Applications are now open for the spring 2023 edition of The Breedlove Readers, a book club that encourages middle and high school girls throughout Central New York to celebrate black girl stories through reading, writing, and creating.
The deadline to sign up for the spring cohort is February 25. Meetings are held on Saturday afternoons (1 to 3 p.m.) from March through June at the Southside Communications Center, 2331 South Salina St., Syracuse. Space is limited to 15 participants, ages 14 to 17.
Participants receive books and materials at each meeting, with the first book mailed to participants three weeks before the March 25 meeting.
Spring 2023 Reading List
- March 25: Meet and greet, plus discussion of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
- April 22: Discussion of The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
- May 20: Discussion of Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, et al., plus art exhibition and dance
- June 17: Discussion of Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
The Breedlove Readers book club was formed in 2020 by School of Education Professor Courtney Mauldin and Professor Marcelle Haddix, Syracuse University Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race, and Justice. The club combines Mauldin’s and Haddix’s love of books with a mentorship model that also explores social, political, and personal topics.
Mauldin explains the novels selected reflect an array of Black girl experiences that resonate with its young members. Topics—including body positivity, identity formation, navigating high school, community change, and social activism—are explored through dialogue, writing, and creating art pieces that will be showcased in an art exhibition later in spring.
Adds Mauldin, “The fall 2022 cohort of The Breedlove Readers read young adult novels from the sci-fi/fantasy, romance, and suspense genres that created space for rich dialogue among the girls and creative making of monster illustrations, shibori fabrics, and artifacts that spoke to themes in the various novels.”
To learn more about The Breedlove Readers, email thebreedlovereaders@gmail.com or call 615.852.6196.