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Batavia’s Books Between Bites hosts local author, illustrator for new book launch

Batavia's Books Between Bites is hosting a special program on Thursday, Jan. 30, with author Marnie O. Mamminga and illustrator Mary C. Parks presenting their new children’s book “The Wolf Song In Me.”

Seeking to open a child’s heart and mind to the creative power of observation in the natural world, it’s the story of a child’s hike down an old forest road and the surprise discovery that wolves have been walking there, too! By facing fear, the child gains a greater understanding of our shared earthly home.

“The Wolf Song in Me” follows their award-winning first book, “The Woodpecker’s Song,” in the “Finding Wisdom in Nature” series.

As part of their presentation, Parks will provide a demonstration using the torn paper collage technique she chose for illustrating this book series.

“The Wolf Song In Me” and “The Woodpecker’s Song” by author Marnie O. Mamminga and illustrator Mary C. Parks are part of the “Finding Wisdom in Nature Series.”

It will be noon to 1 p.m. in the large Founders Room on the main level of the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31). These programs are free and open to the community. Reservations are not required. Books will be available for sale and signing.

Mamminga is the award-winning author of “Return to Wake Robin: One Cabin in the Heyday of Northwoods Resorts” and “On a Clear Night: Essays from the Heartland,” both published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. As a professional essayist, her work has been featured on NPR and in numerous publications including the Chicago Tribune, Reader’s Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, the Midwest Prairie Review, and in several “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. Currently, she writes a monthly perspective for NPR’s WNIJ.

Parks is both a state and nationally honored educator and has taught art in kindergarten through the college level. She was featured in the Chicago Tribune for curriculum distinction which led to her students’ artwork being showcased at the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, Parks was a feature writer/illustrator for Instructor magazine for four years, receiving international recognition. Her freelance artwork can be found year-round at invitational art galleries, art shows, and at various educational and commercial sites.

The Books Between Bites then continues its 36th season with four more programs.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, Vivien Lasken, director of the Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden, will talk about Jason Fagone’s 2017 nonfiction book, “The Woman Who Smashed Codes: True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies.”

Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a pioneer in code-breaking and one of the nation’s foremost cryptanalysts. She took down smuggling syndicates during Prohibition, broke enigma codes in World War II, and caught Nazi spies in South America. She and her husband, William Friedman, practically invented their field overnight. Learn about her start at the Geneva estate of Colonel George Fabyan, the eccentric millionaire, and how her research led to the start of the National Security Agency.

On Thursday, March 20, Lester Munson will be returning to talk about Keith O'Brien’s 2024 biography, “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball.” Munson has been a nationally known commentator, former ESPN senior writer and legal analyst, and WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” guest. In this annual visit to the program, he will share his thoughts on this new and epic treatment of the life of one of the most fascinating figures in sports history, from his dizzying heights to his calamitous lows, a tragic fall brought on by Rose’s hubris, arrogance, and compulsive gambling.

On Thursday, April 10, Dan Hoefler, a retired history teacher and president of the Batavia Historical Society, will discuss the 2006 book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer,” by attorney and Lincoln scholar James L. Swanson. The murder of Abraham Lincoln 160 years ago set off the greatest manhunt in American history — the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln’s own blood relics, “Manhunt” is a fully documented, fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters.

Note: this program has been moved up one week to the second Thursday of the month.

On Thursday, May 15, retired Batavia teachers Kathy Hubbard and Linda Sullivan will close out the season with a talk on the 2024 book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. He explores the progression of declining mental health in youth in the era of smartphones, big technology and exposure to social media. Haidt cites examples of how “play-based childhood” has been replaced by “phone-based childhood” and how four simple rules can assist in controlling the epidemic of mental illness and “restore a more human childhood.”

BATV records these programs and the videos are posted on YouTube. Now available is Valerie Blaine’s Dec. 12 program on the book “The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light.” The link is posted on the website: booksbetweenbites.com.

Parking is available in the lot just south and adjacent to the library.

Bring your lunch to enjoy during the program and discussion. Lunch items, beverages and baked goods also may be purchased at Flyleaf Bakery Cafe, located just inside the library and next to the meeting room. To pre-order for pick-up just before the program, call (331) 302-3480.

Books Between Bites was established in Batavia in 1987 by the late Lee C. and Betty Moorehead. The program has been continued by their daughter, Becky Hoag, in partnership and co-sponsorship with the Batavia Public Library.

For more information about Books Between Bites, visit the website, booksbetweenbites.com, where a complete schedule and description of each program can be found, along with a printable season schedule. Printed season schedules also are available at Batavia Public Library.

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