Can't get enough of WandaVision or the Marvel Universe? In the new show on Disney+, members of the Avengers, Wanda Maximoff and Vision are living in a world that appears to be out of a 1950's sitcom in New Jersey. They are trying to blend in, and live normal lives, but but everything is not as ...
Read MoreSpring is the time for all things green. Grass is growing, leaves are budding, and, of course, green is the color for St. Patrick's Day. With that in mind, we've picked a selection of "green" books for to check out - books that will bring you in touch with your green thumb by bringing you informatio...
Read MoreIt's been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In that time, much of the world has changed. More than half a million Americans have lost their lives. Millions of people lost their jobs, schooling was upended for nearly every child - really, our entire way of life in America was turned on its he...
Read MoreAuthor and Iowa native Greer Macallister is the guest on the latest episode of The DMPL Podcast. Her newest novel, The Arctic Fury, follows an all-female expedition to the north as they try to uncover what happened to the lost Franklin expedition. Greer discusses why she wanted to set a book in t...
Read MoreThe 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 MoreAnd the award goes to...cue dramatic pause. The Golden Globes are Sunday, and to help you prepare, we put together a reading list of books that inspired some of the nominees. ...
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 More