Iola Reads: Ranger in Time | Iola Public Library

For our Fall 2024 Youth book selections we have chosen 3 books from Kate Messner’s Ranger in Time series:

Rescue on the Oregon Trail

Escape from the Great Earthquake

Night of Soldiers and Spies

This series is about Ranger, a golden retriever who was training to be a search and rescue dog but kept getting distracted by squirrels during his final certification and didn’t make it. One day while digging in the yard he dug up an old first aid kit with a neck strap. Whenever the first aid kit started to hum, Ranger would nuzzle the strap around his neck and be transported back in time to places and events where Ranger, the rescue dog could make a difference.

Rescue on the Oregon Trail is the first in the 12-book series. The book follows a family moving West over the Oregon Trail, 1850.

Escape from the Great Earthquake is about the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906. We selected that book as it has a tie-in with General Funston as he was there directing troops after the earthquake.

Night of Soldiers and Spies is about the Revolutionary War, 1776.

The events that we have selected for this book are:

Friday, Oct. 11 – Read to a Dog 2:00-4:00 pm at the Iola Public Library

The Prairieland Visiting Animals Association from Lawrence will be bringing down 2 trained dogs that love to have children read to them. The dogs will be dressed up as “Doctors” Chance and Charley. Children can sign up for a 10 minute time slot to read to the one of these dogs. Afterwards the child will receive a free Scholastic book and a special prize.

Saturday, November 2 – General Funston & the San Francisco Earthquake 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the Allen County Historical Society Museum

Families and individuals are invited to come to the Allen County Historical Society Museum (20 S. Washington) for a tour of General Funston’s home and to learn the history of General Funston and the San Francisco Earthquake. There will be a visit from Moose, a trained golden retriever (like Ranger in the book) and a free prize for children attending.

November 4-8 – Kate Messner Virtual Author Visit

Author, Kate Messner was thrilled that her Ranger in Time books were chosen as our Iola Reads, One Book, One Community reading selection. She offered a free virtual author visit for the schools that she pre-recorded on the Ranger in Time series. The schools will be viewing the author visit November 4-8.

Iola Elementary School and Iola Middle School will have Ranger in Time bookmarks for students to self-check the books that they read from the series. If the students read 6 or more books in the series they are entered into the drawing for a Ranger in Time prize basket. Three basket will be awarded: primary grades, intermediate grades, middle school.

– Deb Greenwall, Committee Chair

Iola Reads is a one book, one community project started in 2005 and is a collaboration of the library, USD 257, and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, with support from the Allen County Historical Society (courtesy of Donna H.). Learn more about the history of this community program under “Iola Reads – One Book, One Community Committee” on the Services Page.