Check it out

For anyone with an interest in history, “A Star Spangled Weekend” will

feature a full slate of activities that will celebrate our national

heritage.

Programs planned today through Sunday at the Newport Beach Central

Library also will showcase the American History Collection -- more than

2,400 resources that provide an overview of U.S. history, from centuries

before the Pilgrims’ landing through settlement of the West.

Numerous volumes offer insight for weekend activities. To get ready for

“Meet Mark Twain” at 7 p.m. tonight, check out “Mark Twain at the Buffalo

Express,” a collection of sketches by one of America’s favorite

humorists. Featuring burlesques, slapstick turns and tall tales, this new

tome sheds light on a pivotal period for the writer, during which he was

managing editor of a New York newspaper.

Several American History Collection books provide background for “Ben

Franklin, Renaissance Man” at 1 p.m. Saturday. Among the most accessible

is “The American Revolution: Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death,” a

concise account of the Revolutionary War with interesting tidbits about

how Franklin and other Founding Fathers led the struggle for freedom.

Brief narratives about many lesser-known framers of the U.S. Constitution

are in “Founding Fathers,” a historically rich account of the men whose

knowledge of history, philosophy and law was the basis for the most

influential document in the history of the United States.

The emphasis in the sketches is on each individual’s constitutional

theory, on the type of union he envisioned and his reasons for favoring

or rejecting particular components of the draft under consideration.

Children attending “Crazy Magic” at 2:30 p.m. Saturday will learn about

the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

through stunts and tricks. They can enhance their appreciation of the

show with “How We Crossed the West, The Adventures of Lewis & Clark,” a

colorful volume for young adventurers told in the actual words of

President Jefferson’s bold travelers.

The taming of the West also is the theme of “Black Cowboy Wild Horses,” a

dazzling picture book based on the true story of a former slave whose

tracking ability as a Texas cowboy was legendary.

Poetic prose and spectacular illustrations merge in this unusual

biography that should appeal to young horse-lovers and history-lovers, as

well as grown-ups who love a good story.

“Saluting Our Heritage in Song,” a musicale at 3 p.m. Sunday, will

conclude “A Star Spangled Weekend.” To get in the mood, check out “Songs

of the Wild West,” a glorious volume featuring period paintings from the

Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in

Cody, Wyo., plus 45 songs that reveal myths and realities of the Old

West.

For more information about the weekend activities, head to

https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org on the Web. Find a listing of titles

in The American History Collection in bibliographies available at all

libraries.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library.

This week’s column is by Melissa Adams.