Pageturners 2026 Winter Book Events

Set along the mighty Mississippi River, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain’s timeless tale of freedom, friendship, and the search for identity. Huck Finn, a spirited boy escaping the confines of his small-town life, joins forces with Jim, an enslaved man fleeing for his freedom. Together, they embark on a daring journey aboard a raft, navigating treacherous waters and encountering a vivid cast of characters, from crafty conmen to feuding families.

Through Huck’s eyes, Twain explores themes of race, morality, and the bonds that transcend societal divisions. Huck wrestles with his conscience and challenges the prejudices of his world, making this story as relevant today as it was in its time. A thrilling adventure and a profound exploration of human nature, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a cornerstone of American literature that will captivate readers of all ages.

Publisher: Bantam Classics
Publication Date: ‎1981 ed.
Print Length: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0553210798

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. 

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.

Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: ‎2024
Print Length: 320 pages
ISBN-10: ‎ 0385550367
ISBN-13: 978-0553210798

The Page Fence Giants, an all-star black baseball club sponsored by a woven-wire fence company in Adrian, Michigan, graced the diamond in the 1890s. Formed through a partnership between black and white boosters, the team’s respectable four-year run was an early integration success–before integration was phased out decades ahead of Jackie Robinson’s 1947 debut, and the growing Jim Crow sentiment blocked the Page Fence Giant’s best talent from the major leagues. This book tells the story of a long-ignored team at the close of the 19th century, whose Hall of Famer second baseman Sol White was but one of their best players.

“The book will interest local historians and dedicated fans of the history of minor league ball…recommended” ―Choice; “extraordinarily informative…an exceptionally impressive and unique history…recommended” ―Midwest Book Review; “a precise detailed account…makes many original and the significant contributions to the lore of the club and to black baseball history in general. Lutzke clearly did his homework…well-researched and referenced…a heartfelt testament to an exceptional, though long forgotten, outfit. Lutzke’s tour-de-force is the very complete history of a nineteenth century black ball club, and a welcome addition to McFarland’s ever growing canon of Negro League team chronicles”―The Inside Game (SABR Deadball Era Committee Newsletter); “the author has done an impressive amount of research and written a fascinating story of a little-known chapter in the history of baseball”―Michigan in Books.

Mitch Lutzke was an award-winning radio reporter before beginning his second career as a high school history teacher and coach in Michigan. He has had history themed articles published in newspapers, magazines, web pages and with SABR (The Society for American Baseball Research). He lives in Williamston, Michigan.

Publisher: McFarland & Company
Publication Date:2018
Print Length: 274 pages
ISBN-10: 1476671656
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1476671659