Blog

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Building Better Bridges and Communities

Building Better Bridges and Communities

by Allie Lousch, Community Engagement Lead

Most weeks I share a meal with some of my favorite people. We laugh, break bread, discuss life in depth, listen and talk smack about each other’s politics. I love these people. Over time and with some fits and starts, we have discovered how to vehemently disagree while committing to our cherished relationship. This is one reason why the audiobook “Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 things I learned from talking to internet strangers” caught my attention while scrolling through the Libby audiobook app available with a Manhattan Public Library (MPL) card.

In “Conversations,” Dylan Marron describes how he began his award-winning podcast, “Conversations with People Who Hate Me,” after reading noxious messages directed to his inbox. Marron invited several hate-mailers to join him for a conversation. He connected with high school seniors approaching graduation, senior citizens, folks identifying as conservative and liberal, straight, gay and representing a variety of experiences. The one thing all participants had in common was they had sent hateful messages through the internet to Marron. And many talked with him.

“This podcast is not a search for common ground,” Marron said in an interview with USA Today. “It’s an experiment to see what happens when two people with very different views on the world talk to each other.”

Marron asked, “Do you hate me?” during conversations. Most of the people responded “No.” One middle-aged man said, “I no longer hate you, Dylan … because you’re willing to listen. I’m listening to you. You’re listening to me and I no longer hate you.”

“Conversations” participants, including Marron, discovered the jerks on the other side of the screen were “just people.” I’ve been thinking on this audiobook since last year and how I can learn to listen and to discuss hard things. Listening to ideas other than our own appears to be the tipping point toward building healthy relationships and communities.

Another take on bridge- and community building comes in a powerful novella for young adults called “Seedfolks” by Newbery-winning author, Paul Fleischman. It begins in a trash-strewn vacant lot in wintry Cleveland. We first meet Kim, an elementary-aged immigrant girl, planting lima beans in the still-frozen soil to honor the father who died before she was born.

Watching her is Ana, an older Romanian woman who is among the dozen accented voices you’ll encounter in this book. What begins as a futile gesture of memory among discarded tires becomes a vibrant garden where “many grew plants from their native land – huge Chinese melons, ginger, cilantro, a green the Jamaicans call ‘callaloo’, and many more.”

The growth from the first six lima beans to a rich community garden is not an easy one. There are misunderstandings, assumptions and failure in the garden’s and community’s growth. As the garden takes root and branches out, so does a vibrant community once seen as blighted as the buildings it inhabits.

Why “Seedfolks”? Florence, a teacher who joins the garden, describes the first generations of gardeners-who-rooted-a-community as her father described their descendants, as “‘our seedfolks’, because they were the first of our family there.”

You’ll find “Seedfolks” available at MPL in print and on audiobook.

Originally, I had planned to finish with another book but discovered “Them: Why we hate each other and how to heal” by former U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Ben Sasse. In “Them,” he writes of loneliness and isolation as a loss of essential “social infrastructure” and the root of society’s disconnection.

Published in 2018, “Them” attempts to explain the anxiety, distraction and rootlessness Sasse sees in today’s America. Instead of connecting with one another, Sasse explains Americans isolate from potentially meaningful relationships. In this isolation grows anger and fear, which affects how people see themselves and the world they’re in. “We need to be needed … to have roots and belong,” Sasse writes. “Them” is a research-rich encouragement to emerge from isolation and into community for our individual and collective wellbeing.

What do you think? Has American culture fractured? Is it rooted in loneliness and isolation? MPL hosts events for neighbors of every age and many interests, in a warm and welcoming place regardless of their bank statements, pronouns or political leanings.

Visit MPL online at mhklibrary.org to preview our events calendar and look through our catalog of available resources. We hope to see you in person among MHK’s growing library community.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Why National Disability Awareness Month Matters

Why National Disability Awareness Month Matters

by Eric Norris, Library Director

President Ronald Reagan established March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month February 26, 1987. The proclamation was a call to recognize and celebrate people with disabilities and to encourage expanding opportunities for all people to reach their full potential.

Persons with disabilities have long been disregarded by employers, overlooked and ignored as customers and patrons. President Reagan’s proclamation signaled “significant changes in the public perception of young people and adults with developmental disabilities, opening new doors to independent and productive lives” by design and decree. Visit Ronald Reagan’s presidential online library to read the entire proclamation, reaganlibrary.gov.

President Reagan’s 1987 proclamation helped Congress move the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, ADA, forward. The ADA is a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination and harassment, and was foundational to secure persons with disabilities as a protected class founded on the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Disability Pride: Dispatches for a Post-ADA World,” by Ben Mattlin, a journalist, essayist and editor, explores the vibrant diversity of the ADA Generation, the generation having grown up with wheelchair ramps, Braille wayfinding signs, closed captioning and disability rights as a cultural norm. This book is not a history of the movement that led to the establishment of the ADA, but an exploration of disability rights activism since. Mattlin acknowledges the strides made to develop access and remove the physical limitations prior to ADA — he was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a congenital muscle weakness, and uses a wheelchair — but this book dives deeper.

Mattlin explores disability culture from the politics of beauty in fashion and pop culture to how the neurodiversity movement and autistic self-advocacy are changing assumptions of what it means to live along a continuum of abilities. He closes “Disability Pride” with a chapter titled “Trending or Truly Empowering?” and asks if what has been gained can be sustained and what the future holds. There are many new approaches in the fight for equity and parity, and this is an “inclusive reexamination of society’s treatment of those it deems different.”

For teen readers of the ADA Generation who might be looking for a role model or mentor, meet Alice Wong. Wong is a disabled activist, writer, editor, media maker, consultant and the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, “an online community dedicated to creating, sharing and amplifying disability media and culture,” disabilityvisibilityproject.com. In 2021, Wong updated a collection of essays and edited the release of “Disability Visibility (Adapted for Young Adults): 17 First-Person Stories for Today,” featuring reflections of 17 disabled individuals on the topics of being, becoming, doing and connecting.

Though many of the featured authors share distressing stories about what they’ve endured as people with disabilities, there is a strong current of humor and a determined sense of self throughout this anthology that will make readers challenge their own thoughts about disability, accessibility and ableism. Ableism is a social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that archetypical abilities are superior.

Disability Visibility” challenges readers to avoid viewing disabled persons as broken, or faulty and in need of being fixed. Readers are encouraged to view people with disabilities as members of a thriving community with its own history, culture and social importance. Wong also offers reassurance for young disabled people. “You are enough,” Wong writes. “Don’t let anyone ever make you feel less than or unworthy of love, access, attention and care. You deserve everything.”

Will you take a moment to reflect on your own experiences with disabilities? If you are interested in challenging your own thinking about what equality and parity mean in a world of diverse abilities and bodies, your Manhattan Public Library can help.

Visit the library for resources to discover stories and essays of the lived experience of past and present people with disabilities. Join the March Storywalk, which explores “We’re All Wonders.” Participate in our March 23 ReadMHK Disability Awareness book conversation. That’s why your public library is here, to create access to information and exploration so every person in our community can live as learners and know they belong. Visit mhklibrary.org to learn more.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

New Picture Books Kids Will Love

New Picture Books Kids Will Love

by Laura Ransom, Children’s Program Coordinator

I love discovering new picture books at our Manhattan Public Library. Here are a few notable newcomers that captured my attention.

Little Hearts,” written by Charles Ghigna and illustrated by Jacqueline East, features friendly animals strolling through nature. A rabbit, bear, fox and wild boar discover heart-shaped tree branches, clouds and even butterflies! Kids of all ages can spot the hearts on every page. The endpapers of “Little Hearts” also include a map of the friends’ travels, which might inspire readers to go on their own nature walk to look for hearts.

Roxie Munro’s “ABCity” is a fabulous choice for kids who love “Where’s Waldo?” or Richard Scarry’s “Busytown” books. The illustrated buildings and sidewalks are all shaped like letters of the alphabet. Each page has a list of items to find such as balloons and books hidden on the “B” page. You’ll find even more unlisted items hiding in the pictures. There are many tiny details for kids to discover.

Need a new bedtime story? Check out “Tiptoe Tiger” by Jane Clarke with illustrations by Britta Teckentrup. Tara the tiger does not want to go to bed. She looks around the jungle for a friend to play with, but her loud roars scare away the owls, butterflies and other animals who want to be quiet. Kids can help with the story by telling Tara she needs to tiptoe! Each illustration also gives the reader a clue to which animal she will meet next. Teckentrup’s illustrations are eye-catching, especially Tara’s neon orange fur.

I loved “Yes You Can, Cow!” by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Rikin Parekh, inspired by the nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle.” The characters from the rhyme are about to put on a show, but Cow is feeling extremely nervous. She’s supposed to jump over the moon, but what if she crashes? What if the audience laughs at her? The animals let her know they believe she can do it, and Cow finally decides to practice jumping. Cow’s friends inspire her to have courage instead of hiding and giving up. It is such a sweet book about overcoming fear and helping one another.

Super Pizza and Kid Kale” by Phaea Crede and illustrator Zach Smith is a goofy story about a super friendship formed after a freak accident in the school cafeteria transforms kale and pizza into superheroes. Their mighty strength helps kids lift heavy stacks of books and rescues the children when they fall on the playground. Super Pizza starts to get more attention, and Kid Kale feels left out of the fun. When the superheroes remember how awesome their teamwork can be, their friendship is saved. I love the quirky artwork and puns in this book, including the last line of the story, “Best foods forever!”

Kids who are fans of “Arnie the Doughnut” will love “Wake Me Up in 20 Coconuts!” by the same creator, Laurie Keller. In this new book, an apartment building is filled with friendly neighbors who love to chat and visit each other every day. One lady asks her neighbor to “Wake me up in 20 coconuts,” and he is completely puzzled. How long do 20 coconuts last and how could you possibly count time that way? This neighbor is known throughout the building as the know-it-all, so he starts to panic when others ask him to explain what “20 coconuts” means. All of Mr. Know-It-All’s neighbors rally around him and let him know that it’s okay not to know something. Not knowing can turn into an opportunity to learn and receive help from the people around you. This is a light-hearted story that teaches a meaningful lesson in humility and cooperation!

For more great children’s book recommendations, stop by the library and ask a librarian in the Children’s Room. Call us at 785-776-4741 ext. 400 or email kidstaff@mhklibrary.org. You can also find book recommendations on our website at mhklibrary.org.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Graphic Novels for Lovers Young and Old

Graphic Novels for Lovers Young and Old

by Stephanie Wallace, Library Assistant

Pink and red hearts have dominated stores’ holiday aisles, my friends have invited me to an elementary school-themed party, and I’ve purchased squeaky stuffed truffles for my puppy. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is upon us. As part of your holiday celebration, consider dropping by the Manhattan Public Library to pick up a few romance graphic novels — my current favorite kind of book.

The first title I’m recommending isn’t a conventional romance, but I love how “I Want to Be a Wall” by Honami Shirono plays with rom-com tropes. It is a manga about a marriage of convenience between an asexual woman and a closeted gay man. Shenanigans ensue as the newlyweds navigate their new life together and develop their platonic partnerhood.

For another fresh take on marriage, check out “That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story” by Huda Fahmy. This autobiographical graphic novel tells the story of how Fahmy met and fell in love with her husband. It’s not always easy to find a spouse as an observant Muslim, but she recounts her experience with equal parts candor and humor.

If you want a more serious sort of love story, try “Blankets” by Craig Thompson, an award-winning graphic memoir beginning during a winter in Wisconsin. The meditative style softly pulls readers into Craig and Raina’s lives when they meet each other at a church camp. As they grow together, dream of the future, and fall apart under tragedy, every moment lingers long after each page turn.

To enjoy a sweeter side of young love, “Bloom” by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau is a delightful young adult graphic novel about two boys. The son of a family of bakers, Ari wants nothing more than to leave their small town. While interviewing people to find his replacement for his family’s bakery, however, he meets Hector, a laid-back newcomer whose love for baking is irresistible. They grow closer together little by little, but it’s another question entirely if Ari can make it all work.

Want another young adult graphic novel, but with a fantasy flair? “The Girl from the Sea” by Molly Knox Ostertag is a coming-of-age story about two girls who live on different sides of the water. Morgan is desperate to escape her stifling family and the picture-perfect facade she’s created to hide all of her secrets from even her closest friends. But when she’s saved from drowning by a strange girl named Keltie, her secrets become harder to keep under the surface, and she has to decide what matters most.

Need even more magic in your romance? “Life of Melody” by Mari Costa is an adorable and hilarious slow burn between a fairy named Razzmatazz and a beast named Bon. Razzmatazz has been assigned to be the Fairy Godparent of an orphan baby girl destined to be the protagonist of a future fairy tale. Deciding that the easiest way to fulfill his role is to raise this girl, he ends up meeting Bon, who has also already decided to raise the girl himself. Though fairies and beasts are natural enemies, the two of them work together and find love along the way.

Do you prefer historical fiction? “The Prince and the Dressmaker” by Jen Wang might be your style. Frances is a young woman used to living in the shadows, resigned that her beautiful dress designs will never make it into the world. That all changes when a mysterious client turns out to be Lady Crystallia, Prince Sebastian’s secret alter ego. With Frances’s fashion skills propelling Lady Crystallia into the spotlight, Frances and Sebastian’s relationship is put to the test. Both of them must answer the question, can they pursue their dreams without leaving behind the people who make it possible?

Whatever kind of book you might be dreaming about reading, I hope at least one of these titles will lead to a happily ever after for you.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Build New Habits, One Step at a Time

Build New Habits, One Step at a Time

by Jared Richards, Public Services Manager

One of my favorite pastimes is picking up a new habit – only good ones, of course. Not the bad habits like procrastinating or overthinking or buying Pringles whenever I see them in the grocery store. Habits are the building blocks of any good routine, and I like routines because I do not like making monotonous decisions. The more things in my life I can automate with routines, the fewer decisions I will have to make.

For me, the hardest part of starting something new, especially when it comes to habits, is taking the first step. The end goal for that habit may seem unrealistic. The idea of becoming fluent in another language or running a marathon can feel overwhelming, and if I can’t reach that end goal, then not only have I not become fluent or run a marathon, I have also failed at something. And the easiest way not to fail at something is to never try. But a slight shift in perspective might be all that’s needed to get started.

One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way” by Robert Maurer focuses on the kaizen approach of continuous improvement. According to Maurer, kaizen formed from the Training Within Industries courses developed by the U.S. government in the 1940s, with the goal of improving manufacturing processes for goods needed for the war effort. Engineers didn’t have the resources to make major changes, so they were encouraged to focus on the smaller changes that would add up over time.

Following the war, this concept was introduced in Japan to help rebuild their economy. People were having to start over and didn’t have the capacity to go for innovation, so the concept of making small improvements was a big hit. This concept slowly lost favor in the U.S. after the war and did not really return until the 1980s, when it was brought back from Japan and referred to as kaizen.

Maurer explains kaizen with these steps: Ask small questions, think small thoughts, take small actions, solve small problems, bestow small rewards and identify small moments. So, if your goal is to learn how to swim, even before you go near the water, you might ask yourself what color your swimsuit will be. Visualize yourself swimming across the pool, and drive by the pool to see what it’s like. The goal is to take such small steps so you sneak around the fear often associated with change. You’ll be in the pool before your brain even knows what’s happening.

BJ Fogg founded the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, created the Tiny Habits Academy, and is the author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything.” Through his study of human behavior, Fogg has developed his tiny habit method that includes an anchor moment, a new tiny behavior and an instant celebration.

The anchor moment can be an existing routine, like making coffee in the morning. While waiting for the water to heat up, you can introduce a tiny version of the new habit you want, like doing two push-ups. As soon as you finish those push-ups, celebrate your small victory to create positive emotions.

The core of the book covers the Fogg Behavior Model, which states that motivation, ability and a prompt combine to create a new behavior. Without one of those things, a behavior isn’t going to happen. Knowing this will not only help create new habits and behaviors, it can also be useful for removing a habit from your life. For example, if you have a bowl of candy sitting on your desk and you want to eat less candy, remove the prompt by placing the bowl out of sight – off the desk.

One of my favorite parts about “Tiny Habits” is the appendix. It creates a quick reference with prompts to help work to develop new habits, including a list of one hundred ways to celebrate your successes, like bowing gracefully or blowing kisses like a movie star. There are also specific recipes to help people develop tiny habits, whether they are trying to reduce stress or be more productive or even trying to stop a habit. These give readers a jumping-off point and help get the ball of change rolling.

Along with these two books, Manhattan Public Library has a large selection of books and online resources to help develop your new habit, whether it’s cooking, a new craft, or professional development. Stop by the library or visit us online at mhklibrary.org.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

YA Books about Civil Rights

YA Books about Civil Rights

by Savannah Winkler, Public Services Supervisor

A new month means a new topic for Manhattan Public Library’s ReadMHK program. Our reading program is over halfway through its second year, and our community has gathered to discuss fourteen topics since the fall of 2021. February’s topic is civil rights. Civil rights are an integral part of history in the United States and across the world. No matter what decade or century you look to, there have always been people fighting to make their voices heard and enact change. My personal favorite section in the library, the Young Adult collection, has many books that recount civil rights issues and movements in U.S. history.

The civil rights movement monumentally changed the United States and the rights of Black Americans and other people of color. “And We Rise: The Civil Rights Movement in Poems” by Erica Martin guides readers through key events, starting in the late 1800s with Jim Crow laws. “And We Rise” incorporates poems, historical photographs and quotes from civil rights leaders. The civil rights movement comes alive through Martin’s powerful poetry and the real-life images of those who fought for their freedoms.

Movements are successful because of the work done by large groups of people, but their leaders are also important. Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks sparked change and motivated others to act. Malcolm X was another key leader during the 1950-1960s. Malcolm was assassinated in 1965, and his daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, has continued to tell his story. Shabazz recounts the time her father spent in a Charlestown prison in her novel “The Awakening of Malcolm X,” co-written with Tiffany D. Jackson. Still in his adolescence, Malcolm struggles with the uncertainty of his future and the injustices around him. But through books, his debate team and religion, Malcolm soon transforms into an influential leader.

The 1950-1960s civil rights movement was not the only effort occurring during those years. “Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets” by Gayle Pitman explores the history behind the LGBTQ+ rights movement. This book focuses on the Stonewall Riots, which occurred as a result of a police raid and subsequent violence at the Stonewall Inn. Pitman also details the events leading up to Stonewall and what it was like to be a gay American in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Photographs, objects and witness testimonies are included throughout the book, including an interview with a woman who was ten at the time.

The young readers’ edition of “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Life in Native America” by David Treuer and Sheila Keenan explores the resilience of Native Americans. Truer, who is Ojibwe from the Leech Lake Reservation, chronicles many historical events that impacted the indigenous people of America, such as the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee Creek. Treuer also recounts recent movements, including the 2016 Dakota Access pipeline protests. Readers will discover that Native American cultures and people have always persisted and still exist today despite relentless discrimination.

If you prefer historical fiction rather than nonfiction, then you may be interested in “We Are Not Free” by Traci Chee. Chee’s novel takes place in World War II-era San Francisco and follows fourteen young Nisei, or second-generation Japanese American citizens. The teens’ lives are forever changed when the U.S. government relocates over 100,000 Japanese citizens to incarceration camps. The interconnected stories depict the harsh realities of relocation and the camps. In order to overcome these injustices, the group of friends must remember the bonds that hold them together.

If this topic interests you, consider joining us for our Read-In: Black Authors event on February 23, 7-8 p.m. in the library’s auditorium. Listeners and participants are welcome. Anyone can participate and bring an excerpt to read aloud or perform a favorite book, poem, song, dance, art, recorded music or video. Presented works must be by Black authors and artists. If you’re interested in presenting, please contact the library or register at manhattanks.librarycalendar.com.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Unique Picture Books for Kansas Day

Unique Picture Books for Kansas Day

by Jennifer Bergen, Program and Children’s Services Manager

Kansas Day is January 29 and recognizes the day Kansas achieved statehood in 1861. It’s a fun time to talk about state symbols like sunflowers and honeybees, and to make Kansas-shaped cakes. You’ll find picture books in the History Neighborhood in our Children’s section that provide opportunities to dive into unique stories and achievements of famous Kansans.

No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas” by Tonya Bolden, illustrated by Don Tate, is a must-read for Kansas fans. Junius was born into slavery in Kentucky around 1859. In 1879, he traveled on foot to Kansas where Junius and his wife worked and saved to purchase 80 acres near Edwardsville. They grew so many potatoes that eventually Junius became known as the “Potato King of the World.” In 1909, Junius was able to build a 22-room mansion overlooking their farm. Charles, their oldest son, graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College — now K-State — in 1904, and Edwardsville still celebrates Junius’s life. “No Small Potatoes” will spark curiosity about Junius and how he made an impact on Black lives in this area of Kansas.

In “Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman” by Sharice Davids, illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, kids learn about a Kansan making history now, as she is one of the first Native American women elected to Congress. As the child of a military mom, Sharice grew up moving often, but she was good at making friends. Sharice loved to hear other peoples’ stories and ideas, and she became fascinated with martial arts. Sharice, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, attended law school though she did not know any other Native Americans who were lawyers. She worked to represent Native people and eventually worked in the White House. There, Sharice discovered she wanted to use her big voice in Congress to speak for people who were not well represented in government. A section of the book provides a short history of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Did you know the first U.S. female mayor ever elected was a Kansan? Karen M. Greenwald and Sian James’s “A Vote for Susanna: The First Woman Mayor” is a fun book for Kansas Day and women’s history. When Kansas became the first state allowing women to vote and run for local office in 1887, many men were opposed to the change. In the small town of Argonia, some men were annoyed by women taking an active interest in the mayoral election. They decided to put Susanna Madora Salter on the ballot as a joke, hoping to humiliate her and discourage women from their political interest. In “A Vote for Susanna,” Grandma Dora retells Susanna’s story to her grandson, Ed, as they bake a cake. Ed thinks the men were mean, but then Grandma happily tells him how Susanna won the election in a landslide with votes from both women and men. She became the first woman mayor in U.S. history. As the family enjoys their angel food cake, Grandma reveals that she is Susanna Madora “Dora” Salter.

Salter was another Kansas State Agricultural College graduate. I first learned about her in “Coloring the Past: Twenty Riley County Women Who Made History,” a reproduceable coloring book published by the Riley County Genealogical Society and the Riley County Historical Society. You can find it at rileycountyks.gov/1906/Coloring-Book.

The Greatest Thing: A Story about Buck O’Neil” by Kristy Nerstheimer, illustrated by Christian Paniagua, tells a very brief history of Buck’s life, but it’s really all about the pictures. Paniagua’s art is full of action and movement. You can feel the energy coming off the pages! Kids will enjoy learning how Buck played baseball first with a rock that was wrapped in a sock. He practiced hard and pursued his dreams, playing for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. The last section is about the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum that Buck helped found. If young baseball fans haven’t yet heard about Buck O’Neil’s place in history, logon to mhklibrary.org to reserve this book!

Families are invited to Zoofari Tails Storytime on Friday, January 27, 10 a.m., to hear stories about Kansas animals and examine animal artifacts from Sunset Zoo. We’ll read “Hark! I Hear a Meadowlark!” by Roy Bird and “Prairie Chicken Little” by Jackie Hopkins, two more fun books for you as you celebrate Kansas’s birthday.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Healthy and Happy in 2023

Healthy and Happy in 2023

by Rhonna Hargett, Assistant Director

 

Even for those that don’t rally around a New Years resolution, the flipping of the calendar can be a good time to check in with how we’re doing and look for opportunities to make life a little better. Here are a few books that have inspired me to work towards a healthier and happier year in 2023.

Dan Buettner travelled around the world to the places where there is the highest percentage of people that live to be 100 and studied what they were doing that led to long-term health. His travels led to the book “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.” Buettner narrows down what he learned to nine lessons to achieve a long life. Some of the lessons are what one would expect, like diet and exercise, but he also emphasizes the importance of relationships and emotional well-being on our health. Instead of quick fixes, “The Blue Zones” offers ways to shift our thinking and take gradual steps in the right direction. Buettner’s book has expanded beyond this one title and has really become a movement. Several communities have adopted the Blue Zones Project, which helps communities to work together to make healthier choices easier for all community members. For those of us working on our own, several more books have been published to coach us along the way, including cook books and plans for incorporating the Blue Zones lessons into our daily lives. “The Blue Zones” is a joy to read, motivational while also being practical, and is a good beginning to start one on the road to a healthier, happier life.

Much of America has experienced a challenging time over the last few years. In her book “Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution,” Brené Brown shows us how to recover from adversity and prepare to face the next challenge. In Brown’s previous book “Daring Greatly,” she explored how vulnerability is necessary to achieve greatness. In “Rising Strong” she goes on to talk about how allowing oneself to be vulnerable opens one up to discomfort and possible failure. Going through the challenges is necessary for any significant work, whether in one’s professional or personal life, so it is beneficial to build up resilience and prepare to recover from the difficulties that will inevitably come. Brown uses her down-to-earth language and her own vulnerabilities to make for a relatable and ultimately helpful book. Her concepts are challenging, but she has the ability to convey a message of hope and clear guidance to accompany us along the way.

The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have faced many trials in their lives. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile from his homeland, Tibet, for over sixty years, and the Archbishop was a prominent leader in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Even with the difficulties they have both faced, they are known for their general joyful outlook on life. In “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World,” they worked with Douglas Abrams to document how they are able to experience joy in spite of the suffering that is usually an inevitable part of life. The first aspect of the book that successfully teaches about joy is the tone. This is a fun book to read. They both have an excellent sense of humor, able to poke fun at themselves and lovingly at each other. They respect the seriousness of the issues in the world and in their own lives, but also find the humor wherever they can. The book lays out concrete ways to create more joy in our lives throughout the book and in a chapter, “Joy Practices,” at the end, and also is a true joy to read.

Manhattan Public Library has a wealth of resources to help create a healthy and happy 2023. If this is an area of interest for you, you might enjoy our bimonthly newsletter “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise” which provides book recommendations on life, health, and business. Check it out at www.MHKlibrary.org.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Books and Resources about Poverty

Books and Resources about Poverty

by Crystal Hicks, Collection Services Manager

Though it’s the start of a new year, Manhattan Public Library (MPL)’s ReadMHK program is still going strong, and we hope you’ll join us in reading about our January topic, poverty awareness. Whether you’re among those struggling with poverty in our community, or you’d like to gain greater understanding and empathy, this article contains books and resources that may help you on your journey.

Stephanie Land’s “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive” broke ground when it came out in 2019, shedding light on the imbalance between the rich and those who are paid to clean their houses. Soon after having her first child, Land left her abusive relationship and began working as a maid to support herself and her child. “Maid” covers Land’s long journey from a homeless shelter (where her daughter learned to walk), through the difficulties of government-assisted housing, all while being paid a pittance for hours of grueling labor. MPL is hosting a discussion of “Maid” on January 26 at 7 PM, so stop by to register and pick up a free copy of the book to read before the discussion.

For a recent read-alike to “Maid,” check out Amanda Freeman and Lisa Dodson’s “Getting Me Cheap: How Low-Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty.” Freeman and Dodson interviewed hundreds of women, and their book details the sacrifices made by women who often only find work in the service industry. Acting as nannies or waitresses, their children are made to take on the mantle of adulthood too young, with long-lasting consequences.

Teen readers may be interested in “The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly” by Jamie Pacton. Kit works as a “Serving Wench” at The Castle, a local medieval-themed restaurant, but she dreams of being a Knight. Not only is it a cooler job, but the pay is better, meaning Kit could help her mom pay off the mortgage and still save up money to attend her dream college. Though this book includes a girl-power narrative and your typical will-they-won’t-they romance, what really stuck with me is the realistic depiction of Kit’s family’s poverty. Kit steals napkins and toilet paper from restaurants, and she spends the night with friends when the power is shut off, but she goes to great lengths to keep her friends from knowing the truth of her family’s circumstances, for fear they’d help her out of pity. This was a wonderful read on many levels, one of them being its focus on the working poor, a rare topic in teen fiction.

Children are not too young to learn about poverty, for many of them are growing up affected by it. “The Cot in the Living Room,” written by Hilda Eunice Burgos and illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro, follows a girl whose mami lets children stay in their living room while their parents work overnight. Initially the girl is jealous, but slowly she develops empathy and comes up with a way to help those children feel more at home while they spend the night. “Still a Family,” written by Brenda Reeves Sturgis and illustrated by Jo-Shin Lee, focuses on a family that’s lost their house and has to live in shelters. It’s hard to feel like a family when the dad has to stay at a different shelter from the mom and daughter, but they find a way to spend time together, including sharing a birthday cupcake. In “Maddi’s Fridge,” written by Lois Brandt and illustrated by Vin Vogel, Sofia learns that her best friend Maddi has no food in her fridge, despite the fact that their lives look identical from the outside. Maddi asks Sofia to keep the secret, but is that really the best way for Sofia to help her friend?

MPL recently put together a new resource, “For Neighbors in Need,” a listing of local organizations that help those in need. This resource lists locations where people can go for assistance with food, clothing, laundry, hygiene, shelter, mental health and physical health. You can find this list at https://mhklibrary.org/for-neighbors-in-need/, or as a handout at the Reference Desk on the second floor.

For more book suggestions, check out our ReadMHK book lists on the MPL website, or stop by the library to talk to a librarian. We’ve got plenty of books and resources that can expand your worldview or help you find the support that you need.

by Alyssa Yenzer Alyssa Yenzer No Comments

Learning Craftsmanship from the Library

Learning Craftsmanship from the Library

by Jared Richards, Public Services Manager

The majority of my checkouts from the library recently have been about woodworking, joinery and furniture-making in particular. I recently finished a small table for my wife and now I’ve got it in my head that I want to make a couch. There will be several random projects between now and the couch, because I tend to get lost in the planning stages, and it takes a while to get psyched up enough to make that first cut. But all of that planning pays off in the long run, and luckily for me there are no shortage of books at the library for me to peruse for ideas.

One of my favorite books has been “Joinery” by the editors of “Fine Woodworking” magazine. My main goal for the couch is that I will be able to easily assemble and disassemble it, so that when it needs to be moved I will be moving parts of a couch, not a couch. Couches are heavy and, despite the fact that you might find people willing to help you move one, no one is sitting around waiting to be asked to help move a couch. I have recently settled on using knock-down hardware to accomplish this goal, but I originally aspired to rely solely on joinery.

I like “Joinery,” the book, because it packs so much useful information into a relatively small book. As can be expected, it’s filled with various types of joinery, with instructions on how to make each one, including the jigs that will make it easier. They also stress-test eighteen different types of frame joints to see which are the strongest, information that will be useful for the couch build, even if I do use hardware. Spoilers, the half-lap joint was the clear winner, withstanding over 1,600 pounds of racking force.

The last thing I really like about “Joinery” is that, along with the tips and tricks mentioned throughout the book, they also have a section devoted to quick fixes for joinery mistakes. I’ve come across a lot of tutorials that do a good job of showing you how to make the joint, but don’t spend much time showing you how to fix the inevitable mistakes that come about when trying to create something with the precision that some of these joints require. This book has assured me if I end up with a gappy dovetail or an unintentionally loose tenon or a miter that doesn’t quite come together, there’s a fix for that.

One joint I really like is the tusk tenon, where one piece of wood passes through a hole in another piece of wood and is held in place with a wedge. The wedge draws the piece of wood together and is easy enough to knock back out when you want to take the pieces apart.

A popular feature of Arts & Crafts furniture, think Stickley or mission style, is the mortise and tenon joint. “Authentic Arts & Crafts Furniture Projects” by the editors of “Popular Woodworking” magazine and “Furniture of the American Arts and Crafts Movement” by David Cathers are both packed with good reference material and plans for this type of furniture. This style is a little intimidating for my first large furniture project, but for anyone interested in individual pieces or even a whole room in this style, these books would be a great start.

As mentioned before, there will be random projects in between now and the couch, and one of those projects is small wooden toys. Although it’s not necessary, sometimes wooden toys look better with a bit of color. “Natural Wooden Toys” by Erin Freuchtel-Dearing has a section just for this purpose. They mention kid-friendly, non-toxic paint, of course, but they also give instructions for, and examples of, natural dyes like berries, spices and plants. Anything made for small children, and a lot of things not made for small children, are going to end up in their mouths, so I like the idea of natural dyes, like paprika, spinach, turmeric and blueberries.

Woodworking is a hobby that requires a decent amount of time. A large part of that is the physical act of building a project, but there’s also the planning and research phase. I have found our collection of woodworking books at the library to be invaluable for this phase. You’ll find everything from the basics of how to get started to instructions for more advanced techniques that will take you years to master. Come on down and browse.

Top