Distribution will start Thursday of the spring Iola Reads selection, “Our Boys,” about the Smith Center, Kan., High School football team.
Jeff Kluever, Allen County Historical Society director, will give a tutorial on the sport, “Football 101,” at a presentation to kick off distribution in the Iola Public Library’s meeting room.
The library will be one of a dozen places where the book will be distributed for free, with the condition that those who pick up a copy return it or pass it on to someone else. Readers who want to add “Our Boys” to their personal library may do so by making a donation to Iola Reads.
Kluever said he never passes up an opportunity to talk about history, his focus in college, or football, which he coached for several years.
Kluever suffered a career-ending injury playing football at Norwalk, Iowa, High School, but that didn’t deter him from pursuing the sport. He was a graduate assistant for the Grinnell, Iowa, college team and coached three years of high school football and three in college, one at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and two at Carroll University, Waukesha, Wis.
“You don’t have to have a football background to enjoy the book, but we thought it would help,” Kluever said.
He will examine the game from a fan’s perspective, including rules, terminology and strategy.
“Our Boys” focuses on 2008 when Smith Center compiled its fifth consecutive perfect season, including a state championship, despite facing a potential destabilizing transition: the greatest senior class in school history had just graduated.
Joe Draper paints a thorough mind’s-eye picture of the team, its coach, Roger Barta, and the community, as all combine to make Smith Center football what it is.
“The Smith Center Redmen might just be the best little high school football team in America. The story of how they got there is even better,” wrote Jim Litke, for the Associated Press.
IOLA READS, in its sixth year, is a project that encourages people to read and examine each selection through public programs.
On Jan. 26 will be a book discussion at the Flewharty-Powell Annex of Iola Public Library at 7 p.m. Brett Lisher, Allen County Community College assistant baseball coach, will speak.
On Feb. 7 a program at the Creitz Recital Hall in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center will feature the author, Drape, a New York Times sportswriter, and Coach Barta. Drape and Barta will give a presentation at Iola High School in the afternoon.
The spring selection for Iola Reads received major funding from the Sleeper Trust. Fall programs are underwritten by the Whitehead Trust.
Gail Dunbar, USD 257 curriculum director who oversees Iola Reads, said 550 copies of “Our Boys” were purchased. It is the 11th book in the project series and also was this year’s selection for the statewide reading project, she said.
Sponsoring partners for Iola Reads, a One Book, One Community project, are Iola Public Library, USD 257, ACCC’s library and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
