Books

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins says he intends to block state and federal funds from reaching Daniel Boone Regional Library after its Columbia branch read LGBTQ+ picture books aloud. One state lawmaker said the event was wholesome and called the threats "government censorship."

Robert Warrior, a citizen of the Osage Nation, said serving as a consultant on the new series helped improve how Native Americans are portrayed as compared to the original "Little House on the Prairie" books.

Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, contains many of the inspirations for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Looking for a chaotic murder mystery or a meditative summer beach read with LGBTQ+ characters? Three Kansas City book experts share a range of selections in honor of Pride Month.

Missouri lawmakers cut the Imagination Library's budget for the upcoming fiscal year by more than half — from about $6 million to $2 million. The state education department said it won't have the money to enroll new children in the program after next month.

Nate Bukaty, who calls games for Major League Soccer on Apple TV and previously served as a television announcer for Sporting KC, is out with a new book titled "Perfect Pitch: How Kansas City Became the Heart of American Soccer and Landed the World Cup." He'll speak at a Rainy Day Books event with co-author Rustin Dodd on May 28.

Television writer and director Michael Schur and sportswriter Joe Posnanski will be in Kansas City on May 21 for a Rainy Day Books event promoting their new book, "Big Fan: Two Friends, 81,589 miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love."

The hollow heart-shaped design for this year’s Parade of Hearts was the perfect template for an art piece doubling as a community space. Artist Abby Gust Hutter created the sculpture “Read it Forward,” which she turned into a little free library outside of Rainy Day Books in Fairway.

More than 200 students across Kansas City worked with artists and fabricators from the children’s literary museum to create models of what their own exhibits could look like based on a book of their choosing.

In his latest book, “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer,” Steves writes about his own transformational travels and what can be gained from getting out of your comfort zone. He’ll be speaking at the Unity Temple on the Plaza on April 23.

A sweeping historical epic, an eerily relevant political dystopia and an adult fantasy book from a beloved children’s author are just a few of the recommendations from KCUR’s book experts this spring.

Make the most of your library card, no matter where in the Kansas City area you live. Our region has no shortage of great libraries, and you can find an entire world of resources and unique activities beyond just a great read.