Mercury Column

Books for Teaching Our Children about 9/11

by Crystal Hicks, Collections Librarian

I was in eighth grade when 9/11 happened. I remember my teacher abruptly switching the TV to live coverage of the Twin Towers, and it seemed like time stopped as we were all engrossed in the unfolding tragedy. Even as a teen in Kansas, I could tell 9/11 had a profound effect on America in so many ways: Americans united, Americans divided, terrorism emerged, Islamophobia increased, a war began, and the world felt less safe.

As a new parent, I find it unimaginable that my child could know nothing of 9/11 and its impact, and yet, she currently does. For her, September 11, 2001, is as distant as 1969 is for me (which I hear was a pivotal year, though it always seemed like ancient history). Fortunately, there are many books coming out that explain 9/11 and its ramifications for youth of all ages, which I can share with her as she gets older.

Books for the youngest readers soften the tragedy of 9/11 by focusing on the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree that survived the collapse of the towers and was replanted at the memorial in 2011. Sean Rubin’s “This Very Tree” follows the attacks and their aftermath from the perspective of the tree, first buried under rubble, then rehabilitated in the Bronx. “Branches of Hope,” written by Ann Magee and illustrated by Nicole Wong, pairs the tree’s story with that of a family whose daughter grows up to join the NYFD. Marcie Colleen’s “Survivor Tree,” illustrated by Aaron Becker, follows the tree through the seasons, emphasizing hope as the tree continues to grow despite its near-death experience. These books avoid graphic imagery, allowing adults to explain the attacks on their own, with the opportunity to provide as much or as little detail as their individual children can handle.

A number of books for older readers more explicitly depict the events of 9/11, providing multiple perspectives. Lauren Tarshis’s graphic novel “I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001,” illustrated by Corey Egbert, goes to the heart of 9/11 and follows a firefighter’s son searching for his father amidst the chaos that followed the attacks. For a more comprehensive account of 9/11, read Don Brown’s “In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers,” which includes graphic illustrations of the attacks themselves, the long and hazardous rescue operations, and the subsequent war in Afghanistan. Alan Gratz’s “Ground Zero” interweaves the story of a 9-year-old boy surviving the attack on the North Tower with the story of an Afghan girl on September 11, 2019, who saves the life of an American soldier, making her family a target for the Taliban. Finally, Alyssa Bermudez bases “Big Apple Diaries” on her own diaries of growing up in New York, so her graphic memoir accessibly blends the trauma of 9/11 with the ups and downs of everyday life.

Other recent books choose to focus on the long-reaching aftermath of 9/11 and can help explain the profound impact the attacks had on both the United States and Afghanistan. In “Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab,” by Priya Huq, Bangladeshi-American Nisrin is the victim of a hate crime for wearing a headscarf in 2002; because of the attack, Nisrin decides to learn more about Islam and wear hijab, against the wishes of her family. Coauthors Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy base “Enduring Freedom” on their own friendship, writing of a young American soldier who meets and befriends an Afghan teen in 2003. Tahereh Mafi’s “An Emotion of Great Delight” also takes place in 2003, centered on Iranian-American Shadi, who’s struggling under the weight of familial tragedy, an estranged best friend, and a potential romance, not to mention the constant Islamophobia she experiences at school. Leaving the realm of historical fiction, Saadia Faruqi’s “Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero” takes place in 2021, as twelve-year-old Yusuf learns about how 9/11 impacted his family at the time while also facing local opposition to building a mosque in his hometown.

I may not have to teach my child about 9/11 for several years, but it’s a comfort to know that these books, and others yet to be written, will be on hand to help explain such a pivotal event in American history.

Dystopia, the Future Gone Wrong

By Jennifer Bergen, Program & Children’s Services Manager

Dystopian fiction is a popular genre in books as well as movies and TV, from “The Hunger Games” to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and we seem to enjoy getting sucked into these terrifying worlds gone awry. It can be difficult to understand the appeal, especially when the dystopia is linked so closely to our reality that it doesn’t take much to imagine it could really happen. Some people view dystopian stories as cautionary tales – make sure this doesn’t happen to your world!

In September, the library launches a new community-wide reading program, ReadMHK, aimed at building connections through reading and sharing experiences with one another. Our first month of reading “together” will focus on dystopian fiction. We invite the community to join the ReadMHK reading challenge online and read a dystopian book this month. Each month from now until May 2022 will have a different theme with diverse reading lists of recommended titles, monthly book discussions, podcasts and even some prizes for participants.

Here are a few ideas for this month:

Librarian Jan Johnson recommends “The Marrow Thieves” by Cherie Dimaline, which is also the K-State First Book choice for this school year. Dimaline masterfully tells the story of 15-year-old Frenchie who, along with other indigenous survivors of North America, is one of the only humans left with the ability to dream. In a world ravaged by climactic and environmental chaos, Frenchie and his family search for others like themselves, while avoiding the “recruiters” who would harvest them for their marrow. Beautiful and heartbreaking, Dimaline’s tale draws parallels between this dystopian world and the historical treatment of indigenous people in residential schools.

If you haven’t already given into the hype around “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel, it’s time, says YA librarian Rashael Apuya. The book starts with a bang – an actor dies onstage while performing in a production of King Lear. A man starts buying up all of the bottled water he can find before holing up in his apartment. There are rumors of people being infected with a disease that is extremely contagious. Within hours of the actor’s death, most of the population is dead. Fifteen years later, a theater troupe called the “Traveling Symphony” travels the Great Lakes region and performs Shakespeare for what is left of the population. This harrowing novel covers the fall of civilization, human connection in a post-apocalyptic world, and the power of art.

Children’s librarian Hannah Atchison suggests a favorite of hers, the 1985 Nebula award-winning “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. Ender is an eight-year-old boy who has been recruited to join a special army training academy in space. Ender is bullied, but spends his time there learning how to move in zero gravity, how to design creative battle strategies, the importance of forming alliances, and the even more critical skill of compassion. If you liked the movie, you will love the book!

I read “The Fog Diver” by Joel Ross with my son, and we were drawn in by the plausible concept of a world overwhelmed by pollution and a deadly “fog,” making it inhabitable by humans. In Ross’s tale, people now live in the highest peaks or on platforms that seem to float in the sky, with steampunk-style airships used to commute between cities and junkyards. The main character, 13-year-old Chess, sticks with a small gang of kids, known as scavengers, and their beloved Mrs. E, who has the life-threatening fogsickness. Their only hope is to take Chess fog diving, dropping him down to the surface by a long cord to search for treasures they can exchange for getting Mrs. E. what she needs to survive.

The library is planning some in-person programs this fall, following good safety practices of masks and distancing. On Tuesday, September 21, readers can gather at the library to share about dystopian books they have enjoyed and have a relaxing evening focused on our favorite pastime – reading! ReadMHK book discussions will continue on the 3rd Tuesdays each month. I can’t wait to get some more good book recommendations from others.

“The Personal Librarian” By Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: A Review

by Marcia Allen, Collection Services Librarian

Belle da Costa Greene. While few may have recognized that name, now a wonderful new piece of historical fiction highlights the woman’s remarkable career. I am alluding to “The Personal Librarian,” a novel co-authored by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. It is based on the life and career of Belle, who began her work at Princeton University but moved on to a position as J. Pierpont Morgan’s private librarian. From there, she earned the esteemed position of first director of the Pierpont Morgan Library, a position she held for over forty years.

Remarkable achievement? Absolutely. Belle was a woman in what was considered a man’s world of acquiring valuable manuscripts and rare books. She developed a reputation as a shrewd assessor and dealer and attended international auctions at Morgan’s behest. Together, she and Morgan built a world-famous collection of rare books, as well as documentation and cataloguing to accompany it.

Even more stunning is Belle’s racial background. Belle’s father was an African American educator and activist who graduated from Harvard. Belle’s mother, hoping to provide advantages for herself and her children, identified the family as Portuguese rather than Black, thus avoiding racial barriers. Belle’s father was greatly offended by this misrepresentation and gradually distanced himself from the family. Belle, however, followed her mother’s wishes, as well as her mother’s determination that the girl become a great scholar. Throughout her life, Belle hid her racial background and carefully guarded her personal life.

What do authors Benedict and Murray offer in their fictional account of Belle’s life? First of all, they adhere to factual accounts of events in Belle’s life. They rely heavily on Heidi Ardizzone’s biography of Belle entitled “An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene’s Journey from Prejudice to Privilege.” In researching that book and others, they learned how Morgan gradually began to trust Belle, sending her to auctions at his request and celebrating her acquisitions of treasured works. They learned of Belle’s affair with the married art historian, Bernard Berenson. They learned of Belle’s awkward relationship with Morgan’s daughter Anne, who may have discovered that Belle was Black, but who also had secrets of her own due to her lesbian relationships.

Beyond the careful research, the authors do a wonderful job of bringing Belle’ personality to life. That first interview with the gruff J.P. Morgan shows us a young woman who is not only knowledgeable about rare books, but who is also confident of her skills and not intimidated by Morgan’s reputation. Further interactions with wealthy personalities of the times demonstrate her grace and conversational ease. She quickly adapts to the expectations of the upper class and convinces the wealthy she is Morgan’s worthy emissary.

Some of the best sections of this book demonstrate her spunk. When Morgan’s daughter Anne tries to intimidate Belle with references to some kind of Greene family background in the tropics, Belle assures her that this is not so and also tells Anne she has ignored rumors of Anne’s friendship with a notorious character. When Belle learns that her lover Bernard Berenson had shared her secret Morgan collection plans with unethical art dealers, she accuses him of treachery and leaves him. Thus, the authors create memorable scenes in which Belle proves her strength of character.

To be sure, some of the scenes in the book have taken liberties with facts. This is because Belle destroyed her personal correspondence when she was older, and she asked Berenson to do the same. But Berenson kept the correspondence the couple shared, and much information about their lives is to be learned from his letters. As is often the case, Benedict and Murray present the facts that they learned and flesh out the story for a riveting narrative.

This fascinating novel is the product of a splendid collaboration between two gifted writers. Don’t miss this account of one determined woman’s journey to overcome terrible barriers and preserve history.

Coming-of-Age Stories

by Rashael Apuya, Teen Services Librarian

Being a tween is kind of the worst. You are discovering who you are, what your values are, and how you relate to others. On top of all that, things tend to happen that are out of your control, like your parents getting divorced, or moving away from all of your friends. The combination of these internal and external stressors causes you to look at the world in a new way, and it can feel isolating when you feel like you’re going through all of this stress and change alone. When I was a tween, I often turned to books with characters who were going through similar situations. Luckily, there are more stories like that now than ever – they are referred to as coming-of-age stories.

When I say coming-of-age stories, you might immediately think of titles like “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, or “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. Those are classics for a reason, but literature for young people has come a long way from social class drama and teen angst. There’s still plenty of that, but written in a way that is more accessible for young people, while portraying issues tweens are facing in 2021.  Authors from various cultures, backgrounds, and circumstances are writing stories that modern tweens and teens can relate to. Here are some coming-of-age stories that I highly recommend for readers of all ages:

“King and the Dragonflies” by Kacen Callender follows 12-year-old Kingston (King) James, as he and his family are dealing with the recent loss of his older brother, Khalid. Handling all of this grief would be a lot easier if he was still talking to his best friend, Sandy Sanders. They stopped being friends after Khalid overheard Sandy tell King a secret – he might be gay – and advised King not to be his friend anymore. “You don’t want anyone to think you’re gay too, do you?” When Sandy goes missing, and King finds him in his backyard, King is confronted with a decision – keep Sandy hidden as the town searches for him, or tell his parents where Sandy has been this whole time? Khalid’s words still haunt King, but he misses his best friend and wants to keep him safe from a dangerous home situation.

If you’re interested in a modern story that will teach you something about recent Native American history, “I Can Make This Promise” by Christine Day is a great choice. It follows Edie, who loves to make movies with her friends. Edie doesn’t know much about her own heritage, except that her mother is Native American and her father is white. Her mother was adopted by white parents and has never talked to Edie about her culture or birth family. One day, when her two best friends are at Edie’s house to talk about a film they’re making for a competition, they go to the attic looking for some popsicle molds. Instead, they stumble upon a box full of pictures of a Native American woman that looks like Edie, and letters signed “Love, Edith.” Who is this Edith? And why has Edie never heard of her?

In “Efrén Divided” by Ernesto Cisneros, Efrén Nava is the child of parents who are undocumented. His Amá and Apá work long hours to support the family. Efrén, and his siblings Max and Mía are all American-born, but Efrén is always worried about the family being separated. There have been more and more ICE raids in his neighborhood, and one of his classmates’ parents were just deported, leaving her alone in America. Efrén’s nightmare becomes reality when his Amá doesn’t come home from work one day. She has been deported to Tijuana, and now their father has to find a way to support the family by himself.  Efrén is willing to do anything to get his Amá back, even go to Tijuana by himself to find her.

You can find these and similar titles in the Young Adult Middle School Collection, and on our Coming-of-Age Stories display that is up right now in our Young Adult section.

Finding Inspiration in Children’s Books

by Jared Richards, Learning and Information Services Supervisor

Once upon a time, I decided I was going to draw a tree every day, and I haven’t missed a day yet. I now have over two hundred drawings and what amounts to a part-time job, because some of the drawings take more than five hours. This is caused by a mix of inexperience and trying to draw more complex ideas in an attempt to keep things interesting. Occasionally, these ideas come to me without much effort, but I have recently found myself leaning more heavily on external inspiration.

One of the best sources for this is children’s books. They are often filled with beautiful illustrations, from simple line drawings with flat colors to highly detailed drawings with varied textures and complex shading.

Chris Van Allsburg began his art career as a sculptor but is probably best known for his books “The Polar Express” and “Jumanji.” His first book, “The Garden of Abdul Gasazi,” features black-and-white illustrations drawn with a charcoal pencil, and they look amazing. The entrance to the garden features an ivy wall with countless leaves meticulously drawn to the point of just looking like a photograph with a grainy filter. Throughout the book, there are also numbers of different trees, both coniferous and deciduous, featuring basic tree shapes in the background and more realistic trees in the foreground that you can easily imagine rustling in a breeze.

“Anno’s Journey,” by Mitsumasa Anno, is based on the author’s own travels in Europe and is filled with finely detailed pen-and-ink with watercolor illustrations. It is purely a picture book, no words, and every time you flip through the pages, you’re bound to find something new because each page is packed with activity and really gives the sense of a living world. This book pre-dates “Where’s Waldo?” but I kept expecting to find him peeking out front behind a building because it has that same investigative feel.

One of my new favorite illustrators is Erin Stead, who often teams up with her husband, author Philip Stead. “A Sick Day for Amos McGee” features a combination of woodblock printing for color and pencil for detail. She starts by carving out the shapes she wants color for, like the animals, in blocks of wood. Paint is applied to the carved wood, and the blocks are used like stamps on the page. Stead then adds detail and creates the scene itself with pencil drawings. It’s a really cool effect, especially when you can see the woodgrain in the color.

For another one of their books, “Bear Has A Story to Tell,” Stead created her own paint by grinding up chalk pastels and mixing them with water. This creates an interesting textured look for the illustrations, which she again penciled on top to add detail.

The grass is always greener on the other side, so sometimes I like to entertain the idea of becoming an illustrator, conveniently ignoring all the time and effort required, and the stress that can come with creativity. To help feed these entertainments, we have two practical books at the library that have helped me explore this imagined future. In “Illustration that Works,” Greg Houston covers everything from what an illustrator is, the different mediums that are used to create illustrations, tips and tricks, and even includes exercises like designing a book cover or drawing a portrait.

“How to be An Illustrator” by Darrel Rees dives into the specifics of topics like preparing a portfolio, promoting yourself, and explaining how to create an invoice for your work. My favorite part, however, is that it is filled with interviews with illustrators and art directors, so instead of getting one perspective on what it is like to be an illustrator, you’re getting over a dozen.

Lastly, sometimes the best inspiration is to actually see someone create art, not just looking at the final product printed on a page. This gives you a greater appreciation for the process and proves that it is actually doable by human hands, with a lot of practice.

CreativeBug is a great online resource for this, that is available free through Manhattan Public Library. You’ll find full classes, like “Drawing and Illustration Basics” with Heather Ross and “Daily Observations: Drawing Objects from Life” with Mou Saha. They also have a collection of live videos during which they sit down with artists like Lisa Congdon and George McCalman, and create art while having a conversation or cover interesting techniques like adding salt to watercolor paintings, who would have thought?

LGBTQ+ Fantasy

By Alex Urbanek, Library Assistant 2

I have been passionate about fantasy stories for years, and especially more so since the pandemic. Being stuck inside, it has been wonderful to escape into magical and fantastical worlds. In particular, I’ve made it my mission to read more fantasy titles by LGBTQ+ authors, many of which have LGBTQ+ protagonists, and I have found some fantastic stories. Whether they’re contemporary fantasy with hints of realism, or high fantasy that happens to have queer characters, fantasy is finally showcase characters with a variety of genders and sexualities.

“Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas is the story of Yadriel, a transgender brujo who is struggling to prove he belongs among his traditional Latinx family. After completing the ritual to become a brujo, Yadriel summons a ghost to banish as proof, but soon becomes stuck with easily-excited and troublesome Julian. As Yadriel tries to help Julian understand what killed him, running behind the backs of his family, he begins to feel connected to Julian in a way he never expected.

Working as a Case Worker for the Department of Magical Youth, Linus Baker lives his life by the book. He follows the rules and regulations of his job to a T and has a quiet home life with his cat Calliope.  In “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune, Linus is charged by Extremely Upper Management to travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, a high security orphanage that few know about, and decide if it’s worth keeping open. Within the orphanage, he finds several children (a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the 6-year-old Antichrist), as well as the caretaker, effortlessly charming Arthur Parnassus. Linus has been given one month to fill out his paperwork and decide if the home should be shut down or if this crazy little family should be allowed to stay together.

Anna-Marie McLemore is easily one of my favorite writers; their magical realist books combine young love, LGBTQ+ struggles, and the beauty of magic throughout. The first book I read by them was “When the Moon Was Ours.” Miel is a young girl with roses growing out of her wrist, and rumors say she appeared out of the water tower when she was five. Her best friend Sam paints lit-up moons to hang in trees and keeps his history before moving to town a secret. Even though most kids find Miel and Sam weird, even they keep their distance from the Bonner girls, four sisters rumored to be witches. When the Bonner sisters decide that Miel’s roses can make anyone fall in love, they’re determined to get the roses no matter what it takes.

For something with a more classic fantasy feel, “Girls of Paper and Fire” by Natasha Ngan is a great read. Within this story, Lei, a member of the lowest caste, is chosen to be one of eight Paper Girls selected to serve the king. However, this year, instead of eight girls, there are nine. The king has heard of Lei’s beauty and her golden eyes and sends his guards to retrieve her. Once in the castle, Lei has weeks of training with the eight other girls to learn what it is to be a king’s consort. However, during her training she ends up falling into a forbidden romance.

Charlie Jane Anders’s “All the Birds in the Sky” has a curious mix of sci-fi and fantasy. From childhood, we follow the stories of Patricia Delfine, a witch, and Laurence Armstead, a genius and slightly-mad scientist. Once childhood friends, they have grown into adulthood in very different environments. Patricia has worked at magic school and now travels with a small band of magicians secretly righting wrongs. Laurence has worked his way up within a tech company that is determined to save humanity with space trouble or end it by trying. While both are trying to help the world in their respective ways, they find their way back to each other with the help of a mysterious force. Now they have to see who has the right idea to fix the world, and if it can even be fixed.

If any of these titles got you in the mood to read some great fantasy, all of these books, and many more can be found at the Manhattan Library!

You Are Not an Imposter
By Hannah Atchison, Children’s Librarian

The imposter phenomenon, sometimes known as imposter syndrome, is the feeling that you don’t belong or deserve a title. Any skills or accomplishments do not feel sufficient or deserved. This internalized self-doubt sits on my shoulders. And I know I’m not the only one.
When I was young, I used to devour books. When I got to college, I barely read for pleasure at all. In the last two years, I purposefully made more time for reading and felt a bit better. I was able to fight off the nagging thought that I couldn’t really be considered a ‘real’ librarian if I was only reading three chapter books a year. But then a new unpleasant thought appeared. Do audiobooks and graphic novels really ‘count’? Yes. They absolutely do. And our brains need a break. You need a break.
If you’re reading for fun, it’s supposed to be, well, fun. It doesn’t have to be another thing you have to cross off your list. It can be a time for reflection, mindfulness, or an escape or vacation if that is what you need. Here is a list of graphic novels and audiobooks that I have enjoyed, all of which count towards summer reading by the way!

• “Strange Planet” by Nathan Pyle. This is a graphic novel about humanoid alien creatures and their everyday life in our world. Their words for things and descriptions of tasks are quite humorous. There is an eBook available on Hoopla through the library’s online resources and a new picture book recently arrived about their cat called “The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature.”
• “Catana Comics” by Catana Chetwynd. These are about the life of a romantic couple and the way they experience the world together. “In Love and Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together”, “Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend”, and “Little Moments of Love” are all available as eComics on Hoopla.
• “The Tea Dragon Society” by Katie O’Neill. There are now three graphic novels in this series. Book 3 just arrived! These graphic novels are children’s fantasy. There are many types of dragons in these books. Book 1 focuses on the domesticated form of dragon called tea dragons. Tea dragons can be temperamental and challenging to look after, but once attached to a caregiver (dragons are not the only fantastical species in these books), they can produce teas that are infused with happy memories of their times with their loved ones. All three books are available at the library, and books 1 and 2 are also available on Hoopla.
• “Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson. These were my favorite graphic novels to read when I was little and I still enjoy them quite a bit. These are about a young boy named Calvin and his imaginary adventures with his best friend, a stuffed tiger, who in Calvin’s mind is very much alive, named Hobbes. The two of them get into all sorts of mischief. Most of these are in the children’s section, with the exception of “The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: a Calvin and Hobbes Treasury” in the adult graphic novels.
• “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill. This is a children’s fantasy story about a young girl who is rediscovering her magical abilities that have been hidden from her. The book and book on cd are in the children’s section, and the audiobook is available on Hoopla and Sunflower eLibrary through the library’s online resources.
• “Aru Shah and the End of Time” by Roshani Chokshi. This is book one in a children’s adventure series. If you enjoy mythology and magic, you will enjoy this story about a young girl in a fight against time and fate as she struggles to save the world and rescue her mother. The audiobook is available on Sunflower eLibrary.
• “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman. This book may be written for a middle-grade audience, but it can still scare the pants off you. If you like the movie, this is one of those rare cases where the movie actually did the book justice. The audiobook is available on Hoopla and Sunflower eLibrary.

Give yourself permission to relax. Reread an old favorite or find a fun new picture book. Remember: reading does not have to be hard and picture books are for everyone! Sit in your favorite chair or hammock. Grab a glass of tea or your preferred beverage and settle in.

Quilting Stories

by Rhonna Hargett, Associate Director of Learning & Information Services

Quilts are often associated with stories: sometimes the story is sewn into the quilt, and sometimes quilts are woven into the story.   So it is appropriate that the Manhattan Library Association collaborated with the Konza Prairie Quilt Guild, the Prairie Star Quilt Guild, and other creative library supporters to celebrate our “Tales & Tails” Summer Reading Program with a quilt raffle. Local quilters have used their talents to make a variety of designs, including Dr. Seuss, the Konza Prairie, dinosaurs, Eric Carle, and more. Purchase raffle tickets by the end of July for a chance to win one of these beautiful quilts. The proceeds will benefit literacy programs and projects at the library. While you’re waiting for the raffle, we have some great titles to keep you occupied.

We can’t talk about quilting books without discussing the “Elm Creek Quilts” series by Jennifer Chiaverini. Centered around Sylvia Bergstrom Compson and the quilter’s retreat she created at her family estate, this popular series consists of heartwarming tales of friends and family, with a little light romance thrown in. Many of the books are about the relationships between the quilters, but some of the titles in the series focus on Sylvia’s ancestors and their place in American history, all with a tie-in to quilts and accurate details of quiltmaking. The series starts with “The Quilter’s Apprentice,” in which we learn about Sylvia’s background and the origins of the retreat. With likeable characters and a relaxed pace, the “Elm Creek Quilts” series is among the best in gentle reads.

In “Confessions from the Quilting Circle” by Maisey Yates, the three Ashwood sisters gather after their grandmother’s death to clear out her shop and home. All of them have secrets they are carrying that they feel they must handle on their own. When they decide to work together with their mother on an unfinished quilt left by their grandmother, they find healing and support with one another. Touching and complex, Yates’ novel is a vivid tale of the family bonds among women.

If you’re looking for how-to books, we have a huge collection for you. Beginners might enjoy “Sarah Payne’s Quilt School.” TV personality Sarah Payne breaks down the basics of quilting into quick projects, such as cushions, tote bags, and table runners, to teach the skills needed to tackle a quilt. Packed with good information, but also full of beautiful photographs and easy-to-follow instructions, this is a great book for beginners. For those with a little more experience, we have “Quilt Block Genius” by Sue Voegtlin. This go-to guide contains over 300 pieced quilt blocks for those who want to be creative and try something new. With basic quilting tips, thorough instructions for planning a quilt, and helpful illustrations, this guide will help expand your quilting horizons. We also have quilting tutorials available online through CreativeBug if you prefer video format.

For younger readers, we have “The Quilts of Gee’s Bend” by Susan Goldman Rubin. Gee’s Bend is a community that was originally a plantation in Alabama. When those enslaved there were freed, they stayed as sharecroppers, and eventually were able to buy the land. Through all of the challenges they faced, the women shared a love of quilting that they handed down to their descendants. They turned scraps of work clothes and flour sacks into works of art. In recent years, they have been displayed in art museums and featured in books, shining the spotlight on these talented artists.

We also regularly have quilting books for sale in Rosie’s Corner, if you prefer to take your time with books or refer back to them again and again. You can find out more about the titles I’ve listed, the quilt raffle, or Rosie’s corner at our website, www.MHKlibrary.org.

Introducing the Middle School Collection

by Crystal Hicks, Collections Librarian

In addition to our regular summer reading-related shenanigans, library staff have been hard at work on another project this summer: creating the new Young Adult Middle School Books Collection. Due to sixth grade joining the local middle schools this fall, we decided to highlight books that appeal to middle schoolers as a group by creating a collection just for them. The new middle school collection has joined the rest of the young adult books on the second floor of the library, located on the shelves closest to the atrium.

The middle school collection contains books for youth in grades 6-8 (ages 11-14), pulling in books from both children’s fiction and young adult fiction. The middle school collection includes plenty of coming-of-age books of all stripes and a wide variety of adventure. Many bestselling fantasy series are now in the middle school collection (think Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl), as are newer excellent series (like Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond and Tristan Strong), along with many of the current William Allen White nominees and this year’s Newbery winner, “When You Trap a Tiger” by Tae Keller.

For many people, middle school is a time of change. Friendships and relationships can begin and end, and many young teens are exploring their identity and the world around them. Fittingly, many books for middle schoolers reflect and explore these changes. However, escapism provides comfort during times of change, and there are still the classic genre standbys of survival, fantasy, and science fiction. Here are some of the major genres and themes that you can find in the middle school collection, alongside a recent book on each topic.

Friendships: “Turning Point,” by Paula Chase, revolves around the friendship of Mo and Sheeda as they spend a summer apart. Mo tries to fit in as a Black girl at a mostly-white ballet program, and Sheeda worries about being forgotten by Mo while also spending time at her aunt’s church and with Mo’s brother.

First romance: Ami Polonsky’s “Spin with Me” looks at the budding romance between Ollie, a nonbinary tween who’s struggling to find an identity outside of their queer activism, and Essie, a girl who’s in town for one semester with her visiting-professor father.

Exploring new hobbies: In “The Chance to Fly,” a local summer production of “Wicked” is the perfect opportunity for Nat, a thirteen-year-old wheelchair user, to finally get cast in a musical. “The Chance to Fly” is clearly written by people who know and love musicals: Ali Stroker was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, and Stacy Davidowitz is a playwright.

Puberty and body image: In “Taking up Space,” by Alyson Gerber, Sarah finds that her changing body keeps slowing her down on the basketball court. Her solution inadvertently gives her an eating disorder, and the book follows her through intervention and treatment.

Racism: “Finding Junie Kim,” by Ellen Oh, focuses on Junie as she and her friends deal with anti-Black, -Jewish, and -Asian graffiti at their school. While working on an oral history project for school, Junie also learns about her grandparents’ childhood experiences during the Korean War.

Survival: Rebecca Behrens’s “Alone in the Woods” combines a classic survival tale with a friendship story, as ex-best friends Alex and Joss get lost in the woods and fight to survive while working through why their friendship ended.

Fantasy: The middle school collection has many mythology-inspired series from the Rick Riordan Presents line, including “City of the Plague God” by Sarwat Chadda. When a Mesopotamian plague god mistakenly believes that he has the secret to immortality, Sik and his friends must team up to save New York City.

Science fiction: Kwame Mbalia collaborated with Prince Joel Makonnen to write “Last Gate of the Emperor,” an Afrofuturist book set in the city Addis Prime after the fall of the Axum Empire to the evil Werari. When he reveals his real name while logging into a game, Yalen ends up on the run with his bionic lioness, Besa, and his former rival, the Ibis, looking for his missing Uncle Moti.

There are too many wonderful books in the middle school collection to mention them all, so do yourself a favor and go take a look. We’ve rearranged the entire young adult area as part of this change, so go ahead and familiarize yourself with the new shelving arrangements, too. I’m sure you’ll find some excellent books (middle school or otherwise) that you can read as you work toward your summer reading goal.

Drought Gardening

by Bryan McBride, Adult Services Librarian

Did you hear the one about how dry it is out there?  It’s so dry the cows are giving evaporated milk! (Ba-dum, crash!) We are knee-deep in a drought. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about cattle in times of heat and drought, but I do spend a lot of time thinking about my gardens in these conditions. For me personally, the problem is even more concerning this year as we are trying to start new gardens on a new property.

I always consider planting perennials that are heat and drought-tolerant, having success with iris and daylilies. Water conservation is perhaps most efficient in gardens that feature native plants and flowers that you can find growing in pastures and ditches in Kansas. If you walk out in grasslands of Kansas, you find an amazing array of flowers and color. Primrose, hyacinth, coral bells, honeysuckle, blue cornflower and columbine are just a few examples of what you’ll find on a nature walk. These can be transplanted into your own yard, and, once established, they seldom need to be supplemented with extra water, and they hold their ground against encroaching weeds.

If you’d like more ideas about drought gardening, we have several books in our collection that offer a variety of gardens. “Planting Design for Dry Gardens” by Olivier Filippi describes a variety of flora for dry gardens. A great aspect of this book is its descriptions of what “invasive” means and how to plan gardens that include plant species considered invasive. The book is loaded with pictures that show off the beauty of flowers available for dry gardening.

Another book that covers a lot of ground, no pun intended, is “The Water-Thrifty Garden” by Stan DeFreitas. How to improve the chemistry of your soil and how to map out a garden to make the most efficient use of water are just a couple of aspects of this book.

Did you know you can have your own soil tested by sending samples to K-State Research and Extension? They can do simple testing of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or more extensive testing that might include pH levels, or even electrical conductivity. Seriously! These tests can help you determine the kind of plants that will thrive in the soil you have, or suggest potential alterations in your soil for the gardening you have in mind. Putting the right plants in the right soil is a good way to make efficient use of your water. The extension staff has an incredible amount of knowledge based on horticultural research. There is a brochure rack full of free publications in our community corner produced and distributed by K-State Research and Extension.

Another book that focuses on drought-tolerant plants is “Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens” by Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden. They include only plants that, when established, require less than one inch of water every two weeks in the hottest part of the peak growing season. One plant per page gives the reader ample information for choosing plants for your own property. Flora attributes are listed for each plant, such as how much sun is required, unattractiveness to deer, and attractiveness to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

“Gardening with Less Water” by David A. Bainbridge is filled with ideas for setting up irrigation systems. With this book’s publication seven years ago, Bainbridge accurately forecasted the deepening California drought. I saw a recent news story that Northern California’s Lake Orville, the second-largest reservoir in California, is expected to go offline with its hydroelectric power plant due to dropping water levels in the reservoir. (CNN, 2021) In his book, Bainbridge offers illustrated maps for laying out gardens as well as ideas for rainwater harvesting and setting up your landscape to capture water.

An attractive alternative might be a rock garden. I mean, this is the Flint Hills! The library has a couple of books, “The Prairie Rock Garden” by Donna Balzer and “Rock Gardening” by Joseph Tychonievich, which detail how to design rock gardens and the kind of flora that excels among rocks. In his book, “Essential Succulents,” Ken Shelf describes projects created with succulents, which often thrive with a minimum amount of water.  Although not limited to succulents, rock gardens are a good place for succulents like agave, cactus, and sedum, alongside other flowering perennials.

The bad news is climatologists predict furthering drought in future years.  The good news is a well-planned, drought-resistant garden can provide low-maintenance beauty in your environment despite this dire prediction.