shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com December 31, 2019 • Page 9 Statewide Humanities Council The Bookworm ... For Young Readers Unveils 2020 One Book South Get Ready For Some Royal Reading Dakota, Young Readers One Book BROOKINGS — The 2020 One Book South Dakota is a tale of reinvention, of a person who changed her mind and her ways and left her family — her infamous and outspoken family, known nationwide for raucous protests at funerals of U.S. soldiers — for a quiet life in rural South Dakota. “Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church” by Megan Phelps-Roper was announced Tuesday as the 2020 One Book South Dakota during a celebration at the Brookings office of the South Dakota Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit whose mission is to bring humanities programs to South Dakotans. Phelps-Roper met readers and signed books after the unveiling, which also included a reveal of the humanities council’s 2020 Young Readers selection: a bind-in of three books from the “Bink and Gollie” series by 2020 Young Readers One Book author Alison McGhee (co-written with Kate DiCamillo). Since 2003, SDHC’s One Book program has encouraged people across South Dakota to read and discuss the same book through the year, while the Young Readers One Book program began in 2014 to encourage youth reading and combat summer reading loss. Readers around the state, including those participating in SDHC-funded book club programs, will read and discuss Phelps-Roper’s book leading up to the Oct. 2-4, 2020 South Dakota Festival of Books. South Dakota second-graders will receive copies of McGhee’s book this spring and meet the author as third-graders during Young Readers events at the 2020 Festival. The granddaughter of infamous religious zealot and Westboro Baptist Church pastor Fred Phelps, Phelps-Roper grew up protesting funerals with messages like “God Hates Fags” before leaving the Westboro Baptist Church — and by extension, most of her family — behind in 2012 and eventually moving to Clark, where she lives with her husband Chad and daughter Sølvi. “Unfollow” chronicles her life in Kansas from childhood through adulthood, her departure from the church during her mid-20s, and the unlikely series of events that led her to South Dakota. Phelps-Roper said after the unveiling that she’s eager to share her story with fellow residents of the state she now calls home. “It was actually six years ago yesterday that I made South Dakota my home and I’m so, so excited to share with the beautiful people of this state how the power of civil dialogue changed my life for the better,” she said to the audience members who attended the celebration. “So, thank you again so much for this opportunity and I cannot wait to get started.” Having been featured on “Good Morning America” and excerpted in People Magazine, “Unfollow” is on the national radar. It received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which said, “PhelpsRoper’s intelligence and compassion shine throughout with electric prose ... She admirably explicates the worldview of the Westboro Baptist Church while humanizing its members and recounts a classic coming-of-age story without resorting to cliché or condescending to her former self.” Now an educator on topics related to overcoming ideological extremism and improving communication across religious and political divides, Phelps-Roper has spent much of her life in the national spotlight, from appearing on national news programs like “The Tyra Banks Show” during her protest days to performing a Ted Talk with more than eight million views after leaving the church. “We’re pleased to feature such an inspiring story of national significance, and we’re especially excited that it’s told by one of our state’s own residents,” said Jennifer Widman, director of the South Dakota Festival of Books, which hosted Phelps-Roper as a presenter in October as the book debuted. “This book will lead to valuable conversations about civil discourse and the miraculous ability of humans to change their minds and habits. Exploring what it means to be human is the cornerstone of our mission.” Young Readers One Book author Alison McGhee is another past Festival presenter who’s found incredible popularity as a writer for all ages in differing formats. Bink and Gollie, the two characters she created with DiCamillo — a Newbery medalist and past Festival presenter — are “precocious little girls — one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible,” according to the summary of the early chapter book, which won the Theodor Geisel Award in 2011. “Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. No matter where their roller skates take them, at the end of the day they will always be the very best of friends.” Widman said McGhee brings a broad perspective due to the variety in her work. “As a versatile writer and a generous mentor for aspiring authors, Alison has been a popular Festival of Books presenter. We’re excited to have her back as our 2020 Young Readers One Book South Dakota author.” McGhee’s Pulitzer Prizenominated novel “Shadow Baby” was a “Today Show” Book Club pick, and her picture book for adults, “Someday,” was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. Her honors include four Minnesota Book Awards, the Geisel medal, a MacDowell residency and several American Library Association awards. A professor of creative writing at Metropolitan State University, McGhee has three grown children and lives a semi-nomadic life in Minneapolis, Vermont and California. “I was thrilled to hear that the Bink and Gollie books are the Young Readers selection for 2020! My marvelous collaborators Tony Fucile and Kate DiCamillo and I had so much fun making the books together, and I can’t wait to laugh over Bink and Gollie’s antics with kids in South Dakota next year,” McGhee said. “From all three of us, thanks for choosing us!” Visit sdhumanities.org and sdbookfestival.com for more information. “The Book of Queens” by Stephanie Warren Drimmer; © 2019, National Geographic. 176 pages ——— “The Book of Kings” by Caleb Magyar and Staphanie Warren Drimmer; © 2019, National Geographic .176 pages ——— BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You’ve always wanted your very own kingdom. Imagine it: knights ready to joust and stables filled with noble steeds, your very own palace, a throne, and a crown with jewels. How awesome would that be? So now read “The Book of Kings” by Caleb Magyer and Stephanie Warren Drimmer, or “The Book of Queens” by Stephanie Warren Drimmer and see what you can expect. Let’s start at the top, with your head. You’ll need that crown, so why not go for diamonds and rubies, one like King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway wore; or get one with feathers like Aztec emperor Moctezuma II had in the 16th century. If you plan on going to war with anyone any time soon, you’ll want to know how to do it and you’ll need a sword. There are several kinds to choose from, including curved ones and a seven-branched sword. Know how to use your weapon by reading all about ancient “warrior queens” and evil kings of literature. Don’t forget armor. Minerva, “the Roman goddess of women and warfare” had some. Others just outfitted their elephants with it, and stayed high and (hopefully) safe. But OK, you’re going to be a kind ruler. No war for you; you’d rather be like Akbar the Great from northern India, or Queen Isabella I who may – or may not – have used her religion as “a tool to attain power.” You could be like Nicaragua’s Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, or Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii. Or, well, maybe taking control of a country is more responsibility than you want and more trouble than it’s worth. You’re not so sure you want to have a crown or a cape, and being the king or queen of somewhere just isn’t your idea of fun. So how about being the king or queen of something? Seriously, it worked for BB King, the King of Rock & Roll, the King of Pop, Queen Latifah, and the Queen of Hearts… The single thing a parent should know about “The Book of Kings” and “The Book of Queens” is that it’s not just about rulers. That should set your mind to rest, if your child wrinkles his or her nose at history: there are people who are real here, but also some that are unreal. Authors Caleb Magyar and Stephanie Warren Drimmer stretch the definitions of rulers in a way that works just right, in fact. Some of the entries in this book will poke at a kid’s imagination with enough interesting facts to invite further investigation; other entries may surprise kids who think they know all about princes and princesses. More fun: the information here reaches back into ancient time and forward; it includes modern stars and stars of the galaxy; and at the end of both books, there’s advice for kids on how to become royally awesome. “The Book of Queens” and “The Book of Kings” belong side-by-side on any bookshelf owned by a 9- to 14-year-old. These are books for the kid who totally rules. Vermillion Public Library Offering Digital Resources The Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library is offering two electronic resources designed to provide patrons with online classes and learning materials: Universal Class and Creativebug! Access is free with your Vermillion Public Library card through the library’s website, www. vermillionpubliclibrary.org. Universal Class is a comprehensive service offering unlimited access to continuing education courses, covering a broad range of topics. Universal Class offers over 500 courses ranging from accounting and nutrition to reiki and gardening, many of which offer continuing education units (CEUs). Classes are self-paced and instructor-led, with certified instructors available to answer questions and assess your performance. Creativebug focuses more on arts and crafts, offering access to online video workshops and techniques. Learn how to paint, knit, crochet, sew, screen print, and more! Patrons have access to over 1000 online classes. The classes can be watched anytime, and they never expire, so you can start and stop projects at your own pace. More classes are constantly being added, meaning you will always find new crafty activities to check out! For more information, visit the Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library at 18 Church Street, Vermillion, SD, call 605-677-7060 or see the library’s website at vermillionpubliclibrary.org. MV Shopper 665-5884 MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y In Print and Online! M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y Looking for the best deal in town? Check the CLASSIFIEDS! MV Shopper 319 Walnut St. Yankton, SD 57078 MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y 605-665-5884 Happy Holidays The Missouri Valley Shopper will be closed on Wednesday, December 25th and Wednesday, January 1st. Happy Holidays from all of us at the... J&H Cleaning Services YANKTON WORKS Want your REAL-TIME MESSAGE on the most visited media website in the Yankton area? Join our ‘Friends2Follow’ program! Contact your Yankton Media Representative today! 605-665-7811