Michigan’s city with a strange name has an even stranger—and spirited—past. The authors of Ghosts of Grand Rapids share its chilling tales. Kalamazoo’s violent and often anguished history has given way to myriad ghostly tales surrounding some of the town’s most prominent places. From the tortured souls roaming the Asylum Lake Preserve to the infamous suicide of the amateur actress Thelma, who reputedly haunts the Civic Auditorium to this day, it is no small wonder that the town is filled with apparitions longing to make their stories and their presence known. In this startlingly spooky collection of tales, ghost hunters Bray and DuShane gather stories from legend, lore and residents alike that bring new meaning to the age-old adage “seeing is believing.” Includes photos! “Highlight[s] over 30 different haunted locations in Kalamazoo including the Asylum Lake preserve, the Civic Auditorium, an abused grave marker that is supposedly responsible for demonic activity, and the gravesite of a deceased minister that oozes.” —Morning Sun

Underachiever Anthony Thrasher gets his eighth-grade teacher, Miss Doubloon, pregnant only to fall for luscious nursemaid Bubbles Breedlove, in a ribald tale of the sexual revolution

Something is very odd about the clowns in the carnival visiting Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo experienced a dramatic transformation during the first decades of the 20th century. Its factories churned out a wide variety of products, and the downtown area was being rapidly transformed by the addition of new skyscraper office buildings, hotels, department stores, theaters, parks, and government buildings. These turn-of-the-century developments coincided with the popularity of picture postcards. Not only did postcards offer a convenient way to send brief messages across the country, they also provided a means to show off the city and its landmarks. When viewed today, they offer a valuable record of the city's built environment.

This book is your child's passport to the ultimate children's party. Every detail of the book, and the party itself, has been designed with a child's favorite things in mind. You'll find ""sandboxes everywhere, and fields to play ball in, and places to hide in, and places to crawl in, and places to lie in, and places to fall in, and one that I'm sure you will feel very tall in."" The party in Kalamazoo reveals itself through easy, playful rhymes and bright, whimsical illustrations that delight children and parents alike. You'll meet ""puppies and ponies and marionettes. That's the kind of excitement that no one forgets!"" Best of all, you and your child can attend the party in Kalamazoo again and again - on rainy days, at bedtime, and whenever else you like - for as long as this book remains a cherished part of your child's collection.