Westside Library - El Paso Public Library

A Matter of Days by Amber Kizer  In this young adult book, a disease called Blustar has killed almost everyone in the country. Sixteen-year-old Nadia and her brother, Rabbit, survived, thanks to their uncle's help. Now they must travel across the country, alone, to find safety. Along the way, they find a dog in need, an interesting young city man attempting to farm and many people who don't have their best interests at heart. This story has a lot of heart and it reads like a thriller. You never know if things are going to be OK for our heroes from one page to the next. They must face thieves, gangs, and the harsh environment itself to survive. Nadia and Rabbit are believable and likable characters and watching them overcome the obstacles in their way is a compelling read. Recommended for middle grade and up. Find A Matter of Days  at your library or read it as an eBook online !

Juneteenth is a holiday that was first celebrated spontaneously on June 19, 1865. The event marked the freedom of slaves in Texas. For many years afterwards, the day was celebrated annually in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma by African Americans. It became less popular in the Twentieth Century, but a revival took place during the Civil Rights Movement. Between 2002 and 2007, the holiday also saw a resurgence in popularity. The importance of Juneteenth is to celebrate the freedom of black people in America and to remember the roots of slavery. The holiday is not always celebrated on the 19th. In many places, the third Saturday of the month is used to celebrate the holiday. Many celebrations include the Akan saying, Sankofa , which means "retrieving the past is no taboo, thus say the ancestors." Find out more using the library's TexShare databases: Hume J, Arceneaux N. Public Memory, Cultural Legacy, and Press Coverage of the Juneteenth Revival .   Journalism

Director of the El Paso Public Libraries and the El Paso Public Library Association made plans to use a trailer for the location of the new Westside Library. The trailer had previously been used to house the Pavo Real Branch Library in Ysleta. Read more here: El Paso Herald-Post 16 June 1977

Boy Erased: A Memoir by Garrad Conley This book is truly beautiful. It's a meditation on family relationships, coming out and Christian faith. This true story describes a few years in the life of Garrad Conley, a preacher's son. He struggles with his faith and his homosexuality. He is able to successfully hide it for some time, but eventually he's outed and decides to go through "gay conversion therapy." The experiences he and his family go through are told in honest and beautiful prose. Garrad loves his family and his faith is important to him. He struggles to make everything right. Especially wonderful in this story is the touching relationship between Garrad and both his parents. He goes through a lot with his parents through this story and it's clear they are all trying to do what is right, even if their instincts lead them astray. I found this book to be heartbreaking and eventually hopeful. Garrad's story isn't unique: many other young