In conjunction with our special exhibit Banned Books 250, we are hosting monthly banned books book clubs with the San Francisco Public Library. May 12: Discuss a classic dystopian novel that explores surveillance, power and resistance. George Orwell’s 1984 imagines a totalitarian society where truth is controlled and individuality is suppressed. Reflect on the novel’s themes and their continued relevance in today’s world. June 16: Discuss a powerful coming-of-age story set in 1950s San Francisco. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo follows a young Chinese American girl as she navigates identity, family expectations and first love against the backdrop of the Red Scare. Explore themes of belonging, secrecy and self-discovery in this award-winning novel. July 21: Experience racial prejudice through the eyes of Scout and Jem as they witness their father’s courageous defense of an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee won a Pulitzer Prize and is a modern American classic. Discover Lee’s narrative brilliance and warm humor in depicting racial and gender inequality and class distinctions. August 25: Discuss an award winning dystopian novel where the main character struggles with excessive controls on individual liberty and the banning and burning of books. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was written during the McCarthy era. It was motivated by Nazi book burnings, Soviet ideological suppression, and his concern that books could be burned in the US. Explore this book’s ongoing relevancy and prescience.