The League of Women Voters - Stanislas County (LWVSC) will welcome noted author Kirsten Miller as its guest for the May 6 meeting of the League Book Club series. The program will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the Nick Blom Salida Regional Library. The program is free and open to the public.
Miller, who says of herself, “I like causing (good) trouble, and I love poking bears,” will join the meeting via video conference. The springboard for the discussion will be Miller’s book, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books (2025). In the novel, unbeknownst to Lula Dean, self-appointed arbiter of morals, the book she wants banned from the public library shows up in her own Little Free Library, setting off a cascade of consequences among townspeople. Publishers Weekly called the book “(An) incisive comedy ... A clever send-up of book banners’ misplaced fears.”
Miller, a North Carolina native currently living in New York, is also the author of over a dozen middle grade and YA novels, including the acclaimed Kiki Strike books (which tell the tale of the delinquent girl geniuses who keep Manhattan safe), and “How to Lead a Life of Crime.” Her first adult novel, “The Change”, was a Good Morning America Book Club pick for May 2022.
Despite its comedic aspects, “Lula Dean” lends itself to serious discussion of our rights as Americans in a free society. LWVSC President Amy Wolfe said, “Free speech is a core tenet of American democracy. These days, we face heretofore unseen pressures and challenges to some of our most sacred rights. The book club format gives us the opportunity to expand our understanding of our 250-year-old experiment called ‘Democracy’ through reading and discussing books.”
Dr. Shannon Stevens of Stanislaus State will moderate the book discussion. Stevens is a professor of Journalism in the English Department and co-creator/co-director of Creative Media. In that role she serves as the adviser for csusignal.com, the student news on campus, and teaches a number of related courses including Freedom of Speech and Press and Digital Media Storytelling. In addition, Stanislaus County Librarian Sarah Dentan will review the Library’s policy that addresses book challenges.
While the program is free, participants are asked to register to attend at https://bit.ly/4bi9jGw. The Nick Blom Salida Regional Library is at 4835 Sisk Road, Salida. For more information, call 209-840-8825.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
