Secret Kansas City: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Kansas City: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Anne Kniggendorf
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1681062836

Most visitors know all about Kansas City’s barbecue, jazz, and football success, but there are hidden gems and wild pieces of trivia around every turn in Missouri’s largest city. Is the giant Hereford bull anatomically correct? Can a seed that’s been to outer space still grow into a normal tree? And who really killed President William Henry Harrison? You’ll find answers to the questions you didn’t know you had in Secret Kansas City: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Learn why three completely unrelated groups have chosen Kansas City as the center of the world and the place you want to be when the world ends. Between these covers, you’ll also find castles, a horse buried in a cul-de-sac, a ghost who likes a good laugh, and the world’s longest snake. This is not a tour guide for outsiders; it’s a scavenger hunt—insiders only, please. Longtime Kansas Citian Anne Kniggendorf is at your service to bolster your love and boost your respect for this middle-of-the-map city. With her eye for the odd leading the way, you’ll have a great time discovering Kansas City.

Strong Like Her

Strong Like Her
Author: Haley Shapley
Publisher: Gallery Books
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 1982120851

Beautiful and powerful, Strong Like Her presents the awe-inspiring account of women’s athleticism throughout history. Journalist Haley Shapley takes us through the delightful untold history of female strength to understand how we can better encourage—and celebrate—the physical power of women. Part group biography, part cultural history, Strong Like Her delves into the fascinating stories of our muscular foremothers. From the first female Olympian (who entered the chariot race through a loophole) to the circus stars who could lift their husbands above their heads and make it look like “a little light housework with a feather duster,” these brave and brawny women paved the way for the generations to follow. Filled with Sophy Holland’s beautiful por­traits of some of today’s most awe-inspiring ath­letes, including Peloton instructor Robin Arzón, bodybuilder Dana Linn Bailey, actress/dancer Patina Miller, and many others, Strong Like Her celebrates strength in all its forms. Illuminating the lives and accomplish­ments of storied female sports stars—whose con­tributions to society go far beyond their entries in record books—Shapley challenges us to rethink everything we thought we knew about the power of women.

Big Cat, Little Cat

Big Cat, Little Cat
Author: Elisha Cooper
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2017-03-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1250155975

A 2018 Caldecott Honor book There was a cat who lived alone. Until the day a new cat came . . . And so a story of friendship begins, following the two cats through their days, months, and years until one day, the older cat has to go. And he doesn’t come back. This is a poignant story, told in measured text and bold black-and-white illustrations about the act of moving on.

The Diary of Melanie Martin

The Diary of Melanie Martin
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Yearling
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2001-06-12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0440416671

Dear Diary, You will never in a million years guess where I’m going....Italy! In Europe!! Across the ocean!!! I even have a passport. It’s really cool, except I’m squinting my eyes in the photo, so I look like a dork. At least that’s what my brother said. I call him Matt the Brat. You would too. Trust me.... When Melanie Martin heads to Italy on a family vacation with her art-obsessed mom, her grumpy dad, and her little brother, she has no idea what she’s in for. As she discovers Michelangelo, Italian ice cream, and poetry, she also realizes how much her family means to her. Maybe she won’t trade them in after all.