All LA County Library locations will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Our Digital Library is open 24/7.
Author Kwame Alexander offers educators, parents and children a tool to learn through storytelling about a pivotal and challenging part of American history, with his new release An American Story.
Through lyrical writing and stunning illustrations, this powerful picture book tells the story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher who is struggling to help her students understand its place in history. An American Story and The Door of No Return are recommended for ages 8+
Books will be on sale during the event in partnership with Pages: A Bookstore.
About the Author
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher, and New York Times bestselling author of 37
books, including the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book The
Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the Newbery medal-winning novel, The Crossover (a
forthcoming TV series on Disney+), and Becoming Muhammad Ali, co-authored with James
Patterson. He is also a regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition.
About the Artist
Dare Coulter (she/her) is an award-winning artist, muralist, and sculptor whose primary artistic
objective is to create positive imagery of black people and families. She lives in North Carolina
but intends to have a global presence by installing sculptures depicting black joy around the
world.
This event is held in-person. LA County Public Health strongly encourages masks and physical distancing indoors regardless of vaccination status. Masks will continue to be available for customers upon request.
AGE GROUP: | Teens | Children | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | History, Society, & Culture | Education & Literacy | Books, Poetry, & Writing |
Manhattan Beach Library was started as a subscription library in 1910 by the Neptunian Women's Club of Manhattan Beach.
The library became part of LA County Library in January 1915, making it one of the oldest continuing libraries in the county system. The library moved into a separate building in 1957 and to its current location in 1975. In 2013, construction began on a new more modern building that would meet the needs of the 35,000 residents in the 3.87 square mile community.
On May 1, 2015 the new 21,500 square foot building designed by architectural firm Johnson Favaro opened. It features a two-story modern design with panoramic ocean views, an interactive children's exhibit, fireplace, automated materials handling system, and self-check machines
