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Celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday and eat lots of pancakes, too!

It's Dr. Seuss's birthday and we're celebrating! The library has partnered with the Derby Chamber of Commerce to bring you a birthday party for Dr. Seuss during the city's 150th Celebration.

Join us for books, a special story time, characters and door prizes at the Chamber's annual Pancake Breakfast and food drive for Derby Community Services.

8-10 a.m. Saturday, March 2, in the Derby Welcome Center at 611 N Mulberry

Check out one of the library's three book clubs in March

We have three active book groups here at the library that are open to everyone. If you love to read and talk about the books you read, pop in to one or more of the book groups! Bemused Bibliophiles meets during the day and reads popular books that have been on the bestseller list. Hauntingly Good Reads meets in the evening and explores all kinds of books that have a supernatural/magical/unexplainable kind of bent—we look far beyond the traditional vampires, ghosts and witches. Joyful Page Turners is the most enduring book club at the library—it's been meeting regularly since May 2000! Books selected for this book club include just about everything: classics, modern bestsellers, non-fiction, and more. Click on the book titles below to see them in the library catalog. Sign in to your library account on the catalog and you can place a title on hold.

Bemused Bibliophiles — meets at 1 p.m. March 6. The title for March is The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn.
Hauntingly Good Reads — meets at 7 p.m. March 11. The title for March is The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin.
Joyful Page Turners — meets at 6:45 p.m. March 28. The title for March is My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferante.

Special Spring Break Storytime!

Do you miss having story time during spring break? So do we! So we're having a special all-ages story time and we want everyone to come. We'll read stories, sing some songs, and have lots of fun.

10 a.m. Tuesday, March 12

Teen spring break movie

4 p.m. Tuesday, March 12,
in the Community Room

Spring break K-5
LEGO challenge

Come build with us during spring break! Draw a challenge card. Can you build it? There will be drawings for door prizesand LEGO bricks will be provided. NO registration is required. For kids in kindergarten through 5th grade.

10-11 a.m. Wednesday, March 13

Railroaded:
The Industry that Shaped Kansas

In the 19th century, the influence of the railroad industry was vast. Some claim that Kansas was created specifically to accommodate westward expansion of the railroads.

Railroads brought immigrant settlers, created jobs, and fed beef markets in the eastern U.S. They also enabled regular mail service, and the adoption of standard time.

This progress came at a cost to the Plains Indians who were forcibly displaced by this westward expansion. This presentation examines the complicated legacy of railroads.

2 p.m. Saturday, March 23 in the Community Room. Presentation by Leo Oliva.

Program made possible by a grant from Humanities Kansas.

Cowboy Music and Poetry at the Derby Public Library

Two troubadours are riding into Derby for a special evening of contemporary western music and poetry at the Derby Public Library. Kerry Grombacher and Aspen Black will perform their “Songs & Stories of the American West” concert.

Their work draws vivid portraits and tells fascinating stories that are set in the Western landscape, where they’ve worked and traveled with cowboys and Indians, ranchers and rodeo riders, outfitters and chuckwagon cooks, and lawmen and lawbreakers.

7 p.m. Saturday, March 30

An Assassin's Guide to Love & Treason by Virginia Boecker

First line: It is not the usual interrogation.

Summary: When Katherine’s father is killed in front of her she vows that she is going to take revenge on the person responsible, Queen Elizabeth I. She travels to London dressed as a boy to meet with fellow Catholic conspirators to hatch a plan to kill the Protestant queen. Toby, an agent of the queen, is on the lookout for any assassination plots. When he teams up with William Shakespeare and his company of players, he sets a trap for the would-be assassins. However, Katherine and Toby are drawn to each other, complicating both their missions.

My thoughts: Assassination plots and William Shakespeare?! Yes please! I found the story to be lots of fun from the very beginning. I enjoyed both of the main characters. Katherine is a strong-willed young girl who is determined to avenge her father. Toby is a heartbroken playwright working as a spy for the queen. I loved watching Katherine throwing off her inhibitions as she took on the role of a man. She gets to see things that women would not be privy to normally. As their relationship progresses I got more and more nervous about how the story would end. This story was fit for Shakespeare with the mistaken identities, daring murder attempts and tragic love.

Release date: Oct. 23, 2018

Ashley's rating:

What Angels Fear
by C. S. Harris

First line: She blamed the fog.

Summary: When a young woman is found murdered on the steps of Westminster Abbey all signs point to the young viscount, Sebastian St. Cyr. In order to prove himself innocent he uses the skills gained from his time in his majesty’s military as well as enlisting the help of his former mistress, Kat Boleyn.

My thoughts: As a fan of historical fiction this has become one of my favorite mystery series. Sebastian is a smart and witty protagonist. The street urchin, Tom, is a great addition. He is fun and gives the reader a look into the darker underworld of the poor in London. I love that Sebastian is involved and cares about others unlike many of the people in the upper classes. I have read nearly all of this series so far and have even gotten my mother hooked on them as well. If you like this then try The Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. It is a female-centered spy novel series that takes place during this time period.

Release date: Oct. 3, 2006

Ahsley's rating:

The Language of Thorns
by Leigh Bardugo

First line: In the year that summer stayed too long, the heat lay upon the prairie with the weight of a corpse.

Summary: A collection of five fairy tales and legends told by the best-selling author, Leigh Bardugo, brings the reader into a mystical world filled with enchanted nutcrackers, mermaids and witches.

My thoughts: I absolutely loved these short stories. Bardugo is a master of world building and atmosphere. I have read several of her novels and enjoyed each one. She can do so much in just a few pages. By far my favorite of the stories was the story of Clara and the nutcracker. It seems like we know this story but Bardugo puts her own twist on it, making it darker and more intriguing. The pages are stunning with their artwork at the borders. Each page adds more imagery that enhances the story. Plus, if you have read her books (Grisha Trilogy and Dregs Duology) you will find little Easter eggs embedded in the tales. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who loves fantasy and Russian-style fairy tales.

Release date: Sept. 26, 2017

Ashley's review:

Blood in the River:
A Murder Mystery in Derby

Save the date! Mark your calendar now to participate in Derby's own 150th Celebration murder mystery event. Registration opens March 15, and the murder mystery happens Friday, April 5.

Set in 19th century Kansas and inspired by real events, this murder mystery is sure to delight both local history and true crime fans alike. When a child is found dead in the Arkansas River, the newly settled town of Derby is shaken. The identity of the victim and its subsequent demise are a mystery, and an array of locals are potential suspects in the crime. Who committed such a heinous act, and more importantly, will the murderer kill again?

Blood in the River: A Murder Mystery in Derby, 7 p.m. Friday, April 5