One Book | One Minnesota Program announces its next title: What Lolo Wants
Great River Regional Library is participating in the fifteenth chapter of One Book | One Minnesota. This statewide book club invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. The title for the program is What Lolo Wants by Cristina Oxtra. Presented in partnership with State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, the program aims to bring Minnesotans together and highlight the role of libraries as community connectors.
From March 9 through May 3, Minnesotans will be invited to read the featured book selection, access reading guides, and participate in virtual book club discussions through their local libraries.
Readers can access the ebook for free on EBooks Minnesota for eight weeks. Click here to start reading the ebook. (There is no wait time or limit! Start reading now!)
In addition to the digital format, hard copies of the book will be available in the Great River Regional Library catalog. Request your copy from the catalog.
Reading with your book club? Reading and discussion guides are available to use on the One Book One Minnesota website.
All Minnesotans are invited to participate in a statewide discussion with the author of the book:
Virtual Author Conversation
Tuesday, April 29 | 10:00 a.m.
Conversation with Cristina Oxtra
Free and open to the public | Register for free here
About the Book
Maria loves to spend her days drawing with her grandfather, Lolo. But when Lolo begins to forget things, Maria must come up with a creative way to figure out what Lolo wants. This story is based on Cristina's experience with her grandfather when he became ill and began to lose his memory.
About the Author
Cristina Oxtra earned an MFA in creative writing for children and young adults and a BA in journalism. She writes picture books, chapter books, middle-grade, and graphic novels. Her picture book, What Lolo Wants, is a 2025 Minnesota Book Awards Finalist and Society of Midland Authors Awards Honoree. She earned a 2025 McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowship Honorable Mention and received the Mirrors & Windows Fellowship at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she has served as a teaching artist. A Filipino American and part of MN BIPOC Kidlit Creators, Cristina is a former journalist, former educator, an Air Force veteran, and public relations professional.
About One Book | One Minnesota
One Book | One Minnesota is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, in partnership with State Library Services and sponsored by Blaze Credit Union. Program partners also include AmazeWorks, Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators; Kids Can Press; Mackin VIA; Minitex; and the Minnesota Department of Education. This program is made possible in part through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature to The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. The program is also funded in part by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Midwest Region program, managed by Illinois State University. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress. Links to resources and more information can be found at thefriends.org/onebook.
About The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is the Library of Congress-designated Center for the Book in Minnesota. As our state’s Center for the Book, The Friends promotes reading, literacy, libraries, and books statewide. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1945, The Friends acts as a catalyst for libraries to strengthen and inspire their communities. The Friends invests in the Saint Paul Public Library through fundraising, advocacy, and programming; as a result, our Library is a nationally-recognized leader in serving its community. The Friends also serves libraries across the country through its consulting services, Library Strategies. For more information, contact The Friends at 651-222-3242 or visit thefriends.org.
About Minnesota State Library Services
State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
About Ebooks Minnesota
Ebooks Minnesota is an online ebook collection for all Minnesotans. The collection covers a wide variety of subjects for readers of all ages, and features content from our state's independent publishers, including some of our best literature and nonfiction. Ebooks Minnesota is a joint project of Minitex and the Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services. It is hosted on the Mackin VIA platform, which helps provide barrier-free access to everyone in Minnesota. The collection was made possible in part by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.