Read Woke is a movement created by school librarian Cicely Lewis, to better educate her students in social justice issues and their rights in relation to those issues.

We want to carry on Cicely Lewis’ work and legacy here in Halton Hills. Our goal is to inspire our community by amplifying and uplifting a wide range of diverse authors and #ownvoices literature. We will touch on a variety of topics and hope to ignite some productive conversations in our community!

What does it mean to be 'woke'
'Woke' is a term from the African-American vernacular expression 'stay woke', which means to stay aware of social justice issues needing to be addressed, such as racism, misogyny, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination. 
What is a 'woke' book

In order for a book to be 'woke', it must:

  • Challenge a social norm
  • Tell the side of the oppressed
  • Provide information about a group that has been disenfranchised
  • Seek to challenge the status quo
  • Shed light on an issue that many may not perceive as being an issue 

Read Woke Challenge

The Halton Hills Public Library invites you to take part in the Read Woke Challenge! Simply choose a book from one of 12 categories using the recommended reading lists or find one on your own. This is an ongoing community challenge, so you can start whenever you want and complete it at your own pace. View our Read Woke Challenge page for more details. 

To read more about the history of Read Woke, browse Cicely’s blog.