Wolfner NEWS
John R. Ashcroft, Secretary of State
SPRING 2018
Click here for audio version

Wolfner Library’s Teen Poetry Contest Update
Wolfner Library is excited to announce the winners of our second annual Teen Poetry Contest! We received 9 poems from 6 teen patrons. Wolfner Library staff reviewed the poems. Walter Bargen, Missouri’s first Poet Laureate, judged them. Along with their poems published in this newsletter, the winners received a Wolfie plush doll and their work was recorded and transcribed into braille! Thanks to all who submitted poems and to Mr. Bargen for once again serving as our celebrity judge!
First Place:
If I were in Charge of the World by Alexander Watkins
If I were in charge of the world
I’d cancel ALLERGIES
HARD WORK IN SCHOOL
And also PEANUTS AND MEAN PEOPLE
If I were in charge of the world
There’d be PENGUINS IN YOUR HOUSE THAT CAN TALK
RAIN AND SUN ALL YEAR
And CHICKEN PATTY FOR EVERY MEAL
If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn’t have LITTERING
You wouldn’t have SMALL CARS
You wouldn’t have TIGHT HELMETS IN FOOTBALL
Or “SIBLINGS BEING ANNOYING”
You wouldn’t even have BAD FOOD
If I were in charge of the world
A PLATE OF MOM’S SPAGHETTI would be a vegetable
All movies would be FUNNY OR HAVE SUPERHEROES
And a person who sometimes forgot WORK
And sometimes forgot to PAY ATTENTION
Would be allowed to be
In charge of the world
Second Place:
Pain by Dionna Towns
September brought me pain
October brought me heartbreak
November brought me tears
December brought me scars
January brought me flashbacks
February brought me smiles
March brought me questions
April brought me death
May brought me loneliness
June brought me disappointments
July brought me pain
It all hurts the same
Third Place:
Father by Nicole Motley
I’ve been sailing the waves
Too many times the dark caved
But I’m okay, I’m saved
Because I’m following the path you paved
When the path gets blurry
Not to worry
I won’t get scared and scurry
I’m in no hurry
I try to be the perfect daughter
You’re already the perfect father
Sometimes I wonder why you bother
Then it hits me like ten gallons of water
Even if you can’t hear
I’ll always be endeared
The path will still be clear
You will be held very dear
Even if you’re not here
You are still the very best
Put to the test
greatest father ever.
Wolfner Library’s 80th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Volunteer Recognition
On Saturday, June 2, Wolfner Library will be celebrating 80 years since the dedication of the Henry L. Wolfner Memorial Library. Patrons, members of the Friends group and Wolfner Library volunteers are invited to this event, which will take place at the State Information Center at 600 W. Main St. in Jefferson City, Mo. Festivities will take place from 1-3 p.m. and will include a volunteer recognition event, a Wolfner Library history exhibit, a Missouri author program and refreshments. Patrons who plan to attend must RSVP by calling 800-392-2614 before May 10, 2018.
Connections to Wolfner Library

The submission period has opened for the “Connections to Wolfner Library” writing program. This program allows patrons to share what Wolfner Library means to them in honor of Wolfner Library’s 80th anniversary by submitting one original work of 1,500 words or less, either a poem, short story, or essay. Typed, handwritten or brailled entries will be accepted through June 16th. Download the release form at the following link: Writing Contest Release Form. Selected entries will be published in the fall newsletter.
Submission Guidelines:
- Must be written by a Wolfner Library patron
- Signed release form is required (release form located in this issue of the newsletter as an insert)
- Patrons may only submit one piece of original work
- Works may not contain any of the following:
Submit typed, hand written or brailled entry and completed release form to:
Wolfner Library
C/O Adult Services Librarian
600 W Main St
PO BOX 387
Jefferson City, MO 65102
or scan typed or hand written entry and email* to:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Wolfner Library Rocks the 2018 Youth Summer Reading Club!

Wolfner Library announces the 2018 summer reading club for patrons age 18 and under. The theme for this year is Libraries Rock! The club will run from May 30 through July 30. Participating in the club is simple. Read any book in any format, track time read, and turn in your total time at the end of the program in order to receive a free book and enter to win prizes.

Wolfner Library will award Bluetooth speaker fidget spinners to the top readers in each of five age groups. In addition, participants who complete the program will be entered into the grand prize drawing for one of two iPad Air tablets (Wi-Fi service not included). Prizes are funded by the Friends of Wolfner Library. Online registration will be available on Wolfner Library’s website between May 1 and July 16. Potential participants may also register by calling 800-392-2614.
Wolfner Library’s First Graduates of Racing to Read!

In December of 2017, the first six graduates of Wolfner Library’s Racing to Read early literacy program received their graduation kits. Secretary Ashcroft along with Youth Services Librarian, Lisa Hellman, packed the kits that went out to the graduates.

Participants of the Racing to Read program who receive all six kits are considered “graduates” and receive a brailled certificate coloring sheet and a light blue t-shirt that has Wolfie the Wolfner Library mascot in a royal blue cap and gown. The tee will say “Wolfner Library Racing to Read Graduate” on the front. Wolfner Library expects to have a total of 21 graduates in 2018! Thank you to the Friends of Wolfner Library for supporting this and other Wolfner Library programs.
Book Club Reminder
Wolfner Library offers three book club groups: Novel Reads for fiction, Big Ideas for nonfiction and Good Books for mild reads. Each group meets monthly from February through October via conference call. Patrons who participate have enjoyed discussing their views and hearing others’ thoughts on the selected titles. Participants also love having their reading horizons expanded and are eagerly looking forward to the program’s third year. If you are interested in joining one or more book clubs, call 800-392-2614 to register.
Summer Book Club Selections:



May:
May 17th at 2 p.m. Novel Reads: Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal DB079346
London, 1940. Maggie Hope, possessing all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, is allowed only to be a typist at No. 10 Downing Street. However, working for the prime minister affords Maggie a level of clearance she could never have imagined. Maggie Hope Mystery series, book 1. Some strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2012.
May 24th at 2 p.m. Good Books: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle DB014165, LP000654, BR010565
The evil of Sir Hugo, master of the lonely Manor Baskerville on the moors, began the “Curse of the Baskervilles” in the seventeenth-century. Now, years later, the legendary hound returns and Sir Charles Baskerville dies. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson move in to solve the crime. 1979.
May 31st at 2 p.m. Big Ideas: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann DB087767, LP033153
An examination of the 1920s murders of wealthy Osage Indian Nation members in Oklahoma. When the newly-formed FBI bungled the investigation, young Director Hoover turned to ex-Texas Ranger Tom White, who put together an undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the Bureau. Some strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2017.



June:
June 14th at 2 p.m. Novel Reads: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton DB032018
Something is terribly wrong at Jurassic Park on a remote island off the coast of Costa Rica. Visitors and residents are being attacked by strange looking animals that maul them and leave behind a sticky saliva. In reality, dinosaurs cloned and raised by a genetic engineering firm have escaped. Consultants are brought in to solve the problem, but soon everyone is running for dear life. Jurassic Park series, book 1. Some strong language. Bestseller. 1990.
June 21st at 2 p.m. Good Books: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys DB083767, LP003196
Toward the end of World War II, thousands of refugees desperately trek toward freedom. During this time, the paths of four very different young adults converge aboard the ship Wilhelm Gustloff. Some violence and some strong language. Commercial audiobook. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2016.
June 28th at 2 p.m. Big Ideas: Secretariat by William Nack DB071943
Account of Secretariat, the “horse of the century,” who won the 1973 Triple Crown--the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes races. Describes the roles of owner Penny Chenery, trainer Lucien Laurin, jockey Ron Turcotte, and groom Eddie Sweat. Includes author’s 2010 preface. Basis for motion picture. Bestseller. 1975.



July:
July 12th at 2 p.m. Novel Reads: Caroline: A Little House Revisited by Sarah Elizabeth Miller DB089267, LP033062
Caroline Ingalls is faced with moving her family--husband, Charles, and daughters, Mary and Laura--from Wisconsin to Kansas Territory while pregnant. The pioneer life has its challenges as well as its joys. Caroline must discover untapped wells of strength inside herself. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2017.
July 19th at 2 p.m. Good Books: A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton DB089741, LP030460
William, from The Wood’s Edge (DB 82082), has joined the British Army to hide from his family as he tries to sort out his new identity. As the American Revolution reaches the Mohawk Valley, William’s brother, Two Hawks tries to build a life with his love, Anna. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2016.
July 26th at 2 p.m. Big Ideas: Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy by M. William Phelps DB068402
Biography of famed patriot and American Revolution hero Nathan Hale (1755-1776), who was hung by the British for spying. Uses primary sources to detail Hale’s years at Yale and his teaching career before he joined the Connecticut militia. Some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2008.
New Books from the Wolfner Recording Studio



Books for Adults
An Amish Country Christmas by Charlotte Hubbard and Naomi King DBC09628
In Willow Ridge, Missouri, the Christmas season is a time when faith brings peace, family brings warmth, and new romance brings sparkling joy. Anthology, with characters from the “Seasons of the Heart” series, and the “Home at Cedar Creek” series
Coastal Missouri: Driving On the Edge of Wild by John Drake Robinson DBC09646
Not quite a travel guide, and not quite a memoir, the author has created a companion book to “A Road Trip into America’s Hidden Heart (DBC09574).” The author gives a first-hand account of which places might be worth seeing and which ones might be worth avoiding.
Daring to be Different: Missouri’s Remarkable Owen Sisters by Doris Land Mueller DBC09678
In the 1800s, when American women were largely restricted to the private sphere, it is remarkable that three sisters born in the 1850’s, the Owen daughters of Missouri, all achieved success and appreciation in their careers.



The Grace to Race: The Wisdom and Inspiration of the 80-year-old World Champion Triathlete Known as the Iron Nun by Sister Madonna Buder DBC06487
A Catholic nun recounts her record-breaking efforts to test her physical endurance, from a priest’s initial suggestion to run as a way to harmonize the mind, body, and soul to her repeated participation in the grueling Ironman Triathlon.
Heartland History: Essays on the Cultural Heritage of the Central Missouri Region, Volume I DBC06518 and Volume II DBC06528 by Gary Kremer
Essays originally published in the Jefferson City News Tribune titled “History Matters”.
The Life of Folklorist Mary Alicia Owen: Voodoo Priests, Noble Savages, and Ozark Gypsies by Greg Olson DBC09575
This groundbreaking biography of Mary Alicia Owen of St. Joseph, Missouri, draws on primary sources to chronicle the life of the woman once called “the most famous American Woman Folklorist of her time.”



Matthews: The Historic Adventures of a Pioneer Family by Edward C. Matthews III DBC09664
The story of the Matthews family of Southeast Missouri, beginning with C.D. Matthews and spanning over two hundred years and eight generations.
Missouri Caves in History and Legend by Dwight Weaver DBC01480
There are over 6000 caves in the state of Missouri, which have much to tell us about extinct species and Native Americans; they have been hideouts for outlaws, and mined for saltpeter and guano.
Murder with All the Trimmings by Elaine Viets DBC06460
When Josie Marcus, a mystery shopper and single mother, is assigned to rate Christmas shops, she discovers who has been naughty and nice when a deadly secret ingredient in a special holiday cake brings about yuletide murder and mayhem. Some descriptions of sex and strong language. Josie Marcus series, book 4.



Slipping by Barri Bumgarner DBC06095
Meet Seth Berman, boring banker, and man with a secret: Lurking inside him is the truly nasty Zeus, an alter ego with the goal of seriously altering Seth’s ego, not to mention the bodies of anybody who gets in his way. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language and violence.
Steamboat Legacy: The Life and Times of a Steamboat Family by Dorothy Heckmann Shrader DBC06498
Based on the diaries of her grandmother, the author records the story of the good times, hard times, fortunes made and lost on the river, driving ambition and brute strength of a steamboat family.
They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust by Bill Tammeus and Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn DBC06453
Tammeus and Cukierkorn interview Jewish survivors and their non-Jewish rescuers, capturing for future generations stories of how, through courage and ingenuity, a few Jews in Poland escaped the Holocaust. Violence.



Books for Young Adults (5th – 12th grades)
Dead City by James Ponti DBC09577
Seventh-grader Molly has always been an outsider, even at New York City’s elite Metropolitan Institute of Science and Technology, but that changes when she is recruited to join the Omegas, a secret group that polices and protects zombies. For grades 5-8.
Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn DBC09588
After being imprisoned for a crime she has yet to commit, Callie, with the help of her childhood crush Logan, escapes in hopes of running from the government and her future. For grades 6-9.
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia DBC09637
Armed with her camera and a Magic 8-Ball and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. Some strong language. For Senior High and Older.


A Voice from the Border by Pamela Smith Hill DBC09658
Living in the border state of Missouri during the Civil War, fifteen-year-old Reeves tries to understand her father’s decision regarding their slaves. Some violence. For junior and senior high.
Zeroboxer by Lee Fonda DBC09623
As seventeen-year-old Carr ‘the Raptor’ Luka rises to fame in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, he learns a devastating secret that jeopardizes not only his future in the sport, but interplanetary relations. Some descriptions of sex, strong language and violence. For high school and adult.



Books for Elementary and Middle Schoolers (3rd – 4th grades)
The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Greedy Jack Wallace, DBC09668 & The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Terrible Tom & Mabel, DBC09654 by Adam Veile
Young Blake Monroe, a ‘wanna be’ cowboy, is somewhat timid and lacks self-confidence. When the cowboy ghost of his tough and ornery great-great-great-great-grandfather shows up, he just assumes that Blake will grow into a competent person. The two of them team up for exciting cowboy adventures. For grades 3-6.
Mr. Terupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea DBC09641
Several students relate their experiences helping Mr. Terupt move the old classroom to the sixth grade annex during the summer vacation. Mr. Terupt (JUV) series, book 2. For grades 4-7.


Ella Ewing: The Missouri Giantess by Jason Offutt DBC09649
At eight feet, 4 inches tall, Ella Kate Ewing was the tallest woman in the world while she lived. She grew up on a Missouri farm, but because of her height became famous, traveling far and wide as a circus performer. For grades 4-7.
William Clark: Explorer and Diplomat by Jeffrey Smith DBC09656
William Clark was best known as an explorer who mapped the Louisiana Territory, but he was also in charge of Indian affairs in the territory and governor of the Missouri Territory before Missouri was a state. For grades 4-7.



Children’s Books
Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail DBC09633
Once Edward has learned to read, books and his vivid imagination provide him with great adventures. Sequel to Santa’s Book of Names. For preschool-grade 2.
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson DBC06390
Hoping that the enemy pie which his father makes will help him get rid of his enemy, a little boy finds that instead it helps make a new friend. For grades K-3.
Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson DBC09674
Grandad bakes Grandma a whopper of a birthday cake. Includes recipe and directions for chocolate cake. For preschool-grade 2.
Upcoming Holidays
Just a reminder to patrons, Wolfner Library will be closed on the following holidays:
May
|
8, 2018
|
Truman’s Birthday
|
May
|
28, 2018
|
Memorial Day
|
July
|
4, 2018
|
Independence Day
|
Wolfner Library Staff Listing
Donna Riegel Director
[email protected]
Abbey Rimel Deputy Director
[email protected]
Deborah Stroup Studio and Volunteer Services Manager
[email protected]
Amy Nickless Adult Services Librarian
[email protected]
Lisa Hellman Youth Services Librarian
[email protected]
Lori Brown Reader Advisor A-Co
[email protected]
Brandon Kempf Reader Advisor Cp-G and Wi-Z
[email protected]
Ginny Ryan Reader Advisor H-L
[email protected]
Diann Stark Reader Advisor M-R
[email protected]
Carol Mathews Reader Advisor S-Wh
[email protected]
Meghan McCormack Reader Advisor Institutions
[email protected]
Wolfner News is a quarterly publication of Secretary
of State John Ashcroft’s Office.