One Book, One San Diego
One Book, One San Diego is our region's premier literary program, presented in partnership between KPBS and over 80 public libraries, service organizations and educational institutions. Now in its 18th year, the purpose is to bring our community closer together through the shared experience of reading and discussing the same book.
Each year, One Book, One San Diego features one book for adults, one for teens, one for kids and one for Spanish language readers (One Book Sin Fronteras).
Year round, the community is asked to nominate titles the entire region should read together. The Advisory Committees review these nominations and ultimately select titles they believe fit the selection criteria best. In the fall, KPBS and our community partners host events inspired by the books selected.
Listen: KPBS Midday Edition: Chanel Miller reclaims her story with 'Know My Name'
Listen: KPBS Midday Edition: One Book, One San Diego opens a new chapter
Introducing the
2024 One Book, One San Diego
selections!
2024 Selection for Adults
“Know My Name: A Memoir*,” Chanel Miller
Content warning: This book explores mature themes including sexual assault, subsequent trauma, and other challenging subject matter. Reader discretion is advised. A link to resources is included below.
New York Times Readers’ Choice Best Book of the Century
Universally acclaimed, rapturously reviewed, and an instant New York Times bestseller, Chanel Miller’s breathtaking memoir “gives readers the privilege of knowing her not just as Emily Doe, but as Chanel Miller the writer, the artist, the survivor, the fighter.” (The Wrap).
She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral—viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.
Now she reclaims her identity to tell her powerful story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways--there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.
"Know My Name" will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.
*Also available in Spanish/también disponible en español: Tengo un nombre
“I Am With You,” Chanel Miller’s short film
2024 Selection for Teens
“Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice,” Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile (Illustrator)
Finalist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People's Literature
Winner of the 2023 YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award
A Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor Book
On Oct. 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships.
In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. Co-written with Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Honor recipient Derrick Barnes and illustrated with bold and muscular artwork from Emmy Award–winning illustrator Dawud Anyabwile, Victory. Stand! paints a stirring portrait of an iconic moment in Olympic history that still resonates today.
Dr. Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes discuss VICTORY. STAND!
2024 Selection for Kids
“Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park,” María Dolores Águila and Magdalena Mora (Illustrator)
A vivid historical fiction account of the community activism behind San Diego’s Chicano Park—home to the largest outdoor mural collection in the U.S.—and just one example of the Mexican American community’s rich history of resistance and resilience.
Barrio Logan, one of San Diego’s oldest Chicane neighborhoods, once brimmed with families and stretched all the way to the glorious San Diego Bay. But in the decades after WWII, the community lost their beach and bayfront to factories, junkyards, and an interstate that divided the neighborhood and forced around 5,000 people out of their homes. Then on April 22, 1970, residents discovered that the construction crew they believed was building a park—one the city had promised them years ago—was actually breaking ground for a police station. That’s when they knew it was time to make their voices heard.
"Barrio Rising" invites readers to join a courageous young activist and her neighbors in their successful twelve-day land occupation and beyond, when Barrio Logan banned together and built the colorful park that would become the corazón of San Diego’s Chicane community.
*Also available in Spanish/también disponible en español: El barrio se levanta: La protesta que construyó el Parque Chicano
KPBS - 50 years after first Chicano Park murals, a younger generation picks up the fight
SDSU Special Collections - Chicano Park Takeover, 1970
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One Book, One San Diego has announced the selections for the 2024 region-wide read: “Know My Name: A Memoir,” by Chanel Miller has been chosen for adult readers; “Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice,” by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile for teens and tweens; and “Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park,” by María Dolores Águila and illustrated by Magdalena Mora for children.
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All three books selected for the One Book, One San Diego 2023 season exemplify courage, hope, advocacy, and solidarity. Each title explores the significance of taking pride in where we come from and coming together across differences to accomplish what we can't on our own.
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The San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books is Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023 at the University of San Diego campus, with dozens of author panels, readings, children's activities and booksellers.
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One Book, One San Diego has announced the selections for the 2022 region-wide read: “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett has been chosen for adult readers; “The Magic Fish” written and illustrated by Trung Le Nguyen for teens and tweens; and “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade for children.
One Book VIRTUAL Teens Author Event with Derrick Barnes
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One Book is a partnership between KPBS, the San Diego Public Library and the San Diego County Library, and the following organizations:
- San Diego Public Library
- San Diego County Library
- Alliance San Diego
- Asociación de Bibliotecarios de Baja California
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego
- CETYS Universidad
- Coronado Public Library
- Crawford High School
- Deaf Community Services of San Diego, Inc.
- Escondido Public Library
- The Friends of the San Diego Public Library
- Girl Scouts San Diego
- Hoover High School
- Juvenile Court Book Club
- Little Fish Comic Book Studio
- Museum of Us
- National City Public Library
- Oceanside Public Library
- Point Loma Nazarene University’s Ryan Library
- Reach Out & Read San Diego
- Rosa Parks Elementary School
- San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
- San Diego City College
- San Diego Council on Literacy
- San Diego County Office of Education
- San Diego Diplomacy Council
- San Diego Law Library
- San Diego Public Library Foundation
- San Diego Refugee Tutoring
- Cajon Valley Union School District
- Calexico Unified School District
- Central Elementary School
- San Diego State University’s Love Library
- San Diego State University Imperial Valley Student Accommodation Services Center
- San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campus Library
- San Diego Unified School District
- Somali Family Service of San Diego
- Southwestern College
- T.R.A.C.E. Alternative School
- University of San Diego’s Copley Library
- UC San Diego Library
- Wilson Middle School
- Worldview Project
- Words Alive
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Find answers to the most common questions about the 2024 One Book, One San Diego program below.
What is One Book, One San Diego?
In its 18th year, One Book, One San Diego is a community reading program. It is a partnership between KPBS, San Diego Public Library, the San Diego County Library, and a long list of other community partners found below. The purpose of the program is to bring together our community and encourage residents to join together in the shared experience of reading and discussing the same book. The program also encourages participation in related events, discussions of the ideas raised in the featured books, and examination of how these ideas connect with our daily lives and local communities. Each year, One Book, One San Diego features one book for adults, one for teens, one for kids and one for Spanish language readers (One Book Sin Fronteras).
What is One Book for Kids?
One Book for Kids is a companion program to One Book, One San Diego that is just for kids! The Children's and Young Adult Advisory Committee reviews community nominations and ultimately selects a title they believe fits the selection criteria best. In the fall, KPBS and our community partners host events inspired by the book for kids and families.
What is One Book for Teens?
One Book for Teens is a companion program to One Book, One San Diego, that is just for tweens and teens! The Children's and Young Adult Advisory Committee reviews community nominations and ultimately selects a title they believe fits the selection criteria best. In the fall, KPBS and our community partners host events inspired by the book for teens, tweens, and their families.
How are the books chosen?
The process for selecting the One Book titles is designed for maximum community participation. Residents of San Diego and Imperial County and Baja California are invited to nominate books through online and paper submissions. The One Book Advisory Committees review all book nominations and select titles they believe will best meet the One Book criteria and goals of the program.