Kansas' Great Reads

These titles were featured at the National Book Festival as part of the Great Reads from Great Places program. That program began in 2005 and for many years one title, usually a youth title, was selected to represent Kansas. In recent years both a youth and an adult title are selected.

December 2026 Adult Book List

Adult Spotlight

Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas by Michael J. Haddock
Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas is a colorful guide to over 300 species, with photos and easy identification tools.
The Chicken Sisters by K J Dell'Antonia
The Chicken Sisters is a witty tale of sibling rivalry, small-town secrets, and a century-old fried chicken feud put to the test on reality TV.
Flint Hills Cowboys by Jim Hoy
Flint Hills Cowboys is Jim Hoy’s vivid tribute to the legends, lore, and ranching life of America’s last tallgrass prairie.
The Monster's Bones by David K. Randall
The Monster’s Bones follows Kansas-born fossil hunter Barnum Brown as he uncovers the first T. Rex, helping transform dinosaurs into cultural icons and reshaping paleontology.
The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hot Spots by Bob Gress; Pete Janzen
The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hot Spots is a colorful, easy-to-use guide to 295 of the state’s most common birds and where to find them.

Additional Adult Titles

Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind: James Montgomery and His War on Slavery, Todd Mildfelt and David Schafer
Doc: A Novel, Mary Doria Russell
Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, Susan Jonusas
Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea, Michael J. Everhart

December 2026 Youth Booklist

Youth Spotlight

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
Moon Over Manifest follows Abilene Tucker as she uncovers the hidden history and secrets of Manifest, Kansas.
One Boy Watching by Grant Snider
One Boy Watching follows a Kansas boy discovering the world from his bus window.
Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery 1) by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Premeditated Myrtle, by Kansas author Elizabeth C. Bunce, follows twelve-year-old detective Myrtle Hardcastle as she solves a mysterious Victorian murder.
No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas by Tonya Bolden; Don Tate (Illustrator)
Junius G. Groves: The Potato King of the World tells the inspiring true story of a Kentucky-born slave who built a thriving potato empire in Kansas through perseverance, hard work, and determination.
Orion o'Brien and the Spirit of Quindaro by Fran Borin
Orion and her brother Ollie think the old mirror is just a curiosity—until they see the reflection of a girl from another time. With help from neighbors Sal and Sofi, they uncover the story of Susanna Chase, a girl who escaped slavery in 1860 and whose spirit can't rest until she knows whether her father made it to freedom.

Additional Youth Titles

The Adventures of Beanboy, Lisa Harkrader
Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator, Shelley Tanaka, illustrated by David Craig
A Bitter Magic, Roderick Townley
Cabby Potts, Duchess of Dirt, Kathleen Wilford
From Emporia: The Story of William Allen White, Beverley O. Buller
Journey to a Promised Land: A Story of the Exodusters (I Am America), Allison Lassieur
Navigating Early, Clare Vanderpool
That is My Dream!, Langston Hughes and Daniel Miyares
A Vote for Susanna: The First Woman Mayor, Karen M. Greenwald, illustrated by Sian James

Kansas Library Directory

Visit Your Public Library
Provides a directory of Kansas public libraries where you can find titles from this month's reading list or request a book through interlibrary loan.

State Library Event

Library of Congress Center for the Book - Great Reads from Great Places

Library Programming Ideas

Coordinate a coat or toy drive
Host a tea tasting at your local coffee or tea shop

Kansas 250 Commission Activity Recommendations

Remember the Boston Tea Party

Other Statewide Events or Activities

Kansas Events

-- More to Come --

As Kansas and America 250 events, exhibits and ideas grow, this page will as well.