“A Vote for Susanna” and “The Chicken Sisters” chosen for the National Center for the Book’s Great Reads from Great Places program
TOPEKA – The Kansas Center for the Book, a program of the State Library of Kansas, has selected one children’s book and one adult book to represent the state at the 2022 National Book Festival. The chosen children’s book is A Vote for Susanna: The First Woman Mayor by Karen M. Greenwald, illustrated by Sian James. The book chosen for adults is The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia.
Both titles will be part of the National Center for the Book’s Great Reads from Great Places program. Great Reads from Great Places features books and authors representing the literary heritage of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas. For more than 20 years, this program has included a youth title highlighted by each affiliated centre. In 2022, “Great Reads from Great Places” includes adult titles for the first time.
This year’s National Book Festival, on September 3, will be held in person in Washington, DC, but will include many live and recorded virtual programs celebrating books and authors. Author Karen Greenwald will participate in an online roundtable with other selected authors from State Book Centers to talk about her book and what inspired her.
This discussion and other panel discussions will be posted towards the end of August on the National Book Festival website and on the Library of Congress YouTube channel.
About the Books “A Vote for Susanna: The First Woman Mayor” In 1887, the state of Kansas granted women the right to vote in municipal elections. But some men in the town of Argonia, Kansas, thought women shouldn’t have a say in choosing their next mayor, so they put a woman on the ballot, as a joke. That woman was Susanna Salter – and soon the men would find out the joke was on them! Told by a grandmother who remembered what happened that day, this is the true story of a woman who stood up for her right to vote and achieved so much more.
“A Vote for Susanna” was named by the State Library to the 2022 Kansas Notable Books list.
“The Chicken Sisters” Three generations. Two chicken coops. A recipe for disaster. In little Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s have spent a century battling to serve the best fried chicken in the state, and the legendary feud between their respective owners has lasted just as long. When family secrets go public on Food Wars, the reality TV contest that promises $100.00 to the winner, the sisters must choose: Will they fight or fight for their legacy?
“The Chicken Sisters” was named by the State Library to the 2021 Kansas Notable Books list.
About the Kansas Center for the Book The Kansas Center for the Book is a program of the State Library of Kansas which is the state branch of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The Kansas Center for the Book’s mission is to showcase the state’s literary heritage and foster interest in books, reading, and libraries.
Kansas State Library – For more information, visit kslib.info.