Month: April 2023

A Book Sale for Everyone

Allie Lousch, Community Engagement, Manhattan Public Library

Recently, I asked an old friend about his favorite book. He said he loved mysteries and had grown up reading Nancy Drew novels, he enjoyed figuring out the plots. It was the Hardy Boys that kept me junior-sleuthing while the Army moved us across continents. Though my friend and I may not have a lot in common, we share a history with those iconic mystery series for kids. A good library, like a good book, can connect us when some of us may appear at odds. And if you’re looking for a good book, come to Manhattan Library Association’s (MLA) Book Sale this weekend in the Wefald Pavilion at City Park to find your old “friends” or discover new ones.

At Manhattan Public Library, we love to help you find your next favorite novel, information you need and a community that is welcoming. We are able to accomplish this, in part, because of MLA’s annual book sale, which provides the library resources for summer reading, special performances and more. Think of this weekend’s book sale as a giant “Rosie’s Corner,” that special corner of our library where you can pick up photo-rich coffee table books, audiobooks to keep the kids entertained when traveling, novels, movies, old hardback books and even sheet music!

When my kids were younger, I’d give them a few dollars to spend at the sale. Flush with great spending potential, they would find books that became familiar friends like “The Paper Bag Princess” written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Micheal Marchenko, and videos like “There Goes a Firetruck” by the irrepressible “Firefighter Dave” better known as Dave Hood. It is something special for a kid of any age to find a book that can accompany them to the beach without worrying about damaging a library book.

Are you into James Patterson’s books? You’ll probably find several at the book sale this weekend. And if you are looking for Patterson’s stories in large print, as an audiobook or some that he wrote for kids, we can help you with find them. Visit the library or logon to mhklibrary.org and search our catalog for the books you love and resources you need.

One of my favorite books I found, at a past MLA sale, was Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea: An Illustrated History.” It turns out our library has a copy and at least 45 other titles related to national parks. Are you into tropical fish or fishing Kansas waters? Classics your thing or are you more likely to read a self-published recent book? You might find what you’ve been hunting at the book sale.

Wanting to spice up your cooking game? You should really come to the book sale and look for a treasure of taste. If after the sale you are still hungry for more, swing by the library at 629 Poyntz Avenue, and you’ll find more than 2,000 titles like “Smitten Kitchen Keepers” by Deb Perelman, “The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100” by Dan Buettner, and a slew of culturally delicious, preference-diverse others.

If you are or know a teen reader that is looking for a new story or series, this weekend’s book sale could be a goldmine of opportunity. In the past, there have been Manga titles for sale, vintage and current young adult (YA) books to discover. With a few thousand Manga-related titles in our collection, fans of any age and a library card can find something new to read.

We’d love to see you treasure-hunting this weekend at the book sale. Your support and the support of our Manhattan Library Association members make all the difference in what we are able to do in the library and community throughout the year. Thank you to our book sale partners: City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation, Target volunteers and friends we’ve made through the Manhattan Afghan Resettlement Team.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages, and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

April brings Manhattan’s Little Apple Pride Festival

Audrey Swartz, Adult Services Librarian and Readers Advisory

April showers bring May flowers, our community’s Little Apple Pride Festival and the Manhattan Public Library’s (MPL) April 20 ReadMHK focus on LGBTQIA2S+ Authors. This year Manhattan’s pride parade and festival are scheduled for April 22. The parade begins at 3 p.m. at City Park, 1101 Fremont Street. A festival follows the parade at the Band Shell and Wefald Pavilion with a vendor fair from 6-8 p.m. In honor of April’s events, I’ll focus on queer authors and their work.

Neil Patrick Harris, of Doogie Houser and How I met Your Mother fame, has been writing his “Magic Misfits” series since 2017. Lissy Marlin and Kyle Hilton illustrate the books. With four books currently in the series, the central story follows a street magician named Carter as he runs away and finds friends and magic. “Misfits” includes a greedy villain, magical adventures and illustrated magic tricks! While these young reader chapter books are sure to entertain, readers can also practice the magic tricks, code- and cipher-breaking tips, and make their own magic. The “Misfits” series is recommended for ages 8-12 and all are available for check out at the library.

In “King and the Dragonflies,” award-winning children’s fiction author, Kacen Callender, delivers a heart-breaking story of death and rebirth. Brothers Khalid and King share stories of their dreams of other worlds. They dream of places with trees that are as tall as mushrooms and Khalid dreams of having dragonfly wings. After Khalid’s death, he returns to King as a dragonfly. Dragonfly Khalid guides King to find his former best friend and save him from his abusive home. As reviewer Em Nording writes “This book will make your heart ache in the best possible way. It’s a riveting, emotionally real thing—as lived-in as a childhood bedroom, and incredibly kind and generous at its core.” “King and the Dragonflies” and others by Kacen Callender are recommended for children of middle school age and are available for check out at MPL.

Ryan La Sala’s, “Be Dazzled,” is described by the publisher as “Project Runway goes to Comic Con in an epic queer love story about creativity, passion and finding the courage to be your most authentic self.” “Be Dazzled” follows the crafting, be dazzling love story of two young men, competing against each other in the largest cosplay competition. While together, they tried to compete as a team, but insecurities and perfectionism were their downfall. Once again they are assigned to work together and will have to overcome their heartbreak and self-doubt. This book is recommended for ages 15-18 and is available at the library.

“Juliet Takes a Breath” by Gabby Rivera features Juliet Palante, a young Puerto Rican lesbian from the Bronx. Juliet just came out to her mother and is pretty sure they will never speak again. She is headed to Portland to intern with her favorite author and knower of all “gay-sounding stuff.” While she is away, Juliet focuses on trying to figure out her life. The original book was published in 2017, reprinted in 2019, and turned into a graphic novel in 2020 and illustrated by Celia Moscote. This book and graphic novel are recommended for high school to adult age groups. It should be noted the graphic novel has received challenges for being sexually explicit.

Check out our April Beanstack and Library Catalog booklists for more reading recommendations.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.