On Thursday, October 11, students and teachers alike met after school in the NASH Library for a discussion on Angie Thomas’s hit novel The Hate U Give. The event was sponsored by the Project Lit Book Club, a nationwide organization with 500 chapters throughout the American educational system.  Each of NASH’s high school’s and middle schools have a chapter.

The book focuses on the life of Starr Carter after she witnesses the death of her friend Khalil at the hand of a police officer and how she navigates her life in her urban neighborhood and suburban high school.

“The plot of the novel is ripped from the headlines,” Mrs. Lombardi, NASH’s Project Lit sponsor, said, “and listening to the story unfold from the perspective of the narrator made a long-lasting impression on me.”

Within minutes after the school day ended on Thursday, there were upwards of 40 students and teachers in the NASH PLACE ready to discuss the novel. After a few opening remarks from Mrs. Lombardi, the group split in half and began discussing the book. Topics covered in the discussion included the current political climate with a focus on race, how the perspective of the book shapes readers, language and voice, and an exploration of the different aspects of Starr’s life, among others.

“I really love the book, and I think it has a really compelling message.” NASH Librarian Ms. Wienand said. “It presents a different point of view than what we often find in the literature you read for school, and I think that’s worth our time to engage in.”

Mrs. Lombardi and Ms. Wienand came prepared with discussion questions but gave the students some say in what the group focused on.

“The book gave me insight into a lifestyle that is completely different from my own,” senior Megan Gleason said, “but I found that I could relate to certain situations and could connect to the book. The issues Angie Thomas shows in her book are incredibly real and important.”

Additionally, NASH’s branch of Project Lit is holding a book drive for copies of The Hate U Give to donate to underserved schools. Students can drop books off in the NASH library.

The GOAL office has also organized a bus to take students to see the upcoming movie during school on Wednesday, October 24 at the Southside Works Theater. Students can pick up a permission form in the GOAL office or on the GOAL Blackboard page.