What is the What

One of my favorite citywide programs is One Book, One Philadelphia. During the beginning of 2008, everybody in the city will read about and discuss the same book.

This year, the selection is "What is the What," by Dave Eggers. It's a story of Valentino, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. After escaping the massacre of his town, he survives a trek through southern Sudan, grows up in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, and made his way to the United States.

It is a powerful story. We've been telling students about One Book, One Philadelphia, and many of them have taken interest. They wanted to know more about the story of the Lost Boys, which we did by discussing "What is the What" and its companion book "Brothers in Hope." Some of them even took "What is the What" home to read, which is remarkable since the book is over 500 pages long.

Along with our activities at the school, we're also planning an event at the local library branch for One Book, One Philadelphia. The featured speaker will be a Lost Boy who is also a long-distance runner. We've also invited students to submit their own pieces about their immigrant experiences, which will be performed at the event. The space will also feature student artwork that Mary has selected.

I've been reading the students' stories, and some of them are really eye-opening. We're looking to post them online after the event.