shows how the environments and experiences we stem from shape our health, wellbeing and our views of the world, ourselves and each other. When searching to understand frustrations, suffering and pain, visit the shadow roots for insight.

The shadow leaves that sprout from unstable shadow roots can bud into anxiety, stress, illness or substance abuse, just to name a few. If left untreated or unresolved, this can perpetuate a state of feeling like you are surviving versus thriving.

The shadow leaves can make us feel disempowered and can filter our ability to access and trust the light roots of our tree. Change occurs in the light roots, where hope and resilience sprout, where agency, vision, plan and action bloom into something thriving, fruitful and fulfilling.

Hope and Resilience Tree activity made in partnership with Kitsap Strong.

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growing your hope & resilience Hope is the desire and belief that better things will come. Resilience is the ability to bounce back and overcome difficulties. Together, these concepts help us to not only identify and overcome hardship but empower us to dream, influence and tend to aspects of our lives we can control.

Using the Hope and Resilience Tree, what does your personal ecosystem look like and how can you nurture your soil to flourish? If you need more room, this printable activity is available in a larger size at onebook.KRL.org.

1. Start by filling in the shadow leaves. What are you currently feeling or experiencing at this time that is frustrating or challenging? Example: anxiety, anger, illness.

2. Move on to the shadow roots. What environments and experiences have contributed to your shadow leaves?

Example: racism, childhood trauma, divorce.

3. Transition to the light leaves. What positive feelings do you wish to feel?

Example: empowered, courageous, safe.

4. Move on to the light roots. As the gardener of your own tree, what can you do to help grow the positive feelings you’ve identified? Example: exercise, therapy, volunteering.

Action Plan Circle one word from the light leaves that you would like to feel right now.

5. Which word did you circle? Example: healthy.

6. What is keeping you from feeling this right now?

Example: skipping meals, not exercising.

7. Close your eyes and visualize the word you circled.

What does feeling like this look like? When is the last time you felt like this?

8. From the above list, what feels out of your control to change?

Example: gym membership and food costs.

9. Trees grow gradually. What small change could bring you closer to your desired feeling? Example: walking, more fruits and vegetables, talking to a trusted friend.

10. Make a plan! Explain what your changes look like in action and after two weeks, see if you feel closer to that desired feeling you circled in question 5.

Example: 30-minute walks, writing in a journal, call a friend weekly.

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our community forest Helping trees flourish is hard work and requires investment in equitable support for each plant to grow to its full potential. And just as the seeds we plant today will not immediately fruit tomorrow, we need to be patient and attentive to ensure our efforts meet the ecosystem’s diverse needs. Together—when we do the work and make the necessary investment, we can develop solutions to help each other flourish.

Questions to Consider 1. What agency do you have to create a healthier environment for everyone to flourish?

2. What elements of the community can be changed, improved or made more equitable for others?

3. As community gardeners we must acknowledge that every plant has unique needs that need to be met in order for them to thrive. If the environmental factors are equal, the needs of each individual plant in the forest cannot be met. Examine the soil and environmental conditions in our community forest. What biases have influenced this environment and what actions are necessary to meet the needs of our unique community to create a healthy community forest?

hope & resilience for kids Hope is a way of thinking positively and focusing on a belief of better things to come. Resilience is the ability to bounce back and overcome difficulties.

These skills can grow within ourselves and can be shared with others.

1. What hard things have you done?

2. What did you do to face them?

3. What does hope mean to you?

4. How can you help a friend feel hopeful?

5. What would you say to a friend to help them feel more resilient?

For event information, more great reads and conversation starters visit Thank you to our community partners for helping us start the conversation: Dr. Lillian Robertson, Executive Director of the Marvin Williams Recreation Center Dr. Kimberly Riley, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist