History of
Previous Hastings Reads Themes
2007: Families and Racism: Stories of Hardship and Strength
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by Christine King Farris
2008: The Environment
Field Guide from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Planet Patrol by Marybeth Lorbecki
2009: The Stories We Tell
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
The Legend of Minnesota by Kathy-jo Wargin
2010: Minnesota Charm
Leaving Home by Garrison Keillor
Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver
Up North at the Cabin by Marsha Wilson Chall
2011: Coming to America: The Immigrant Experience
Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Little Cricket by Jackie Brown
My Name is Sangoel by Karen Williams
2012: The Civil War: Why We Remember
The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
Iron Thunder by Avi
B is for Battle Cry by Patricia Bauer
2013: It's a Dog's Life
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
On the Road by Lucy Nolan
Emmy of Whistling Well Farm by Charlie Johnson
2014: Bounce: Stories of Resilience
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg
2015: Journeys: Riding the Orphan Trains
Orphan Train: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline
Rodzina by Karen Cushman
Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting
2016: Making Connections
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Emmy and the Rude Rooster by Charlie Johnson
2017: The Japanese American Experience
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Dust of Eden by Mariko Nagai
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai
2018: Refugee Voices
The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Their Great Gift by John Coy and Wing Young Huie
2019: All Are Welcome
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Posted by John David Anderson
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Spaghetti in a Hotdog Bun by Maria Dismondy
2020: Speaking, Listening, and the Space In Between
Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson
Say Something! by Peter Reynolds
2021: A Good Time for the Truth
A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota edited by Sun Yung Shin
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson
2022: Native American Voices - Celebration and Resilience
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Indian No More by Charlene Willing Mcmanis and Traci Sorell
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard
2023: Identity - Being Truly You
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer de Leon
Stunt Boy in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds
Jellybeans by Kiersten Hall
2024: It's Going to be Okay
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Drapper
Looking for Happy by Ty Chapman