This Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. marks the start of the “Get Your Reading Kicks on Route 66” program at the Altus Public Library. Dr. Roger Bromert of Southwestern Oklahoma State University will open the discussion of “Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael Wallis.” Wallis’s book chronicles the history of the Mother Road state by state. For more information about the series contact the Altus Public Library at 580-477-2890.

Books, services, and other materials for this series of programs are provided by “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma,” a project of the Oklahoma Humanities Council. The series was funded by a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

State for state, Michael Wallis chronicles the history of Route 66 against the backdrop of American history. As America grew, so too did Highway 66. The highway connected Americans from every walk of like and served as a lifeline from east to west for everyone from the roadside gas station owner to the fathers of the great highway up to the dawning of the interstate system.

Starting in Illinois, Wallis weaves his way across the West to California like so many American travelers who satisfied their pioneering spirit.

Wallis cares for the highway and the people along it. He takes time along the journey to pull over and enjoy life just off the road. From the Funk family’s homemade maple syrup in Illinois, to Buster Burris’ motel, caf