The following article was written by Lisa Pike, the Materials Management Librarian at the Manitowoc Public Library.
Manitowoc Public Library recently grew its collection with new titles celebrating African stories and culture through a statewide grant initiative by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Bureau of Libraries called the Read Africa Grant.
As part of the program, the resource library of each of Wisconsin’s 15 library systems received copies of ten carefully selected books provided through the African Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The African Studies Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program in partnership with Brittle Paper, the Children’s Africana Book Award, and the Department of Public Instruction.
The goal of the grant is to help readers across Wisconsin connect more easily to current African literature and children’s books. The books are available now on Manitowoc Public Library’s shelves.
Lisa Pike
The donated collection includes titles from authors across Africa, including Love Marry Kill, by Zukiswa Warner, A Mouth Full of Salt, by Reem Gaafar, and The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus, by Umar Abubakar Sidi. Readers will also find children’s picture books, such as Egyptian Lullaby, by Zeena M. Pliska, The Taste of Home, by Aminata Jalloh, and The Big Eyes of the Tiny Girl, by Ondjaki. All the new titles can be located in our catalog through a keyword search or series search of “Read Africa” or just follow the linked titles above if you’d like to reserve a copy immediately!
Some of the selected titles were shipped directly from Africa-based publishers since often they are difficult to obtain in the United States. The books range in both genre and topic. The adult titles include short story collections, science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. The children’s titles include fables and stories about food, art, and family life. Overall, their central themes connect to Africa and the African diaspora, offering readers of all ages the opportunity to engage with another culture and its people.
So, when you’re looking for something new to kick off your summer reading next month, take a look at some of these great titles for your to-read list!
