Envisioning an ‘Autistic Book Club’

As part of my studies of Action Research in libraries, I want to look into creating an “Autistic Book Club” through my public library. The problem that this would address for me is actually very personal: it’s that as an autistic person, I face challenges when trying to socialize with other people.

I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys

Presenting … First-chapter Friday, the eBook edition. This month’s selection features I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys.

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe. Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom? Read via the Libby app, obtained through San Francisco Public Library.
https://youtu.be/r4AABpik3lE

First-chapter Friday (eBook edition), playlist on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6F1x26TGVFEcBDoaAd8F7JZ3_ayFeTJ7

The Midnight Children, by Dan Gemeinhart

Each Friday that school is in session, I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from SRCSA library. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for Feb. 7, 2025 is The Midnight Children, by Dan Gemeinhart.