The CASA Book Club will meet Sept. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the CASA of Lexington office to discuss “The Car Thief" by Vicki Reed.

Reed is currently the executive-director of the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Initiative, an advocacy group whose goals included ending the practice of mandatory waiver to adult court and banning the detention of status offenders. She serves on the local Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). She is a former Juvenile Justice Commissioner for the state of Kentucky.

Reed will be attending the book club discussion to talk about her book and answer questions.

Register to attend using the button below. This book club meeting is worth 2 hours of CEU credit. You may also earn up to 4 hours toward your annual required CEUs by reading the book.

Book Summary from the author

Meet Sam Murry. He lives a quiet, orderly existence, alone—just how he likes it. But when a judge sends a skinny, young kid to be in his charge, that life gets turned inside out, leaving his heart uncomfortably and irretrievably exposed.

What happens when not just a decent kid, but an extraordinary one falls into the clutches of the juvenile justice system? Debut novelist, Vicki Reed, relies on decades spent working in the field to craft this inspiring story of loss and redemption. A powerful novel that shows how the transformative power of friendship, kindness, and love can heal the deepest wounds.

Copies of “The Car Thief” are available from the CASA lending library at the Lexington office, 3245 Loch Ness Dr. Copies are also available from the Fayette, Bourbon, Woodford and Jessamine public libraries. Information for purchasing “The Car Thief” is available on the author’s website.

The next CASA Book Club discussion will be for the book, “Misplaced Childhood” by Joan Ulsher. The discussion will be held 6-8 p.m. Feb. 5 at the CASA of Lexington office, 3245 Loch Ness Dr. in Lexington.

Ulsher will join the discussion from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom for a question-and-answer session.

“Misplaced Childhood” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Shop and as an e-book for Kindle. You can find links to purchase the book at joanulsher.com.

“Misplaced Childhood” description

After foster care, Joan is returned home and subjected to more abuse. How can she be saved?

Misplaced Childhood chronicles one woman’s powerful journey to overcome a tragic past and use her “lived experiences” to inspire others. Wounded by poverty, child abuse, and foster care, Joan Ulsher discovers a purpose-filled life through military service and faith in God. This transformational journey of survival and triumph ultimately leads Joan to become a fierce volunteer advocate for children in foster care, despite not having a dedicated advocate as a child herself. Misplaced Childhood introduces readers to the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) model, where Joan continues exploring childhood memories while highlighting her exceptional advocacy journey shaped by the children whose lives are impacted along the way.

With its candid look at child welfare and advocacy alongside a personal narrative of healing, Misplaced Childhood opens up new levels of compassion for children suffering from abuse and neglect. Impeccably researched and told with great transparency, empathy, and vulnerability, Misplaced Childhood will inspire readers to embrace the vulnerable inner child in us all and take action for America’s forgotten children.

This book contains language about family dysfunction and generational trauma.