2009 EVENTS
August 21st--22nd, Friday--Saturday--Charm Hunt
Come in and pick up a map to the participating stores, where a visit will earn you a different charm for a bracelet at each one. Get your form stamped by each business and turn it in to any of the participating stores to participate in a nice drawing.
August 22nd, Saturday, 11am to 1pm--Riding Vengeance with the James Gang Historical Novel by Donald L. Gilmore
Years before John Brown raided Harpers Ferry in 1859 and the Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in 1861, the western front was the scene of the bloody and brutal Border War between Kansas and Missouri. By 1865, these lawless and volatile border counties were transformed into a treacherous and chaotic wasteland, abandoned by the Union forces and utterly devastated after the Civil War. With the infrastructure destroyed and the communities in collapse, a young band of patriotic guerilla warriors known as the "James Gang" emerged. Trained for war, these talented men quickly proved themselves to be outlaws unlike any before seen in America. Spanning the Civil War, its aftermath, and the scores of train robberies, bank robberies, and murders carried out by this group of bandits, this novel from historian Donald Gilmore is an expansive and riveting chronicle of the rise and fall of the James Gang. Featuring a colorful cast of characters based on historical figures, including Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and William Clarke Quantrill, the author examines the motivations and underlying psychological dimensions of the infamous outlaws. It took the combined efforts of a national detective agency, sheriffs from various states, detectives and policemen from major cities, politicians, and citizens alike the course of sixteen years to destroy this gang of criminals. Now Donald Gilmore continues the pursuit in this dramatic and riveting ride through history.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Donald L. Gilmore is a historian with a master's degree in English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He taught English at the college level before working as an editor for seventeen years at the United States Army's Combat Studies Institute, retiring in 2001. In addition to serving as technical consultant for the Civil War movie Ride with the Devil, Gilmore has also written articles about the Border War for Journal of the West, History Today, and Wild West. He is the author of The Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border, published by Pelican.
August 28th, Friday--1950's Dancin' In the Streets Treasure Hunt Begins and Ends September 10th, Thursday.
Same as the treasure hunt had been; however, you'll have a couple of weeks to do it and you'll be looking for 1950s items on the windows of various downtown businesses. Look for the facsimiles of phonograph records in the windows. Come into the Book Barn to get your form/map.
August 29th, Saturday, 11am to 1pm--Carter Finally Gets It Young Adult Novel by Brent Crawford
Meet Will Carter, but feel free to call him Carter. (Yes, he knows it’s a lazy nickname, but he didn’t have much say in the matter.)
Here are five things you should know about him:
1. He has a stuttering problem, particularly around boobs and belly buttons.
2. He battles Attention Deficit Disorder every minute of every day…unless he gets 
distracted.
3. He’s a virgin, mostly because he’s no good at talking to girls (see number 1).
4. He’s about to start high school.
5. He’s totally not ready.
Join Carter for his freshman year, where he’ll search for sex, love, and acceptance anywhere he can find it. In the process, he’ll almost kill a trombone player, face off with his greatest nemesis, suffer a lot of blood loss, narrowly escape death, run from the cops (not once, but twice), get caught up in a messy love triangle, meet his match in the form of a curvy drill teamer, and surprise everyone, including himself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The author is a talented playright and actor in the KC area. Brent Crawford was born in Kansas, moved to L.A. and N.Y.C. to pursue an acting career. He worked in theatre, film, TV and commercials (check it out on IMDB.com). He's written numerous plays and scripts, as well as, waited tables, bartended, sold hardware and clothing, worked construction and even dumped airplane toilets (where do you think it goes?). He's now a pro writer, back in Kansas (yeah!). This is his first YA novel.
September 11th, Friday, 5am to 11pm and Saturday, 12th, 8am to 11pm--Dancin' In the Streets Celebration
Friday is all about dancing in the streets to a DJ (Delaware & 5th) and to a country band (in front of the Heritage Center in the 100 block of Delaware) to celebrate the completion of a major dtreet beautification project for the downtown. The, mosey down to the river at 8:30pm to listen to a headliner band. Come down in 1950s or 60 attire and enter the costume competition. See many antique cars, trucks, and motorcycles from the era.
Saturday includes Delaware, but focuses on Hay Market Square (to celebrate its new roof) and 3-Mile creek's new concrete path. There will be pancake breakfasts, music and performers all along the creek, a foot race, and a volksmarch.
The whole downtown will be filled with food and arts and crafts vendors both Friday and Saturday. Many merchants will have sidewalk sales. This is going to be a fest to remember.
September 18th, Friday, 7pm--Bob Spear as Buffalo Bill Cody
Come learn what it was like to move to Leavenworth in 1984 at the age of 8 and find yourself having to earn money for your family as its sole male provider at the age of 11. Learn these things and many more, such as killing his first man at the age of 12, from the lips of Buffalo Bill. Don't miss this fascinating truelife event!
October 2nd, Friday, 7pm--American Girl Event for Rebecca
Meet Rebecca, a Russian Jewish girl transplanted to New York City at the turn of the century. Hear the stories, eat the food, play the games, listen to the music. Ages 8 and up recommended, although the parents always learn something new at our historical events. Contact the store for reservations.
October 9th, Friday, 7pm--Poetry Read Around
Come to listen and to read your poems.
October 24th, Saturday, 11am to 1pm--The Mystery of Journeys Crowne: An Adventure Drawing Game by K. Michael Crawford
This highly unusual picture book promises an adventure, and it delivers. Although the author claims it is for eight years and up, I would weigh that toward the up side. The book is a story about how to find a worthy prize; however, it requires the reader to draw many pictures along the way. It is also filled chock full of hints in codes. Did I say codes? The way is absolutely inundated with them. Some are easy partial substitution codes but many others are much more complex. Some have hints or solving instructions and many do not. In fact, some are not readily recognized for what they are. This book is not only fun, it is designed to stretch the reader’s mind further than a rubber band.
This reviewer takes pride in working both the daily crossword and the cryptogram in the newspaper and at on line puzzle sites. I can affirm that these codes are tough. If you buy this book for a child, don’t be surprised if that young person cries for assistance. Don’t be surprised if you have a difficult time providing it. Many of these puzzles and clues require a wide range of cultural knowledge. Take nursery rhymes for example: at what time did the mouse run up the clock? Or, did he run down then? Try reading a sentence that, like the Hebrew language, has no vowels, which must be determined by the context of the sentence.
All that being said about its challenges, it would be a very worthwhile endeavor to work through the pages with a child and use each hard place as a learning moment. The exhilaration of solving a difficult step along the way and drawing pictures in the space provided (or on a plain sheet of paper) that cause the reader’s visual senses to develop is well worth it. We rated this exciting keep-them-quiet-for-the-summer vehicle a high four hearts.
October 24th, Saturday, 1 to 3pm--0 to 60 Romance Novel by Susan Slater
Shelly Sinclair’s life is perfect—one most women would envy—a 35 year marriage to a successful doc, two grown boys, a beautiful home and the security of predictability. Without warning, this world collapses. Her husband of a lifetime announces that he’s asked someone to marry him— a someone thirty-nine years his junior. And, oh yes, the mother of his four-year-old child. Alone. At sixty. To start over. But maybe, just maybe this can be the best time ever...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susan is the author of six mysteries— four in the highly acclaimed Ben Pecos Indian series: Pumpkin Seed Massacre, Yellow Lies,
Thunderbird and a novella, A Way to the Manger plus two stand-alones, Flash Flood and Five O'clock Shadow. Susan lives thirty miles west of Taos and writes full time.
October 31st, Saturday, 10am to 2pm--Safe Trick or Treat
Safe event throughout all downtown for children in costume.
November 13th, Friday, 7pm--Bob Spear as Burl Ives, accompanied by Tim Daniels performing Burl's favorite Christmas Tunes
December 12th, Friday, 7pm--Christmas In the Trenches, WWI History and Memorabilia
December 5th, Saturday, 11am-1pm--The Christmas Dog by Greg
One week after the Hallmark movie of the same story. This will grip your hearts and put you into the holliday spirit.
December 12th, Saturday, 11am-1pm--One Kansas Farmer and S is for Sunflower illustrated by Doug Bowles
Superb freelance illustrator of these wonderful Kansas momento books.
