MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa — Grab your library card and get ready for a trip out to Mount Pleasant, Iowa! This week, we've got three young adult horror/fantasy books that you might not have heard of but would be perfect for these darker fall evenings.
Every other Wednesday on our 4 p.m. show, The Current, we bring you a book-club-style segment called "Current Reads." We chat with libraries all over our viewing area to hear what people are reading in their community. For this edition, we're headed to Henry County, Iowa, and the Mount Pleasant Public Library.
Library Director Kayleigh Septer joined us on The Current to discuss the three books readers in Mount Pleasant can't put down:
- "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" by Andrew Joseph White is set in London in 1883. In a world where the Veil between the living and dead has thinned, violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the supervision of the Royal Speaker Society. The book follows 16-year-old Silas Bell who is transgender, autistic and would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. When Silas is caught trying to escape an arranged marriage, he's sent away to Braxton's Finishing School and Sanitorium. But it doesn't take long until the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help. He must decide whether to expose Braxton's mysterious innards to the world before the school breaks him first.
- "Cemetry Boys" by Aiden Thomas centers around Yadriel, a transgender boy who is determined to prove himself to his traditional Latinx family. Eventually, he sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. But it turns out the host he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy. Julian isn't about to go quietly into death. He wants to find out what happened before he leaves. Yadriel reluctantly agrees to help Julian, so they can both get what they want. But the longer the two spend time together, the less Yadriel wants to let Julian leave.
- "The Honeys" by Ryan La Sala is a horror novel set amidst the rural splendor of a secluded summer retreat. There was never a question that Mars is the lesser twin compared to his sister Caroline. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars must learn all he can about his sister, whom he was once so close to but had grown distant. Because Mars's genderfluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions and expectations of his politically connected family, it's a shock when he insists on attending the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy in his sister's place. What he finds is a rigid and conforming place filled with toxicity and old-fashioned gender roles. But as he grows close to Caroline's old friend group, Mars grows certain they're connected to his sister's death.
Beyond the books, the library says one of its most popular offerings is the Children's Discovery Center. The center is a space for children and families to explore, play and use their imagination.
There's a play kitchen, a stage and a doctor's office, along with a Lincoln Log room, sensory toys and even a PVC pipe system across the two rooms to allow kids to send secret messages back and forth. An upper-elementary room is geared more toward science-based activities.
The center had a soft opening just before the country went into lockdown in 2020. Since then, it officially opened in March 2023 in the old AEA space between the library and the Wisdom Quest Education Center. A colorful sidewalk guides visitors to the entrance.
The center's fall and winter hours are:
- Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Saturdays (October 19, November 2 & 16, & December 14): 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Closed: November 11, 29, & 30 and December 21, 2024 - January 1, 2025
And we're coming up on the one-year anniversary of Mount Pleasant's involvement with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Since December 2023, the library has carried the program, which allows kids from birth to 5 years old to build a home library. The Imagination Library mails one age-appropriate book a month to enrolled children.
Interested parents and guardians can click here to enter their zip code and register their child. One registration should be completed for each eligible child. To be eligible, children must reside in the 52641 zip code and have a valid Mount Pleasant address. Parents will also be able to choose the specific language their books should arrive in.
Donations toward the continued sponsorship of this program can be made directly to The Mount Pleasant Public Library Foundation (307 E. Monroe St. Suite 101 Mount Pleasant, Iowa 52641).
Septer is celebrating the completion of a new mural in the library's children's department. The large, colorful mural depicts various Dr. Seuss scenes and is all about encouraging children (and adults) to use their imagination. Painted by Southeast Iowa artist, Annie Guldberg, the mural was made possible by Rotary International, District 6000 and the Mount Pleasant Rotary.
Tune into The Current from 4 to 5 p.m. on weekdays to catch live interviews impacting you, your family and your hometown as well as all of the biggest headlines of the day.
