For being one city in a state of more than 82,000 square miles, Lawrence gathers more than its fair share of the book “Kansas Curiosities, 2nd Edition: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities and Other Offbeat Stuff.”

Perhaps that’s because the author, travel writer Pam Grout, lives here.

The Lawrence chapter – the only chapter about a single city – starts this way: “Call it shameless bragging, but my hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, is one cool town.”

Lawrence’s 31 pages – the state’s largest city, Wichita, garners only 13 – cover such topics as the Hallmark plant that makes White House Christmas cards, the “Three Minutes or Less” variety show, “Kansas Hermit” Hugh Cameron and the tax night post office parties.

The book, published last year, is the choice for “Read Across Lawrence 2008,” a project of the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt. Local residents are encouraged to read the book and participate in a series of events that start this week, all at the library. The schedule includes:

¢ “World’s Largest Things,” a presentation by Erika Nelson, curator of “The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things,” 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

¢ “Reading Roadside Kansas,” presentation by Jay Price about reading history through your windshield, 7 p.m. Sept. 15.

¢ “I Want That Gig!” talk by Grout about travel writing, 7 p.m. Sept. 16.

¢ “An Evening of Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations,” with Randy, Mike and Don the Camera Guy from KCPT’s “Rare Visions & Roadside Revelation” show, 7 p.m. Sept. 23.

For more information, visit www.lawrencepubliclibrary.org.