AUBURN — The Auburn Public Library has been selected to receive a competitive grant from the American Library Association to host a reading and discussion program designed for at-risk teens.

As one of the 50 Great Stories Club grant recipients selected from across the country, the library, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn Clubhouse, will work with a group of six to 10 teens to read and discuss modern novels.

“The teenage years are a particularly difficult time for many, and it’s easy to become insular and detached from the people and ideas around you,” said Donna Wallace, teen librarian at the library and project director for the Great Stories Club. “I’m excited that, with support from the Great Stories Club program, we are offering our teens a new avenue in which to read, share and reflect on ideas that are relevant to their lives.”

Under the theme “Hack the Feed: Media, Resistance, Revolution,” participants will read three titles: “Feed” by M.T. Anderson, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, and “March: Book One” by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell.

The titles, selected by librarian advisers and humanities scholars, were chosen to resonate with reluctant teen readers who struggle with complex issues. Through book discussions and activities, participants will reflect on what part the media plays in shaping who we are and how we interact with one another.

The library will receive copies of each of the three book selections for participants to keep. Gatherings of the Great Stories Club at the library will begin in January.

FMI: [email protected], 207-333-6640, ext. 4.