“Hope is a decision, but it is a hard one to recognize in the face of oppression, belittlement, alienation, and defeat. To help embolden hope, here is a powerhouse collection of essays and letters that speak directly to teens and all YA readers. Featuring Marie Lu, James Dashner, Gayle Forman, David Levithan, Julie Murphy, Jeff Zentner, Renee Ahdieh, and many more!”

Yesterday The Teen and I attended the HOPE NATION launch party at Irving Public Library. One of her best friends, a big reader and also the daughter of a YA librarian, was there with us as well. We were excited to learn more about this anthology, get copies signed, and to hear the authors share their stories. Here is a recap of that event with some of the Tweets I sent out as I live Tweeted.

We’re at the HOPE NATION launch at Irving Library pic.twitter.com/XyE70DDsJO

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Read TLTer Amanda MacGregory’s Review Here:

Book Review: Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration

HOPE NATION launch party at Irving Library pic.twitter.com/Swf8lHCLby

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

And yes, The Teen did wear her favorite fuzzy pink slippers to the event to meet some of her favorite authors. We kid her about them, but I also love that she is who she is, likes what she likes, and just goes with it. I think they also make a fun juxtaposition to her frequent all black wardrobe.

Yes people, my daughter wore dirty, fuzzy pink house slippers to meet some of her favorite authors today. She feels comfortable being her, I guess. She learned to love herself reading YA. LOL @andimJULIE @OfficiallyAlly @angiecthomas pic.twitter.com/dtGFiBjZzZ

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

The panel consisted of authors Ally Carter, Julie Murphy and Angie Thomas! These are three of the contributors to the HOPE NATION anthology. And the first question was editor Rose Brock asking why they agreed to be a part of this anthology.

Texas woman taps popular young adult authors in new book for teens

“We can all agree that whatever you’re fighting for there’s no point in fighting if you don’t have hope” – Julie Murphy on why she wrote in Hope Nation

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

“One responsibility we have is to give our readers hope” – Angie Thomas on Hope Nation

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Ally Carter talks about small town poverty and how she wanted to write about hope for kids who feel like their is no way out – Hope Nation

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

As a librarian who works at a small town library with a high rate of teen poverty, I am always glad to see stories set in rural areas that reflect rural and small town poverty.

The panelists were then asked what their stories are about. Ally Carter talked about wanting to be a famous writer and getting out of her small town. Julie Murphy talked about how they lost their home her senior year of high school and the concept of having a home and having the concept of home in your heart. Angie Thomas talked about wanting to give hope back to all of the readers who had given her hope and helped to make her dreams come true.

Julie Murphy just made everyone cry talking about her essay. The Teen lost her childhood home and I can’t wait for her now to read this story. – Hope Nation

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

When it was opened up to audience questions, an audience member asked Angie Thomas how she should respond to parents who objected to The Hate U Give being offered in schools.

“It’s a privilege to be able to shield your children from these things” – Angie Thomas when asked what to say to parents who challenge THUG

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

“There are 89 F bombs in my book, there were over 800 police shootings last year. Why is the number for curse words more offensive than the number of dead bodies?” – Angie Thomas on THUG being challenged

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Julie Murphy: THUG isn’t anti-cop, there are good and bad cops in Angie’s books, just as there are in real life.”

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Rose Brock: There is no such thing as a safe book. We never know as educators about what will offend a parent. We just have to do the work.

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

A second audience question and the audience member asked how we could get guys to read these books when there are girls on the covers. The audience member also suggested that these books needed different covers without girls on the covers to appeal to male readers.

An audience member just asked how to get boys to read books with girls on the cover.

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Ally Carter: we need adults to help take away the stigma of boys wanting to read “girl books”. We need to address toxic masculinity. The world would be a whole lot better if we had more boys reading books with girls on the cover.

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Julie Murphy: We don’t need different book covers, we need different conditioning

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Julie Murphy: no girl has ever been ashamed to walk around with a book with a boy on the cover.

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

Angie Thomas: Books don’t have genders

Also Angie Thomas: Dang it men do your jobs

— TeenLibrarianToolbox (@TLT16) February 25, 2018

All of the panelists did a great job of discussing how we needed adult males to help break down the barriers and stereotypes about reading “girl books”. Ally Carter shared a story about a male librarian who had booktalked The Gallagher Girl series to his school and he had emailed her to say it was the most popular book series at his all guy school. This was an example of men doing the work and challenging cultural norms and stereotypes.

At the end of the event the authors did a signing and The Teen got copies of several books signed for herself and we got a copy of the first Gallagher Girls book signed for Thing 2 (she’s almost old enough now for this series!). And, guess what? I got all the panelists to sign a copy of HOPE NATION to give away here to you all. So just do the Rafflecopter thing by Friday, March 2nd at Midnight to be entered to win a copy of HOPE NATION signed by Rose Brock, Ally Carter, Julie Murphy and Angie Thomas. Open to U.S. residents only please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway