Mentoring and Literacy Program
Reading is a great way to build your vocabulary, gain diverse insights and perspectives, enhance writing skills, and simply enjoy learning and being entertained. However, I know many teens, and especially boys (and a good many adults for that matter) simply have a hard time getting into reading. But since reading is so essential to personal, professional, and educational development it is especially vital that teens engage in extracurricular reading activities. Let’s Read, Black Lives Matter, Black Ment Strive Mentoring and Literacy Program is a web-based is program that attempts to increase teen reading, facilitate peer learning, and mentoring through experiences
Books are chosen based upon subject matter that facilitate higher thought and critical thinking but are still entertaining and relatively quick reads. The program includes assigned independent reading of portions of the texts followed by bi-weekly web-based discussion and analysis. Interacting with others, hearing other perspectives, sharing ideas and revelations, is a great way to get into a book and to share and develop important skills that are transferrable to academic and everyday life.
Our next book is Soundtrack: A Novel by Jason Reynolds. This text explores a group of teens’ navigation through musical creativity, family dynamics, maturity, and finding their way. Jason Reynolds is a preeminent and award winning author of young adult texts especially geared toward younger male readers.
If you want to participate in Let's Read!--and I hope you do, please click/tap below and complete the short registration form, check out from your local library or purchase Soundtrack: A Novel by Jason Reynolds, and you will hear from us very soon. We have scheduled Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 8PM (sessions are one hour long) for our first discussion session, so as soon as you get the book, start reading.
On the 19th we would like to start our web-based discussion anchored by Chapters One and Two—just over 20 pages. You might be further along by then, but that is where we will start. You can share this page with friends you think might enjoy reading along with us! Don't delay, submit your registration form right away!
