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City Center Live: The Wires
Join Johnson County Library and Lenexa Arts Council for City Center Live: The Wires. City Center Live is a performing art series partnership between the Johnson County Library and Lenexa Arts Council.
Saturday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Lenexa City Hall Community Forum
17101 West 87th St. Pkwy.
Lenexa, KS 66219
The Wires are an alternative exploration in string sound, with music created, composed and performed by Laurel Morgan (violin) and Sascha Groschang (cello). Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, The Wires are not your typical strings group—they are inspired by a myriad of genres and eclectic sounds. The project encompasses a blend of wide-ranging styles, from tango and jazz to rock, and is infused with the precision of classical form.
Following their debut album in 2012, their second album “Wilder” (May 2019) is an imagined journey that includes depths of the oceanic world, the vast expanse of Celtic hills, the coldness of frozen tundra and a discovery of the cosmos. Their third album, “Winter” (December 2020) is a collection of reimagined holiday favorites with a cinematic, yet an intimate timbre. The album also includes an original song, “Campbell Street.”
The Wires are also the hosts and curators of “Sound Currents” on 91.9 Classical KC – a weekly radio program that explores and discovers a broad range of new music. Their online school, “Fiddle Life,” teaches adults traditional styles at beginner and intermediate levels. The duo performs at festivals, concert halls, and music venues across the country.
This performance will be indoors and admission is free.
TBT. There be turkey!
It's turkey time! Well, for some. If you prefer tofurkey or some other vegan alternative, that's great too. Whatever you choose to overeat, you probably will be sitting in a chair uncomfortably full and perhaps unable to move. That is an excellent time to browse through all of the great Thanksgiving photos at jocohistory.org
We just had to share this 1966 photo from the Wasiner family Thanksgiving. One child keeps her eyes on the bird. Another keeps her eye on the birdwatcher. The others? Eyes forward for this wonderful photograph. Everyone has their priorities.
For even more history be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter.
Discover Your Library: Events
We have arrived at part seven of our eight-part Discover your Library series. In this Did you hear? episode, we give you a behind the scenes look at our Events. Programs and Events Coordinator Joseph Keehn talks about what led him to Johnson County Library and how his job has changed over the years—including adapting to the challenge of programming during COVID. Several Librarians call in to share memories of their favorite Johnson County Library event. Author and panel presenter from our largest event, the annual Writers Conference, Nick Lopez, shares an original written work that won our 2020 Imagine Your Story Writing Contest. Dave’s a serpent and Charles is Mongoose. We get a new lead in the In Search of Paul Rudd segment. So, what are you waiting for?
Kansas Reads to Preschoolers this November
It's November again, which means time for Kansas Reads to Preschoolers!
The title for 2021 is “Grumpy Bird,” by Jeremy Tankard. This picture book story will appeal to young readers, with a focus on the 2-5 years old age group.
This is a great opportunity to incorporate the 6 by 6: Ready to Read early literacy skills designed to be applicable and approachable for everyone. The 6 by 6 program focuses on six pre-reading skills by age six to help kids get ready for formal education. Here are some suggestions on how you can incorporate these 6 by 6 skills with “Grumpy Bird.”
Have Fun with Books
- Have them repeat phrases in the book like “he was grumpy, he was too grumpy” and “I’m walking”
- They can create a book about a feeling, instead of Grumpy Bird, it could be Happy Bird, Sad Bird, Mad Bird, Joyful Bird or even Happy ME, Sad ME, etc. and what he is doing with friends
Look for Letters Everywhere
- Make a letter collage for the letter B, using magazine pictures
- Make a shape collage
Notice Print All Around You
- Make paper plate faces and cut them into puzzle pieces and have them match faces/emotions
- Look for signs that make you happy, sad, etc.
Take Time to Rhyme
- Talk about rhyming words such as “day” and “play”
- Sing songs about walking, playing, following the leader
Talk, Talk, Talk
- Feelings and Emotions dough mats, look at picture, then use play dough to make face of how they feel
- Talk about how bird feels when his friends join him on the walk, then how he feels at the end of the book
Tell Stories About Everything
- Sequencing—talk about the order of the animals who joined him
- Retell the story, but instead of grumpy bird, pick another animal and who could join him
You’ll have a great time reading this book aloud while also helping your preschooler develop important early literacy skills. Place your hold on “Grumpy Bird” today and join others across Kansas reading to their preschoolers. For more information and additional resources, visit the State Library of Kansas website.
Kansas Reads to Preschoolers is an annual event that promotes reading to all Kansas children from birth through age five. Through the statewide program, parents, librarians and caregivers are encouraged to read the chosen title during a selected month. The program is sponsored by the State Library of Kansas, and the title is selected by State Librarian Eric Norris, along with the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers committee.
Celebrate International Games Week with us!
This week focuses on libraries around the world connecting communities through the educational, recreational, and social value of games. We’ll be hosting our first ever Table Top Recommendation Party, discussing board games to try out with your family and friends just in time for the holiday season.
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021
6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Online event
With so many different board game options, it can be difficult to choose. Hear recommendations from the local board game experts at TableTop Game & Hobby and from the Library’s game-loving staff members. We’ll talk about new and popular titles and offer suggestions for games you might want to play with your game group, whether it’s big or small, all ages or just adults. Everyone who attends will be entered into a drawing for board game giveaways!
This event will take place virtually in our Library OnDemand event platform. Register online to attend. We’ll see you there!
This Week at the Library
This week at the Library, you can join us for:
Caregiver Workshop Series – Tuesday, Nov 2 , 7 – 8 p.m.
Whether it's getting them to eat their vegetables or understanding what's going on inside their heads, being a caregiver of young children can be challenging. Each month's caregiver workshop explores a different topic to support and enrich relationships between kids age birth to 6 and their caregivers. The November presentation is Food Play with kids cookbook author and blogger Amy Palanjian.
Table Top Games – Wednesday, Nov 3, 6 – 8 p.m.
Board games have brought family and friends together for years, and we are now in a golden age of game choices! Join us online to enjoy virtual games, meet new friends and have new adventures. You can compete for the attention of the princess in Love Letter, race to escape the floodwaters in Forbidden Island or try your hand at mixing magic ingredients in Potion Explosion. All ages welcome.
Writers’ Conference – Thursday, Nov 4, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Our seventh annual Writers Conference kicks off on Thursday November 4 with a discussion on hope and inspiration featuring conference faculty members Alyssa Cole and Michelle Tea. Friday and Saturday include lectures and workshops on building a DIY writing career, writing through problems in your community, crafting pleasure narratives, and bending genre. Though we'll be online, we'll feature opportunities to connect like morning coffees and lunch hours with creativity coach Phillip Denver and afterhours book discussions with Jessica Conoley; you'll be bumping into old friends while making new ones and leave with new energy and inspiration for your next literary project.
Writers’ Conference Kids Day – Sunday, Nov 7, 12:30 – 5 p.m.
This year’s Writers Conference Kids Day is bigger than ever! The day begins with a keynote presentation by Aisha Saeed, author of Amal Unbound and co-founder of the “We Need Diverse Books” initiative. Ms. Saeed will share the power of telling our own stories--especially creators whose voices have been traditionally underrepresented and under-supported--and the importance of persevering even when the odds seem stacked against us. Afterwards, we’ll have three tracks of fun and inspiring programs for young writers. Whether they're a future novelist or great storyteller, our kids day is perfect for all interested students, with a focus on grades 4-8.
These events are always available OnDemand.
Stream Spooky Films with Kanopy and IndieFlix
Looking for the perfect spooky movie to cuddle up with? Log in to Kanopy with your Library card and PIN and enjoy award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and much more. Start watching on Kanopy now »
You can also use IndieFlix to stream films to get you in the Halloween spirit! Access these spooky movies on IndieFlix »
TBT: Throwback Bewildering Terror
It's Halloween once again! Jocohistory is a great place to time travel through local history. If you dare, celebrate this Throwback Thursday by searching through the Halloween photos. We found this gem titled: "Halloween display at home of Mary Ann Walters circa 2000." When we make our rounds for trick or treats this Sunday night, we think we'll be skipping this scary stop!
Remember, be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!
We realize this photo might be too scary for some. So, we offer these Halloween jokes to lighten the mood:
The skeleton couldn’t help being afraid of the storm—he just didn’t have any guts.
What’s a zombie’s favorite cereal? Rice Creepies.
Where do fashionable ghosts shop? Bootiques.
What is a witch’s favorite class? Spelling!
Who are the werewolf’s cousins? The what-wolf and then when-wolf.
Why couldn’t Dracula’s wife get to sleep? Because of his coffin.
Why didn’t the mummy have any friends? He was too wrapped up in himself.
What kind of monster is the best dancer? The boogieman.
Join us for Night of Fright
There’s no more spooky time of year -- and what better way to have a scary good time than to listen to some scary stories?
Join us virtually on Friday, October 29 at 6 pm for Friday Fright Night to hear some stories by select winners from our recent Scary Story Contest. This event will be fun for all ages. Wear your costume, grab a blanket and some marshmallows, and gather ‘round a virtual campfire for an extra spooky time.
Register now to reserve your spot around our virtual campfire. You’re sure to be in for a treat!