One Book Baltimore
One Book Baltimore provides opportunities for Baltimore City 7th and 8th graders, their families, and community members to connect through literature by reading the same book.
One Book Baltimore is a collaboration among several local organizations to provide opportunities for Baltimore City 7th and 8th graders, their families, and community members to connect through literature by reading the same book. Discussions and programming will be held across the city this fall to spark conversations in our community.
Onyx & Beyond
Our fall 2024 book is Onyx & Beyond, by Amber McBride. Onyx, a young boy, lives with his mother, who is showing signs of early-onset dementia. As Onyx tries to keep his life together and get his mother the help she needs, the Civil Rights movement is accelerating. Onyx dreams of becoming an astronaut and exploring space, where none of these challenges will follow him.
Based on the author’s own father’s story of growing up in the 1960s and facing the same challenge with his mother, award-winning author Amber McBride delivers another affecting depiction of being young and Black in America.
Read or Listen to the BookAmber McBride
Amber McBride is currently an assistant professor at the University of Virginia. She received her BA in English from James Madison University in 2010 and acquired her MFA in Poetry from Emerson College in 2012. She also taught English Composition, English Literature and Poetry Composition at James Madison University, Strayer University and Northern Virginia Community College.
Amber is the former media assistant at The Furious Flower Poetry Center where she worked putting together programs and readings to honor African American poets and writers including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Nikki Giovanni.
One Book Baltimore Spring 2025
Check back for news about upcoming One Book Baltimore and to learn more about our Spring 2025 One Book Baltimore selection, My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen.
Upcoming One Book Baltimore Events
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Join us for a month of trivia about your favorite anime shows. Find out who knows the most about theme songs, character designs…January 9, 3:30 PM -
Build the baddest robot in the land and battle in the arena for title of Top Bot. Individuals and Teams (max 3 team…January 30, 3 PM
A Community Collaboration
One Book Baltimore is a collaboration between the Enoch Pratt Free Library, T. Rowe Price Foundation, and Baltimore City Public Schools.
Browse the Catalog
Browse available materials in the Pratt Library catalog.
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