Kansas Love Your Community

February 2026 Adult Book List

Adult Spotlight

Wichita Blues by Patrick Joseph O'Connor
In conversations on regional blues, the traditions of the Mississippi Delta, the Carolina Piedmont, Chicago, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, and Los Angeles are frequently lauded. But until now, little attention has been paid to the Midwest, despite the presence and popularity of blues in these heartland communities. Wichita Blues: Music in the African American Community seeks to address this gap in music history by exploring the lively Wichita blues tradition.
Winfield's Walnut Valley Festival by Seth Bate; Dan Crary; Beppe Gambetta; John McCutcheon; Orin Friesen
Seth Bate traces the Walnut Valley Festival from its 1972 founding to an internationally celebrated music and community event.
Las Madres Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success by Dennis Raphael Garcia
A powerful story of three generations of Latina women who face hardship and uncertainty while striving to uplift their families from poverty to success. Author Dennis Raphael Garcia highlights their resilience, courage, and determination as they navigate immigration, labor, and societal challenges in pursuit of a better life.
Kansas Murals by Lora Jost; Dave Loewenstein
This book showcases Kansas murals, highlighting 90 works that celebrate the state’s art and communities.
The Small-Town Midwest by Julianne Couch
Julianne Couch explores life in small Kansas towns, revealing how residents navigate population loss while fostering hope, resilience, and innovative community solutions.

Additional Adult Titles

Dragging Wyatt Earp: A Personal History of Dodge City, Robert Rebein
Echoes from the Prairie: A Collection of Short Memoirs, Nicole Muchmore
Kansas City's Montgall Avenue: Black Leaders and the Street They Called Home, Margie Carr
Ladybird, Collected, Meg Heriford
Light on Main Street: Storytelling by a Country Newspaper Editor, Rudy Taylor
No Place Like Home: Lessons in Activism from LGBT Kansas, C. J. Janovy
Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen, Joe Drape

February 2026 Youth Booklist

Youth Spotlight

Green City by Allan Drummond
Seen through a child’s eyes, this story follows Greensburg, Kansas, as it rebuilds stronger and more sustainably after the 2007 tornado.
People, Pride, and Promise by Prisca Barnes; Priscella Brown (Illustrator)
In 1950s Wichita, Ron Walters and his peers lead the nation’s first successful student sit-in, courageously challenging segregation and fighting for civil rights.

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

Author Talk

February 19, 2026

@ 7 p.m. on Zoom

Listen to Patrick O'Connor and Seth Bates

authors of Wichita Blues and Winfield's Walnut Valley Festival

discuss their books, the influence of music on these two communities and answer audience questions.

registration will open nearer to event

Library Programming Ideas

Invite a local historian to present a program

Kansas 250 Commission Activity Recommendations

Invite Family & Friends to Kansas
Show how amazing Kansas is with unique experiences curated by the Kansas 250 commission.
Plan Your Trip

Other Statewide Events or Activities

Kansas Events
Route 66 Centennial
Celebrate the Kansas communities along the Mother Road.

-- More to Come --

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