1book 1community  Reading Program

Maybe He Just Likes You picked for 2022

Loudoun County Public Library is excited to announce the selection of Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee for the annual 1book 1community program. This award-winning story revolves around seventh-grader Mila, and is an absorbing, timely and relevant read about speaking up for yourself and finding your voice.

Free copies of Maybe He Just Likes You are available in branches beginning in September while supplies last, or you can access the eBook or audiobook instantly on our Libby app through Saturday, Nov. 5.

What: Presentation and Q&A with Barbara Dee
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2 p.m.
Where: Brambleton Middle School
Admission: This event is free and open to the public. Admission is first-come, first-served.

For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop during a surprise birthday celebration. The next day, it’s another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels … weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like?

But the boys don’t leave Mila alone. On the bus. In the halls. During band practice — the one place Mila could always escape. It doesn’t feel like flirting — so what is it?

Thanks to a chance meeting, Mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. Slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, Mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others — and herself.

1book 1community is Loudoun County Public Library’s annual countywide reading program that promotes community dialogue and understanding through the shared experience of reading and discussing the same book.

The program is made possible by the Irwin Uran Gift Fund. The Irwin Uran Gift Fund was established in 1999 through a $1 million gift from the philanthropist Irwin Uran. Mr. Uran’s gift to the Loudoun County Public Library supports the purchase of materials and programs that “create better understanding between all people.” Irwin Uran died in 2007 leaving a legacy of humanitarian contributions that has affected the lives of thousands of people.

Adult Book Discussions

Gum Spring Library, Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.
Middleburg Library, Monday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
Rust Library, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 1:30 p.m.
Cascades Library, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
Rust Library, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
Lovettsville Library, Monday, Nov. 28, 1 p.m.

Adult and Teen Book Discussions

Purcellville Library, Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
Ashburn Library, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m.

Teen Book Discussion

Gum Spring Library, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 5 p.m.

Grade 5-7 Book Club

Brambleton Library, Monday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.

Grade 4-5 Book Club

Cascades Library, Monday, Oct. 24, 4 p.m.

Self-Defense Basics

Rust Library, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2 p.m.

Martial Arts Mania

Brambleton Library, Thursday, Sept. 22, 4 p.m.
Cascades Library, Thursday, Oct. 13, 4 p.m.

Healthy Boundaries for Better Relationships

Rust Library, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.

Empowerment: Karate History and Lesson

Ashburn Library, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

Barbara Dee is the author of 12 middle grade novels, including Violets Are Blue, Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet, My Life in the Fish Tank, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, N.Y.