The library has a large collection of books celebrating the girls and women that have changed the world. A small selection is listed below, but be sure to check out our Recommended Reads page for a more complete list. Picture Books and Young Readers Shirley Chisholm, by Laurie Ca...
Read MoreKelly Marble was the kid who left the public library with a stack of 20 books every time she visited. Now, she does more than read books. She talks about them every day, doing what she calls a “dream job” as Digital Marketing Specialist for the Des Moines Public Library. Marble, who started ...
Read MoreAViD author Robert Kolker joins us on the DMPL Podcast! We talk about how he came to know the Galvin family, the subject of his newest, critically acclaimed book Hidden Valley Road. Kolker also discusses the challenges of structuring of narrative nonfiction books and reveals which classic novel...
Read MoreDecodable books are books that focus on letter sounds and phonic patterns that young readers can "decode." Usually, these books follow a specific sequence of skills that build on each other as a reader develops in skill themselves. These books are especially great for helping develop the skills and ...
Read MoreIowa author Darcy Maulsby is the guest on the latest DMPL Podcast! Her newest book, Classic Restaurants of Des Moines and Their Recipes, is a culinary history of Des Moines restaurants During the podcast, Maulsby and host Aaron Gernes discuss restaurants of days' past, including Babe's, Johnny ...
Read MoreIt's the middle of February. If the cold and snow has caused you to give up on your New Year's Resolutions, you're not alone. Our Book Chat team has put together a list of books that can help you reach (or re-reach) your goals. These books cover health, wellness, mindfulness, nutrition, financial he...
Read MoreThe Des Moines Public Library recently added Creativebug to our collection of online resources. Creativebug offers thousands of online arts and crafts classes, including knitting, crocheting, drawing, painting, home decór, and more. The classes take the form of easy-to-follow instructional vide...
Read MoreTheresa and Lynn join us today on the DMPL Podcast! The two Library Assistants love the DMPL Reading Challenge, and they've picked three books each to discuss - one in each of three different categories. Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher&nb...
Read MoreFebruary is Black History Month and a great opportunity to highlight books by black authors and featuring black characters. We've highlighted a few adult, teen, and children books below, and we invite you to look at our Recommended Reads page to see more book suggestions from the Book Chat team...
Read MoreFor Ashley Molzen, helping the community has been a long pursuit. Growing up in northwest Iowa, she first started working with young English language learners as part of a high school course, rotating among different professions to learn more about those careers. Molzen, however, made her mind up...
Read MoreOn the latest DMPL Podcast, AViD author Adam Higginbotham joins us for seven questions! Learn what stories shaped his writing styles, why he found himself at the very very top of the Empire State Building, and what his next book is going to be about. Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Google P...
Read MoreYou never know when you’ll have to solve a crime. It could be when you’re bored at home with your sisters, when you’re visiting a researcher’s house to see their collection of plants, or even when you’ve hit a dead end in your Hollywood career. Luckily, these ladies and gentlemen were up for the cal...
Read MoreJaneé and Rebecca, with the Book Chat team, join host Aaron to chat about their favorite books this year. What made them laugh? What made them cry? What made 2020 a great year for reading? Listen to the podcast to find out, and be sure to check out the show notes to see other books they loved that t...
Read MoreAs 2020 winds to an end, we're celebrating the books you loved. Listed below are the books and DVDs most requested by our patrons in 2020. It's a list of unique and fun books and movies, symbolizing what has been a very unique year. Adult Fiction Where the Crawdads Sing, by ...
Read MoreWith the holidays around the corner, it's the perfect occasion to squeeze in a couple books. That's especially true if you're not traveling this year. This list of books is all under 300 pages, making them the perfect companion for the extra time you might have throughout the next couple weeks. ...
Read More